Double or Nothing │ Universal Vault Series
Courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
by CHAD KENNERK
The Universal Vault Series has made a welcome return, presenting a slate of Claudette Colbert titles in late 2025 before reopening the vault for Bing Crosby with four of the crooner’s early Paramount musicals. If you’re wondering how these Paramount films ended up at Universal, the surprising answer lies in one of classic Hollywood’s great library sales. In 1958, more than 700 Paramount features produced between 1929 and 1949 were sold to MCA/Universal for television distribution, with Universal owning and distributing them ever since. Previously available on DVD in several Bing Crosby collections, 1937’s Double or Nothing now arrives on Blu-ray for the first time.
Based on a story by M. Coates Webster, Double or Nothing is built on a ‘reading of the will’ premise, something that was already a hallmark of murder mystery novels of the day. While it wasn’t yet quite a trope on screen, earlier examples include the Harold Lloyd comedy short Haunted Spooks (1920), The Cat and the Canary (1939), and One Body Too Many (1944). Here, the plot device leaves behind the chilling setting in favour of pure comedy. To settle a brotherly debate about whether people are fundamentally honest, a deceased eccentric instructs his lawyers to drop twenty-five purses across New York City, each containing a crisp C-note. The four individuals honest enough to return the wallets are awarded not only the $100 bill found inside but an additional $5,000 apiece. While the money is theirs to keep, they each have the opportunity to claim the entire $1 million estate if they can find an honest way to double the amount in 30 days. Meanwhile, greedy relatives scheme to sabotage the contest.
Crosby plays Lefty Boylan, who is drawn into the contest when a determined terrier delivers one of the wallets to him in exchange for a bite to eat. Although there’s no credit to prove it, the featured dog is likely Terry, the star female Cairn terrier who famously played Toto in The Wizard of Oz. After all, how many well-trained Cairn terriers could there have been in Hollywood in the late 1930s? Terry was buried on trainer Carl Spitz’s ranch in 1945 and now lies beneath the Ventura Freeway (fans can visit her permanent memorial in the nearby Hollywood Forever Cemetery.)
Opposite Crosby is comedian Martha Raye as Liza Lou Lane, marking the duo’s third and final film pairing. Raye made her feature debut in Bing’s cowboy musical Rhythm on the Range and went to ‘Blue Hawaii’ with him in Waikiki Wedding. Nicknamed ‘The Big Mouth’, Raye was born to vaudeville parents and started treading the boards at age three. She had a long career across stage, film, radio and television. In addition to stage and screen, Raye dedicated much of her life to entertaining US troops during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars, earning her the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Oscar in 1969 (she was the first woman to receive it) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993 for her volunteer service and patriotism.
Following a string of Mack Sennett musical comedy shorts, Crosby signed with Paramount and quickly refined the relaxed, affable persona that would define him. By 1937, he was no longer just playing himself but shaping into a more textured romantic lead. Crosby’s leading lady here is Mary Carlisle, who was also his love interest in 1933’s College Humor. The two had a third chance at on-screen love in 1938’s Doctor Rhythm. Carlisle retired from films in the early 40s, after she married future 20th Century Fox producer James Edward Blakeley. She lived to the remarkable age of 104 and was the oldest surviving Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers (WAMPAS) Baby Star, a promotional campaign that recognised young actresses headed for stardom.
The supporting cast is packed with familiar character actors. The prolific Andy Devine, whose distinctive voice coloured 400-plus films, is probably best remembered for his many western roles opposite Roy Rogers and John Wayne, as well as being the voice of Friar Tuck in Disney’s Robin Hood. William Frawley appears here years before becoming a television staple as Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy. The film’s comedy-variety revue captures remarkable specialities from the likes of comic dance duo Ames and Arno, Alphonse Bergé (aka ‘The Great Drapo’), and cabaret singer/pianist Frances Faye. The Calgary Brothers also cameo, using their signature sleepy drunk routine to great effect.
Double or Nothing’s transfer shows a marked improvement over previous DVD editions, and while minor cosmetic issues from the original elements remain, the image is considerably sharper. As with other Universal Vault Series titles, there are no dedicated special features, but Universal’s renewed commitment to releasing catalogue titles on Blu-ray is something to celebrate.
Double or Nothing is available on Blu-ray 17 February from the Universal Vault Series.
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