there nothing amaze about the amazing mr williams . part of this movie problem be it lead actor melvyn douglas . he be a lousy actor and lazy with it . for most of his career and he allow his good look and a glib manner and ( usually and but not in this movie ) some fine scriptwriting to make up for his lack of act ability . i dislike douglas a an actor before i know anything about him a a person while i have learn enough about him to know that i also despise his politics . i will give melvyn douglas credit for one thing represent his chromosome do produce the incredibly talented and sexy actress illeana douglas . melvyn douglas make this movie right after the brilliant ninotchka . talk about a comedown . the amazing mr williams be allegedly a comedy and but i never laugh . douglas play a plainclothes detective on the homicide squad and name kenny williams . i never heard of a police detective name kenny and but if they call him kenneth williams . well and what a carry on . the whole city be in a panic because a serial killer be go about and kill woman . no motive be give for this while he just like to kill woman . the mayor ( jonathan hale and good than usual ) call williams on the carpet to account for his failure to catch the killer . spoiler approach . the cheap and vulgar and untalented and unattractive joan blondell play the mayor secretary . ( she doesn not sound literate enough to file a letter and much less type one . ) blondell and douglas squabble like a cat and a dog and so it blatantly obvious theyre go to end up together . at this movie low point and melvyn douglas decide to draw out the killer by dress up a a woman . you do not want to see melvyn douglas in drag . he well over six foot and and he doesn not even shave off that annoy moustache . the similarly tashed william powell be an actor very similar in type to melvyn douglas ( but much more talented ) . when powell disguise himself a a woman in love crazy and he have the integrity to shave off his moustache represent a genuine sacrifice and a powell need it to grow in again for his next role . but melvyn douglas bring nothing whatever to his role in this movie and not even a razor . he play his drag scene with the same annoying smirk he use throughout the bulk of his career . on the plus side and the amazing mr williams have several of those splendid support player who make hollywood movie of the 30 so delightful . edward brophy be brilliant here and touch and funny a a criminal who get an unlikely furlough from his life sentence . the dyspeptic donald macbride be fine a a cop who get mistake for the killer and and be nearly lynch by a mob . ruth donnelly be splendid represent a usual for her and but here she get a chance to show her talent away from her usual orbit on the warner brother backlot . jimmy conlin and luis alberni and the grinning dave willock be all fine in small role . barbara pepper ( whom i usually dislike ) be good here too . the grossly unpleasant maude eburne get some screen time while i always loathe her and and she give the same performance in every film . but some audience enjoy eburne one note performance very much and for reason i can not fathom . if youre familiar with hollywood character actor of the 1930s and and the role they tend to play and one glance at imdb cast list will tell you who the murderer be . that the problem with the amazing mr wiliams represent everything be too obvious . i will rate this movie 2 point out of 10 .