Genius at Work

{{short description|1946 film by Leslie Goodwins}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = Genius at Work | image = Genius at Work poster.jpg | alt = | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Leslie Goodwins | producer = Herman Schlom | screenplay = Monte Brice Robert E. Kent | starring = Wally Brown Alan Carney Anne Jeffreys Lionel Atwill Bela Lugosi | music = Paul Sawtell Roy Webb | cinematography = Robert De Grasse | editing = Marvin Coil | studio = RKO Pictures | distributor = RKO Pictures | released = {{Film date|1946|10|20}} | runtime = 61 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }}

'''''Genius at Work''''' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Monte Brice and Robert E. Kent. The film stars Wally Brown, Alan Carney, Anne Jeffreys, Lionel Atwill and Bela Lugosi. The film was released on October 20, 1946, by RKO Pictures.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/76084/genius-at-work|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609211436/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/76084/Genius-at-Work/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 9, 2013|title=Genius at Work (1946) - Overview - TCM.com|work=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/genius-at-work/2030009527/ |title=Genius At Work|work=TV Guide|accessdate=23 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/92794/Genius-at-Work/overview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307003138/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/92794/Genius-at-Work/overview|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 March 2016|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=The New York Times|publisher=Baseline & All Movie Guide|author=Hal Erickson|title=Genius at Work (1946)|author-link=Hal Erickson (author)|date=2016|accessdate=19 September 2014}}</ref>

It was the last of eight films starring the Brown-Carney comedy team, as well as the final feature film appearance of Atwill, who died in 1946 while filming a serial.

==Plot== {{More plot|date=September 2014}} Jerry Miles and Mike Strager co-host a radio mystery series, "Crime of the Week," with young Ellen Brent writing their scripts. What she writes about the kidnapping of millionaire John Saunders by someone called "The Cobra" is suspiciously close to the facts of the case.

It turns out that the radio station's owner, Latimer Marsh (Lionel Atwill), is the Cobra, assisted in his diabolical crimes by Stone (Bela Lugosi), his sadistic butler. Chloroform is used on Ellen when she gets too close to the truth and an attempt is made to frame her for the kidnapping and a murder. The bumbling and cowardly Jerry and Mike try to be of help to her in their own way, but Lt. Rick Campbell is the one who ends up saving them all.

== Cast == *Wally Brown as Jerry Miles *Alan Carney as Mike Strager *Anne Jeffreys as Ellen Brent *Lionel Atwill as Latimer Marsh / The Cobra *Bela Lugosi as Stone *Marc Cramer as Lt. Rick Campbell *Ralph Dunn as Lt. Gilley

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{IMDb title|0037735|Genius at Work}}

Category:1946 films Category:American black-and-white films Category:RKO Pictures films Category:Films scored by Roy Webb Category:Films directed by Leslie Goodwins Category:American comedy films Category:1946 comedy films Category:Films scored by Paul Sawtell Category:1946 English-language films Category:1946 American films Category:English-language comedy films