comedy one-reelers of the golden age

[The Wolf]

I've wanted write about some of the old comedy shorts that were part of the movie program of old. I just rented a DVD from Kino Video of Robert Benchley's shorts so let's start with his.
Robert Benchley was part of the famed urbane wits "the Algonquin Round Table that included Dorothy Parker, George S. Kaufman and others. In the 1940s he did a series of comedies for Paramount where in he played Joe Doakes, an average man showing the problems of the modern world.
Through his films you could see how frustrating it is to go to movies, how difficult it is to be father of the bride, etc.
Assorted notes: Joe Doakes was a term used to mean just some guy, akin to Joe Shmoe or John Q. Public.
Benchley's shorts can be found on some of the Warner Brothers "A Night at the Movies" series.
"The Forgotten Man" , which is on the Kino Video "Robert Benchley and the Knights of the Algonquin" features Norman LLoyd of Spellbound, "St. Elsewhere" and "Seven Days".

Next week:The "So You Want To..." series with George O'Hanlon.

Prof. Wolf

 

[The Wolf]

So You Want to Know About Comedy Shorts

From 1942 to 1956 George O'Hanlon starred in series of shorts with titles like "So You Want to Be in Pictures" and "So You Want to Keep Your Hair". He played Joe McDoakes, a man having a hard time with just about everything. Later O'Hanlon was the voice of George Jetson.
A narrator would give Joe (a proxy for all of us) advice on how to be more assertive or build a house. The advice worked sometimes and sometimes Joe was as bad off as ever.
"So You Think You're a Nervous Wreck" is available on the DVD of A Night in Casablanca starring the Marx Brothers.
"So You Want to Be a Detective" is a good detective film spoof, specifically "The Lady in the Lake" is on the DVD of Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
The White Heat DVD has "So You Think You're Not Guilty".

Next week: "The Pete Smith Specialties" from a Smith named Pete.

Prof. Wolf

 

[The Wolf]

Here's a list of the Joe McDoakes ("Behind the Eight Ball", "So You Want To... series", etc.) shorts that Warner Brothers has put bonus features on DVDs. Though probably not complete.
The first one "So You Want to Quit Smoking" from 1942 is on the All Through the Night DVD.
"S.Y.W.t. Be on Radio" is on The Adventures of Don Juan
"S.Y.W.t.Be in Pictures" on Hasty Heart
"S.Y.W.t.Be a Paperhanger" on Jim Thorpe All-American
"S.Y.W.t.Be an Heir" on South Seas Woman
"S.Y.Wt. Be a Detective" on Treasure of the Sierra Madre
"S.Y.W.t.Be an Actor" is on My Dream Is Yours
"S.Y.W.t. Know Your Relatives" is on His Majesty O'Keefe
"S.Y. Think You Are a Nervous Wreck" is on A Night in Casablanca
"S.Y. Think You Need Glasses" on The Man Who Came to Dinner
"S. Y. Think You're Not Guilty" is on White Heat
"So You're Going to Have an Operation" is on The Flame and the Arrow
"So Your Wife Wants to Work" is on The Spirit of St. Louis and
"So You Want to Learn to Dance" is on By the Light of the Silvery Moon
Check them out. They're quite funny.


Next week I'll cover the "The Pete Smith Specialties" with emphasis on the comedy ones with Dave O'Brien.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[Stanley Doble]

Robert Benchley said that his short films reminded him of his father. When he watched one, it was as if he was watching his father on the screen and he would roar with laughter. This would make his friends think he was weak in the head, laughing at himself and laughing at jokes he not only had heard before but had written and spoken for the camera. So he tended to avoid going to movies where he knew one of his shorts was being shown.

 

[The Wolf]

Benchley played that essentially that role in Disney's The Reluctant Dragon. That is one I'd like to see released on DVD.

BTW, I forgot that By the Light of the Silvery Moon has two "So You Want To..." shorts on it. The second is "So You Want a Television Set"

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[The Wolf]

Has it been a week already? I'm going to talk briefly about the Pete Smith Specialties. Pete Smith produced and narrated quite a variety of shorts from the 1930s to 1950s from "Seeing Hands" (about how the handicapped can be useful in industry) , "Let's Dance" (a short which showcases a variety of dances) and assorted shorts about sports.
My favorites however were the comedy shorts showcasing Dave O'Brien. O'Brien starred in B westerns, serials and Reefer Madness as well as a director, writer and stunt man. It is mostly physical comedy where he'll play some hapless schmo named Xavier T. Schneckendorf or Crandall K. Crumb. In "Sure Cures" (which is on the Easy to Wed DVD) O'Brien tries assorted "cures" to get rid of hiccups and stop balding, O'Brien actually was bald on top and wore a toupee in movies. In "First Aid" Smith explains different types of first aid while Dave gets in trouble with his wife.
In 1953's "Things We Can Do Without" (an extra on The Naked Spur DVD) O'Brien is Thaddeus E. Thud who has to battle modern furniture. The house has the sort of robotic things that came out of the walls like Tex Avery showed in "The House of Tomorrow" and Daffy Duck dealt with.
Some Pete Smith shorts can be found as extras on WB DVDs. "Studio Visit" is on Cabin in the Sky, "Seeing Hands" is on DuBarry Was a Lady and "Didja Know" can be found on Summer Stock.

G'bye now,
The Wolf

 

[GoldenEraFan]

Some photos of Benchley in "The Reluctant Dragon".

Here with famous animators Ward Kimball (left) and Fred Moore (right).

 

[scotrace]

I've been watching Max Linder one-reelers. He was a great talent, and influenced Chaplin, among others. Career all in by 1925, suicide.