Large Association of Movie Blogs
Large Association of Movie Blogs

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Psychotronic Paul's Favorite Pre-Code Clip

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced a bunch of two-reel musical shorts between 1930 and 1933. They are the tackiest, campiest pieces of work to ever emerge from the "Tiffany" (no, I'm not referring to the the teenybopper bubblegum pop singer of the 1980's) of Hollywood movie factories. Titles include The Devil's Cabaret (1930), Crazy House (1930), Wild People (1932) and Nertsery Rhymes (1933), which stars Ted Healy and The Stooges (yes, Moe, Larry & Curly - not Iggy, Dave & the Asheton Brothers) and the bizarrest showgirl in movie history, Marion "Bonny" Bonnell.

This one, Over The Counter (1932), takes the cake. It features Emerson Tracey (Spanky's beleaguered dad from two hilarious 1933 Our Gang comedies), ever-spunky songstress Eleanor Thatcher and some very funny character actors.



Jack Cummings helmed the aforementioned 1930 Crazy House (not to be confused with the 1943 Olsen & Johnson Universal comedy of the same name) and the Ted Healy/Stooges epic before producing numerous MGM features, including Esther Williams flicks and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, directed this magnum opus.

3 comments:

Carol L. Skolnick said...

"A great big sofa gives more comfort than a kitchen chair!" Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh!

Paul F. Etcheverry said...

Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh, indeed.

You would have loved last Friday's show.

Paul F. Etcheverry said...

Come to think of it, I have a history of preferring great big sofas - big, tall sturdy ones - to kitchen chairs. And smaller plush love seats are good, too!