Runtime:
69 minutes
Directed
by: Lloyd Bacon
Starring:
Joe E. Brown, Maxine Doyle, Frank McHugh, Gordon Westcott, Arthur
Aylesworth
From:
First National
Here's an obscurity that wasn't too shabby:
Last night I watched this motion picture
on TCM's streaming service (which I am able to access via my cable
provider) and I had to do so before they were deleted as those films are
only available for a week after Turner Classic Movies shows them. I
picked this one out due to its incredibly straightforward title and the
star being Joe E. Brown; like most people I know him best for Some Likes
it Hot and yet I hadn't seen any of his 30's work. Back in the early
part of the decade he actually was pretty popular.
While this movie is pretty silly, there was enough laughs for me to where I can say this is good. The setting is Mildew, California (I chuckled at the name) and Brown is Wilfred Simpson, a loquacious overconfident goofball who is pretty good on a bicycle but he and his girlfriend Phyllis run into Harry St. Clair, a real heel who is great on that mode of transportation... and starts getting fresh with Phyllis despite him (St. Clair) already having a wife. Things happen and those two are among the competitors at a marathon bike race at a velodrome; as they had marathon dance contests back around this time, I presume they also did the same for bicycles.
Even in this time period, I will guess that Wilfred Simpson was seen as a dork; after all he said things like “Oh, tiddlywinks!” and “Good sassafras!” Yet I was amused by this square as he not only was a fast-talker, he had plenty of amusing lines and good moments where he played off of more serious characters. There is also slapstick moments and plenty of time is spent at this marathon race; there definitely is quaint rear projection to look at but I am not complaining considering the tech of the time.
Furthermore, there are wacky over the top visual gags which were at least silly in a fun instead of stupid way. A lot happens in only 69 minutes-not a moment is wasted-and to me it was breezy entertainment.
While this movie is pretty silly, there was enough laughs for me to where I can say this is good. The setting is Mildew, California (I chuckled at the name) and Brown is Wilfred Simpson, a loquacious overconfident goofball who is pretty good on a bicycle but he and his girlfriend Phyllis run into Harry St. Clair, a real heel who is great on that mode of transportation... and starts getting fresh with Phyllis despite him (St. Clair) already having a wife. Things happen and those two are among the competitors at a marathon bike race at a velodrome; as they had marathon dance contests back around this time, I presume they also did the same for bicycles.
Even in this time period, I will guess that Wilfred Simpson was seen as a dork; after all he said things like “Oh, tiddlywinks!” and “Good sassafras!” Yet I was amused by this square as he not only was a fast-talker, he had plenty of amusing lines and good moments where he played off of more serious characters. There is also slapstick moments and plenty of time is spent at this marathon race; there definitely is quaint rear projection to look at but I am not complaining considering the tech of the time.
Furthermore, there are wacky over the top visual gags which were at least silly in a fun instead of stupid way. A lot happens in only 69 minutes-not a moment is wasted-and to me it was breezy entertainment.
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