How've You Bean? (1933)
** (out of 4)
The third of six two-reelers that Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle made for Vitaphone. This one here was released just a few days after the comedian died of a heart attack just hours after signing a contact to make a feature-length film. The movie has Arbuckle and Fritz Hubert playing grocery store owners who are having their grand opening and don't understand why people are taking food without paying for it. The second half of the film has them at a wedding for their best friend where they accidentally feed people Mexican jumping beans. HOW'VE YOU BEAN? is certainly the weakest in the series up to this point as there just isn't enough story here and there's certainly not enough laughs to keep you entertained throughout the 20-minute running time. What's worse is the fact that what laughs there are just aren't strong enough to make the movie worth watching so this here is mainly just going to appeal to fans of Arbuckle who want to see everything he did. The first portion in the grocery store has one funny sequence and it's when a customer gets molasses in his hat, which he then can't get off of his head. The second portion of the film deals with some animated jumping beans but this contains no laughs. Arbuckle is charming as always but his supporting player Hubert just doesn't add anything.