Bobby Clark (Blackstone), Paul McCullough (Blodgett), Tom Kennedy ("Plug" Hardy), Jack Rice (Willie Bolt), Helen Collins (June Bolt), Lorin Raker (Zachary D. Ward), Gus Reed (judge).
Director: BEN HOLMES. Story: Ben Holmes and Johnnie Grey. Dialogue: Bobby Clark. Photography: Ted McCord. Film editor: Edward Mann. Script supervisor: Gloria Morgan. Sound recording: Earl Wolcott. RCA Sound System. Producer: Lou Brock.
Copyright 2 August 1934 by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. 2 reels.
SYNOPSIS: Blackstone and Blodgett ("No case too small, no fee too large") are fish-brained shysters ("I object to the word fish-brained!"-"Strike it out!") who take on a divorce case for Willie (the Milquetoast) Bolt whose sexy wife wants to ditch him in favor of a broken-down ex-prizefighter. Willie is quite happy to let the blonde emptyhead go, but he is not about to cough up $100,000 alimony for the privilege. In court, the wife is represented by go-getter hot-shot, Zachary D. Ward, whereas Milquetoast is hemmed in by the screwball team of Blackstone and Blodgett. All seems lost...
COMMENT: Undoubtedly the best two-reel comedy ever made. Marginally more hilarious than even the best of Laurel and Hardy. Clark and McCullough were always wonderfully anarchic, gloriously zany and mind-blowingly fast-paced, but in this short they far exceeded their previous efforts. Every scene in which they appear is absolutely inspired. For lunatic humor and sharp repartee, Clark easily tops Groucho Marx at his wildest. Not only that, he effects an even funnier walk as he scuttles about like a zapping, coat-tailed fly from object to object around the set.
The only problem for the bedazzled viewer is that he is so taken up with the combination of Clark's richly visual and rapid-fire verbal antics, he tends to overlook the team's more quietly crazy partner, McCullough, who is doing all sorts of ridiculously funny things in the rear. In all, this short packs in more jokes, japes and jests in twenty minutes than many a more celebrated comedy feature in a hundred and twenty.
RKO's management undoubtedly felt the same way about the gag-studded script, for it has been produced with a lavish hand that is truly breathtaking to behold. If you thought the court scene in Lady from Shanghai was a riot, wait till you see this Odor in the Court.
1 out of 1 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink