Category Called Comedy #8

 

CCC: Animal Crackers in 1962 Soup, Keaton Back at Shorts, Lubitsch Caught By Code But with Color, and Thrills Challenge Youngson Laughter

HOORAY AGAIN FOR LONGGONE CAPTAIN SPAULDING --- Groucho hosted a Hollywood Palace on August 17, 1965, being up-to-minute with talent and even making income tax reference to mass viewership having just paid theirs. Grouch was at-himself-peak-still, doing stand-up intro and remarks between performers, one of whom is daughter Melinda Marx. Did these two reconcile before he left us in 1977? I must check You Tube if she was interviewed since, guessing that no, she has long been loathe to talk. Groucho introduces Melinda and she sings “The East Side of Town,” which reminded me of Petula Clark hits from around a same time. Dug also into YT and found Melinda as “special guest” on You Bet Your Life and performing Witch Doctor, the 45 of which I just had to have, and indeed got, at age four in 1958. Groucho was surely reminded of vaude past as he unveiled bicycle acts, a nutty pianist, the timeless lot. Highlight held till last is Groucho and more-than-welcome visitor Margaret Dumont reprising Animal Crackers to hooray again for Captain Spaulding, question as to who remembered Animal Crackers by 1965, at least enough to be excited to see it saluted. Animal Crackers had been out of circulation since 1948 when Paramount last revived it, Code-cut with not a lot of playdates. When MCA packaged pre-49 Paramounts for syndication, they included Animal Crackers for 1959 syndication, but a flag rose and they pulled the title, making Crackers an only Para with the Marxes we couldn’t see, at least through the sixties and certainly when Groucho was Captain Spaulding again for the Hollywood Palace. Context was needed to enjoy the number, and Grouch/Dumont did it splendidly, a magic moment to truly evoke past times.

KEATON UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT --- From Motion Picture Herald, above is Buster Keaton posed with staff and visitors to Educational Pictures set of Grand Slam Opera, one of comeback comedies Buster made after doors at Metro were shut to him. We (or at least me) underestimated Educational Keaton for their being so elusive. I don’t recall any from television during the sixties-seventies, and when 16, even 35mm prints showed up, they seemed not titles for civilian consumption. Idea of BK gone back to shorts after years of features and attendant major stardom seemed comedown enough to foreclose the films from fair consideration, but then comes Blu-ray release and opportunity to reconsider these as worthwhile if far from best of Buster Keaton. Biographer James Curtis revealed solid success the shorts enjoyed when made and circulated during the thirties. Twentieth Century-Fox was the distributor, so bookings were solid, and Curtis shows how well exhibitors and a public responded to them. I looked at one, Jailbait (1937), tried to figure how much of humor was Keaton-created (plenty it seems), his main disadvantage not having luxury of time and plentitude of writing help as was case during twenties and total independence. Still, these Educationals were no pit of lime, the shop having been in comedy business for years and knowing their trade. Jack H. Skirball stands among congenial group here (at left), being “sales chief” for Educational. He’d go far ways in the industry-after, producing two with Hitchcock directing, Saboteur and Shadow of a Doubt, among much else. The still here is from The Chemist, another Keaton for Educational. He’s not the fresh-face of silent yore, drink having done its damage, but creatively he was engaged, if not ideally as before. We have to wonder how long Keaton would have stayed at top rungs had he kept keys to kingdom Joe Schenck earlier conferred. All artists know a peak is hard to maintain, harder to get back once lost, past, or suspended. Fact is Keaton never lost his comedic instinct, all the way to 1966 end. Look at industrials he did toward the finish where he was given more-less carte blanche, brilliance short-ordered and fresh delivered as if result of weeks effort. Keaton was the best fun-making bargain an employer ever got.

HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1943) --- Suddenly seems to me that Don Ameche mistakenly came to Hell not for sins committed but for sin he overall perceived for having lived to 1943 when movies (and life?) operated under stricter codes of conduct than in his carefree younger days. At least movies under a rigidly enforced Code made it seem so. Ameche as “Henry Van Cleve” does no real wrong for entire lifetime we observe, few deserving so much as he to enter paradise. Heaven Can Wait is Ernst Lubitsch triumph of perception of naughtiness there is no real trace of, doing right what Mae West sought to achieve with declining comedies as PCA-shackled. There is possibility Henry strayed off marital confines with Gene Tierney (fuss over a bought bracelet but not for his wife) and yes, that provokes a separation, but evidence of infidelity is less than vague. I bet censors hovered like hawks just for this being a Lubitsch venture, his sly nature known and always cause for increased vigilance. Heaven Can Wait could play to kindergartners and not give offense, though I suppose one could tag Henry for adultery were one given to wishful thinking. This implies I dislike Heaven Can Wait, far from case because like many as great, this grows subtle/sure and must have been ’43 relief against bombast so much comedy had become. Heaven Can Wait’s family is one to enjoy wealth and status instead of losing it all to eventual poverty and despair as what waited upon the Ambersons. Laird Cregar supplies the open plus a coda to remind us that Heaven may after all be a place for more of us than before thought. I figure being half as good as Henry Van Cleve will surely get me in.

DAYS OF THRILLS AND LAUGHTER (1961) --- Lesser among Youngson grab-bags, no criticism that, for history these served make each a latter-day treasure and continuing source of fascination. Thrills and Laughter scores much on Thrills aspect, 1961 being a first time Youngson used non-comic content to show silents were more than mere clowns clowning. He knew serials were a standout among pre-talk attractions and so served samples bite-size and plenty novel to then children who might have had access to old chapterplays floating about but not produced new since the mid-fifties. Serials out of Republic and/or Columbia were pale pomegranates beside high-fly cliffhanging of old, Youngson indeed a first to celebrate chapters minus sound since talkies arrived, thirty years plus since such fun was available anywhere. Not precisely true that, for there had been non-theatrical mine courtesy Blackhawk Films plus an independent compilation by collector John E. Allen, but precious few saw these outside committed hobbyists, The Days of Thrills and Laughter on the contrary reaching a wide and mainstream audience for whom ancient serials were a brand-new kick. Youngson’s fifteen or so minutes was proper serve, being flavorful but not exhausting taste of Pearl White (above right with gun), Harry Houdini, Ruth Roland, others. Maybe Grandad would recall these first-hand, anyone else … doubtful. Thrills were real, laughs even for exaggeration of it all, but too little survived to do much more with. Youngson let serials alone after this, Blackhawk releasing more where they could find them, and hard to find they were. Current misfortune is serials coldly stored where they exist at all, archives with holdings disinclined to share them. Hard to assign blame as what sliver of population could care, though fun is had yet with extant Pearl, Harry, Ruth, more than mere snips Youngson splayed in 1961. So long as French serials are getting deluxe 4K treatment, how about domestic fruit also a century old, but as ripe to entertain.