Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

130 MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 8, 1927 Timely Reviews of Short Subject Productions By C. S. Sewell "Kitty From Killamey” (Pathe — Two Reels) While following along the same general and distinctive lines of the series, the newest Alice Day comedy produced by Mack Sennett is entirely different in locale. The action takes place in a big city with Alice as an Irish immigrant, Danny Shea as a cop and Eddie Quillan as a bootblack. There is an IrishJewish flavor, as Alice is living with a Hebrew family, with Max Davidson in the role of the father. The entire comedy is amusing, with an especially hilarious finish in which Eddie and his new sweetie go on with an act at an Amateur Xight in a theatre and get the hook, razz, assorted vegetables, etc., with Alice adding her two cents worth to get even, "My Lady’s a Wild and Woozy (Educational — Two Reels) A familiar subject for comedy, white explorers on a tropical island peopled by dusky cannibals, is utilized in Jimmy Adam’s newest for Educational, produced by Christie. The journey is made by Jimmie, the girl and her father in an aeroplane invented by Jimmie, which resembles a huge bird, and the manner in which the scenes showing the aeroplane trip are handled are amusing and mystifying, with excellent trick effects. The experiences with cannibals do not vary much from the usual picture of this type but there is plenty of action and some new and amusing gags. Stockings” (Fox — One Reel) HOW7 MY LADY'S stockings are manufactured is shown in detail in this Fox. variety, from the spinning of the silk, through the various processes in a modern factory, including the dyeing in various rainbow hues. Piquancy is added by the introduction of shots showing how the Charleston, other strenuous activities and accidents keep up an ever increasing demand. This is an interesting number for the men as well as the ladies. "Snookum’s Playmate” (Universal — Two Reels) This is such a rapid-fire Stern Bros, comedy in the “Newlyweds” series that space permits only the explanation that “Snookums” has a new kid playmate from next door, and the kids and their parents get into every conceivable sort of mix-up as a result of the tricks of the children. Jed Dooley and Ethlyne Clair, who is shown here, are the parents of “Snookums” in this laugh opus, and little “Sunny” McKeen is “Snookums.” Suffice it to say that phonograph records will not withstand “Snookums’ ” hammer, nor will the kid’s home be habitable again until much needed repairs have been made. The offering sizes up as one of the best in the series. "Dog Gonnit” (Bray — One Reel) ONE OF THE cleverest and most amusing of the new series of Hot Dog cartoons featuring Pete, the Pup, produced by Walter Lantz by means of a combination of cartoon work and photography. Pete tries to swim the ocean and lands on the bottom where he finds a sardine factory. Also gets in bad making love to a mermaid and finally is imprisoned in a clam shell from which Walter frees him, a sadder but much wiser pup. The children especially will be delighted with this cartoon. "Hop Along” (Universal — One Reel) Arthur Lake is again featured in this Summervilledirected little Blue Bird. Arthur has the part of a student who, ordered to remain in his room to catch up on his studies, disobeys the professor’s orders and attends a “hop.” Arthur poses a bust of Marcus Aurelius near his window so that the lamp will cast a shadow on the window curtain. On Arthur’s return from the dance, he climbs the lattice, enters his room and finds the professor where Marc Aurelius had been. There’s lots of action in the skit. It will appeal to young folks. "Felix Collars the Button” (Educational — One Reel) U* INDING THAT HIS sleep is V distributed by the nagging of his shrewish mistress who is berating her spouse over the loss of a collar button which promises to keep them from going to a show, Felix chases the elusive button which keeps just one lap ahead if him. He finally “collars” the button when it invades a bakery and is cooked up in a doughnut and brings it home. An absurdly improbable but cleverly devised and amusing number. "Sweet Baby” (Educational — One Reel) This is a clever little fast-moving farce comedy with a good sprinkling of slap stick. The action deals with the efforts of Ray Halle, pictured here, to smuggle a dog into his girl’s house. Her father, 'played by Wallace Lupino, hates dogs, and does not care for Ray. The dog is hidden in a basket, but the cook takes the animal out and hides her baby in the same basket. Every time father looks in the basket he finds the baby, while the others always find the dog and this idea has been worked for a number of laughs. Eventually everything is straightened out and father accepts Ray as his son-in-law. Toy Gallagher is cast as the girl. Lupino does good slapstick work in the scenes where he is either being chased by or seeking to get away from various dogs. '“By George” (Universal — Two Reels) Sid Saylor is liable to get himself into a lot of five-and six-reeL troubles if he continues to click in “shorts” as he is doing now. There are lots of “features” not anywhere near as funny as this act of Sid’s, where he hires out as a butler, chauffeur, maid and cook (and registers in each role.) The “plot” indicates that in order to be near his sweetheart, he takes a job with her mother. Then the fun gets fast and furious with many a laugh twist as the comedian slips from -one role to the other. The Stern Brothers always give Sid a modicum of pretty girls to assist him in his antics. “With the Wind” (Pathe — One Reel) HOW THE WIND IS employed by the young as well as the grown-ups in the furtherance of sports is shown, in. this Sportlight. We see kiddies with kites and adults with sailboats and yachts. Then there is ice boating and ice-sledding and the kiddies with their miniature sailboats on a lake. Well up to the standard of the series. "Mister Chump” (Educational — One Reel) This Cameo comedy featuring Phil Dunham and Aileen Lopez is built around the hectic experiences of a young husband who is jealous of his wife and suspects her of loving another man. He is continually getting in bad with other couples and the cops and finally things become so hot for him he disguises as a classical dancer, joins a group of girls, is recognized and chased home by a gang of cops, but his wife sweeps them out of the place and Phil finds his suspicions are unfounded. "F our-Flusher s” (Pathe — Two Reels) B i 1 1 y Be van, featured in this Mack Sennett Corned)", offers a distinct surprise to his fans for he appears without his famous moustache and the majority of the patrons will hardly recognize him. He shows, however, that he is an excellent “straight” comedian. The story concerns Billy a truckman and Madeline Hurlock, a waitress. Both go to a swell summer resort and pose as millionaires and fall in love with each other and eventually after returning to work discover the truth. The idea is a familiar one, but it has been worked out in a sprightly and clever manner and is thoroughly amusing with a number of real laughs scattered through the two reels. Geibler’s titles also add considerably to the hilarity. The cast also includes Vernon Dent and William McCall.