Caught Plastered

CAUGHT PLASTERED (RKO, 1931), directed by William A. Seiter, is a rare find on television these days. It stars the once popular but highly forgotten comedy team of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey, Wheeler as the dizzy character with a talent for singing and dancing; Woolsey the one with the glasses, cigar and wisecracks like comedian Groucho Marx, but nobody can top the old Grouch. Wheeler and Woolsey play a couple of drifters who help out an old woman (Lucy Beaumont) save her drug store from a crook (Jason Robards Sr.). Dorothy Lee, who appears in almost all of the W&W comedies, once more plays Bert's love interest. They supply the catchy tune, "I'm That Way About You."

I enjoy this movie mainly because I remember it being the very first Wheeler and Woolsey comedy I've seen (back on Turner Network Television in 1989). Some people might refuse to watch these guys today on the basis that they don't know who they are. Unfortunately, because their comedies seldom made the late show lineup on commercial television stations back in the 50s, 60s or 70s, W&W never became immortal as the Marx Brothers or Laurel and Hardy, but when given a chance, one can see how good their comic timing can be and how good these two guys are together. True, their latter films in 1936-37 were not up to par, but if anyone wants to see them at their comedic best, watch either CAUGHT PLASTERED or what many consider their funniest outing, HIPS, HIPS HOORAY (1934). For now, CAUGHT PLASTERED is worthy for film buffs of 1930s comedies. Silly to be sure, but quite funny. Great attention grabber: Check out to the opening credits with cartoon train rolling down the track with the wheels in the persona of Woolsey's eyes and glasses, and that wacky music intro. Wheeler and Woolsey were amusing as comedy teams go, and worth rediscovering today.

Formerly presented on American Movie Classics prior to 2000, it's presently shown, but not often enough, on Turner Classic Movies. (**)

This was only the second Wheeler & Woolsey film I managed to watch when it aired on American Movie Classics back in the '90s (The first was Kentucky Kernels). All I remembered from back then was a duet of Wheeler and Dorothy Lee singing while the latter was drunk. This was made during both Prohibition and before the Production Code was strictly enforced so gags are depicted that probably would have not passed muster just a few years later. It's largely during the last 30 minutes that things really take a hilarious turn but there's plenty of amusing scenes throughout. So on that note, I recommend Caught Plastered.

A beautiful print for 1931. Dorothy Lee.gets drunk and sings with Bert in a musical moment of wonder. Wheeler was a genuine romantic lead opposite Lee with Woolsey as avuncular liaison to Mother whose business picks up with the right kind of medicine. There are no slow spots in the 69 minutes this takes. There are several laugh out loud moments. Amidst a stream of consciousness like "Those moth balls are no good. I've never hit a moth with one yet. Still I'm glad I didn't. Because if I did the moth would cry and I can't stand to see a moth ball." The comparison to Burns and Allen is closer than most. The cast is loaded with characters unburdened by Code limitations e.g. Woolsey hooks up briefly with a flirtatious book buyer whose prurient interest ultimately a book can't satisfy, as Woolsey explains to her, losing the customer.

Tommy Tanner (Bert Wheeler) and Egbert G. Higginbothom (Robert Woolsey) are out-of-work vaudevillians. They encounter a crying old lady on the tram. She recently lost her husband and is about to lose the family drug store. The guys offer to help her save the place. She has 30 days.

Apparently, Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey are a vaudevillian comedy team back in the day. That's what they look like and act like. I'm sure that they have a full stage act of setups and punchlines, one after another. It's fine, but it's not so exciting cinematically. They need to add more physicality to their bits.

I've seen two movies by this comedy team- one of which I enjoyed and the other I thought was terrible (CRACKED NUTS). CAUGHT PLASTERED is the one liked. There's tons of jokes and gags in this film, some are good for a few good laughs and some for a few groans. In fact, the boys play a couple of comics who failed in their routines and have been chased out of the theatre at numerous locations. So in this sense, I think the script acknowledges that these guys' comedy is not so great, but not bad enough to get some laughs. The story is fairly predictable. The down and out comedy performers out of money hopping trains stop in a town and find an old woman crying on a streetcar, because she's about to lose her drug store to the bank because of slow business. With nothing else to fall back on, the fast talking, cigar chomping, obnoxious Woolsey with this thick, round glasses and his baby faced parter, Wheeler, offer to help her get the drug store up and running again. Will they do this in enough time to save her from losing the store and saving her from having to spend the rest of her life in the "old ladies home?" You'll have to see for yourself. Much of the jokes centers around the boys interactions with the customers, many of which they, especially Woolsey, manage to offend and their getting duped by a crooked businessman/bootlegger (it's still prohibition in 1931)into selling "lemon soda". One of Woolsey's best lines, is "I think someone is passing the flask around here," when they're the ones serving the booze and they don't realize it. I can honestly say that I've never heard drunks singing "London Bridge is Falling Down" until I've seen this movie, but hey it was kind of funny. Dorothy Lee plays Wheeler's romantic interest in the movie and she is a little cutie, despite having a nasal voice. At times, they did get a little too dreamy eyed and sappy around each other, but not to the point of being too annoying. Overall, while I enjoyed this movie and the chemistry between Wheeler and Woolsey, I think their act was kind of second rate compared to others like the Marx Brothers. Still, this movie has the special early 1930s feel to it, is well written and doesn't move slowly like many early sound films, and is quite enjoyable. Check it out if you get the opportunity. 7/10