Doughnuts and Society

DOUGHNUTS AND SOCIETY is a surprisingly good comedy-drama from Mascot Pictures that looks to have a rather impressive budget for a "B" from poverty row. Obviously an attempt to make a Marie Dressler & Polly Moran type-comedy of two older best friend broads to scrap as much as they pal around (it even picks up the familiar theme of each being the mother of a child in love with the other's kid), this movie is at least as good as most of the Dressler/Moran efforts in part because while Polly Moran was really no rival for the magnificent Marie, Louise Fazenda and Maude Eburne are rather evenly matched in terms of talent, two very good dependable character actresses able to work wonders when the material is not always there.

These old gals co-own a doughnut dive but Maude is obsessed with high society and dreams of crashing it, spending her money for years on stocks and claims much to the much more sensible Louise's irritation. To the surprise of one and all, a woman representing a major corporation shows up to buy Maude's claim of a mine for $50,000 and 10 percent profit, believing oil may be in it. Maude in no time moves into a mansion with teen-aged daughter Ann Rutherford in tow. She asks Louise and her son to move with them but too proud Louise refuses which leads to one more spat as they separate for some time. Maude meanwhile tries to crash society with help of professional party thrower Hedda Hopper and while Maude proves a bit earthy for a socialite, it's actually pal Louise (attending the party after her initial declining it) who wreaks havoc on the proceedings, chasing a dog who has stolen her wad of cash around the mansion and turning the event into a farce.

Louise continues to look down on her old pal but does feel she needs to move up financially if not socially herself for her son's sake and the mother and son open up a parking building downtown to proves to be an enormous success, so much so that a rival tries to buy it and when Louise declines, sets to wreck her business.

Maude Eburne is terrific in this movie in a terrific performance as a crude old gal who wants the best things in life but can't quite polish herself up enough to be at home in this new world. Louise Fazenda, a great hayseed comedienne herself, has the more knowing role but in some way's it's also the most thankless part.

Although made by tiny Mascot Films, this picture was actually released by Republic, as Mascot had just recently gone belly up. Is this final Mascot film worth your time?

Kate (Louise Fazenda) and Maude (Maude Eburne) are old friends and partners in a greasy spoon. However, when Maude is offered a ton of money for some property she owns, she goes from working class stiff to a member of society. She is concerned with putting on airs and insists her daughter become fancy as well. Unfortunately, this means that Kate is made to feel unwelcome by her old friend, as she is not as fancy as Maude.

Angered by the snub by Maude, Kate and her son come up with an idea to make a fortune. It works...and now SHE is trying to put on airs and be a social butterfly like Maude. But instead of bringing the old friends together, the money and social events just drive them further apart...as well as their children. What's next for this pair of grouches?

So is this comedy any good? Generally, yes. It's an amiable little comedy...but occasionally it also is a bit shrill and the women are easy to dislike. Not bad at all...but not especially distinguished either.

Nat Levine's Mascot Pictures may be best remembered today for swiftly-paced serials, or for occasional feature films in the adventure or melodrama categories, but the company's last credited release before forever becoming a part of Republic Pictures was this delightful, quirky comedy. Veterans Louise Fazenda and Maude Eburne are the bickering co-owners of a coffee shop specializing in fresh doughnuts, each lady being a widowed mother. Miss Eburne's daughter (the delightful Ann Rutherford) loves Miss Fazenda's son (Eddie Nugent), but when a sudden, outlandish bit of good luck brings great wealth to Miss Eburne, her lifelong dream of crashing into high society breaks up the partnership - and the young people's romance.

Many droll events quickly unfold, as the two ever-quarreling leads seek to outdo one another, and their children find their lives disrupted by their parents' stubborn shenanigans. A wide variety of character people, from Hedda Hopper to Franklin Pangborn to Rafael Corio to Smiley Burnette, enliven the proceedings. The script may break no new ground, as reviewers squawked at the time of its release, but "Doughnuts in Society" is great fun, well-played by a good cast and briskly directed by Lewis D. Collins, veteran of scores of westerns.

This "B" filmed by Mascot and released by Republic is no better and no worse than some of the "A" comedies and most of the programmers made at the major studios at the time. This is not to say, however, that it is any kind of lost gem. On the contrary, it's routine and the filming is mundane. But the plot - streamlined, slightly complicated, and satirical - sometimes rises to the level of better films, and the screenplay contains an occasional sharp line ("Everyone will be here. The very cream of society." "The cream of today becomes the cheese of tomorrow."). Still, it also contains too poorly paced bits and broad humor. Some of this, however, is the fault of the inadequate direction by Lewis D. Collins.

The delight of the film is Louise Fazenda. A veteran from the earliest silent comedies - her career dates from 1913 - and a solid supporting player in musicals and comedies, Fazenda plays her part with an interesting range: adept physical comedy to poignant moments of pure drama. Her pairing with Maude Eburne is uneven: occasionally, the two hit a rhythm that's fun to watch; yet, as often, they totally miss the mark. Eburne seems at fault here, occasionally playing her character with the wrong tone and inadequate line-readings.

Other positive points of the film include the casting of a young Ann Rutherford and the always-reliable Franklin Pangborne. Still, it's worth a look for Fazenda.

Maude Eburne and Louise Fazenda play off each other wonderfully, as two long-time friends and partners in a doughnut shop who part when one of Eburne's harebrained investments pay off and she leaves to get her daughter into society. The two bring an sense of cameraderie, irritation and mutual sympathy that is reminiscent of Laurel and Hardy and the supporting cast, including the ever dependable Franklin Pangborn and a young Anne Rutherford are fine.

The script, however, veers from beautifully played small moments of pensiveness to to unfunny moments of forced slapstick. Eburne plays her role as if she is playing the snobby wife in RUGGLES OF RED GAP instead of the down-to-earth Maw Pettingill, which role she did take. The comedic partnership is very uneven and the net result is generally ill-humored. Still, it's worth a look to see what these two old pros can do with their opportunities.