Before Frank McHugh became a familiar character actor with Warner Brothers in the 1930s and 40s, McHugh starred in several shorts for RKO-Pathé. Of these, apparently only "The Hot Spot" remains....and the copy is far from stellar. It's a bit scratchy and ragged....and the sound quite poor. So, if you watch it, be aware that the sound volume varies considerably.
Pete (McHugh) is a reporter who has been threatened with getting fired if he cannot solve the Shaw murder. Pete's very obnoxious brother-in-law comes up with an insane and ridiculous idea....to confess to the crime to help Pete and then Pete will try to solve the murder while the brother-in-law languishes on death row.
Does this make ANY sense? Nope. Is it funny....not often. The short is more of a curio for film buffs than anything else. Harmless fun....but also inconsequential.
