Breakdowns of 1941

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Warners Brothers would yearly sweep up clips of all those fluffed takes and produce a little in-house movie showing the magnificent actors of the era blowing take after take and cursing in annoyance, interspersed with a deliberately-produced clip of Porky Pig as a carpenter hitting his thumb with a hammer and grunting "Son of a b-b-b-b-b-b-". The result, usually for the studio holiday party, would then go back into the vault. But recently a couple of them have surfaced as extras to DVD releases.

It's very funny to watch actors in high-minded roles suddenly break down and start cussing a blue streak. Look out for this and others as they show up. And if you have a chance, see if you can find the DVD issue of Columbia's OUR MAN GODFREY with dapper, debonair William Powell blowing up, followed by Eugene Palette blowing up. But they can't compare with demure Carole Lombard's command of profane language!