The Domineering Male

An MGM PETE SMITH SPECIALITY Short Subject.

While THE DOMINEERING MALE may think the romantic initiative is all his, it's often the female who's doing the real conniving.

This bit of typical Pete Smith zaniness takes a humorously cynical look at a wily woman's for-profit relationship with the man she intends to marry. The poor sap probably doesn't stand a chance...

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Often overlooked or neglected today, the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents, both in front & behind the camera. The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film, something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel. Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material, short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios' feature films.

A Smith called Pete narrates this tale of how Sally Payne sets her cap at William Newell, who has the charm and allure of a man with a good job. Like many of the Pete Smith specials, it's a cynical tale, just the sort of thing that his cynical voice, snarky tone and dad jokes were meant for.

It's directed by Johnny Hines, who spent much of the 1910s 1920s as a light comedian. Johnny came from a show business family; his brothers were Samuel Hines and the director. Like many a star of the silent era, his acting career fizzled out in the sound era, but he compensated by heading behind the camera, and by being an executive of the Catholic Motion Picture Guild of America. He died in 1970, aged 75.

Not quite what I expected in a Pete Smith Specialty--usually lots of slapstick. This is a straightforward look at the male/female relationship getting started at a cocktail party where the woman gets a glimpse of an eligible male she sees as a security catch.

From then on, everything she does is calculated to turn him on--even down to assuming a quiet, prim personality, a serious girl who never drinks or smokes. In no time at all, they're dating and she gets him to meet her parents--both of whom lack the polish she's sure her mate expects. But she turns it into a successful date and before you know it, a couple of more tricks and he's proposing.

Falls short of being really funny but is a pleasant enough diversion, even if the material is very dated.

Domineering Male, The (1940)

*** (out of 4)

Dated but funny short from Pete Smith tries to put to rest the notion that men are always the ones chasing women. This time out we meet a young woman who decides to try and "catch" her a good one but she does so by changing who she really is. In other words, she likes to drink and smoke but she puts these habits to the side to make it appear she's more of an angel. Will the guy fall for it? The dating topics in this film are certainly dated compared to today but that really doesn't take away from any of the charm. There are many funny moments throughout the film including a nice sequence where the woman's fake out is out in the open and she tries to keep the guy from seeing it. The performances are all pretty good even though they don't get to speak and special attention should be paid to Ferris Taylor who plays the girl's father.