Love and Onions

LOVE AND ONIONS is one of the last comedy shorts from Educational Pictures, and one of the last from the team of Timberg and Rooney (see my review of THAT'S THE SPIRIT). In this one (which lacks a title card on the circulating video), the first segment (these seem to have an "establishing" scene of about 5-7 minutes, then a "plot resolution" section which takes up the final 10-12 minutes) is an anarchic scene in a small neighborhood market where the boys are working. It's noisy and jerky and doesn't really capture the boys' natural grace of movement. As with THAT'S THE SPIRIT, the rest of the film takes place in someone's home where a tall "old maid" type who whistles when she talks is trying to get hitched with a man, and the boys help get it together for them. Johnny Johnson's Orchestra, who appear in other Educational shorts of the period, happen to be around and perform a swing number, while novelty organist "Milton Herth" kills a few minutes with a song. After that, Rose King, who plays the above-mentioned old maid, does a semi-operatic number in character, which breaks down a few times into swing. Finally, Timberg and Rooney get to do a dance routine, their specialty, and of course the plot (oh, we forgot about that!) is resolved to everyone's satisfaction. The print used her ends a bit early, with no closing credits. A nice entry from a talented team, unfortunately little-known today.

Here's a comedy short from the last year that Educational Pictures produced new material. Starting in 1918 with a charge to produce, well, educational pictures, they soon became a major provider of excellent comedy shorts under the production of Jack White. However the expense of sound, and the growing competition from the majors put a lot of pressure on them. The other well-known independent producers, like Sennett, Roach, and others had already given up short subject production. That left Educational, with a contract with 20th Century-Fox

In this one, the team of Herman Timberg Jr and Pat Rooney Jr. Work in Douglas Leavitt's grocery store. They get into trouble, and spend the second half as comperes of the musical acts Leavitt stages for publicity. This mostly consists of Johnny Johnson's orchestra. Some of the crazy try-anything gags in the short work.