So You Want to Build a House

ALTHOUGH THEY AREN'T specifically mentioned, it is our G.I.'s who are both the prime sales target and the moving force behind it. The desire for home ownership, once only a sort of unrealistic 'pipedream', now had become a commonplace reality. The Congress had provided the financial mechanism via affordable mortgage provisions in various G.I. Bills.

THE SHORT OPENS up in usual manner. Joe and Alice Mc Doakes (George O'Hanlon & Harker respectively) are engaged in a kitchenette debate about moving from rented apartment to a home of their own. An advertisement in the morning newspaper brings them to Andy Mc Goon (Donald Kerr) the Irishman who is the building contractor. *

THEN WE FIND a chain reaction of Joe having to go to legal representation, the financial in$titution and, finally, the local building inspection department.

AS IS THE case in many gags that we see in a comedy like these, so much of the material is obvious. The conclusion finds Joe and Alice in their new., pre-fabricated, do-it-yourself cottage. As we who know Joe so well might well have expected, the "pre-fab" parts are less than perfect in their meshing together.

SO IT IS that Writer-Director Richard L.Bare and collaborator, Writer/Actor George O'Hanlon, once again prove themselves to be the champions of that venerable relic from the Silent Screen, the Sight Gag. This Mc DOAKES installment proves this to be true, with a great Super-Sight Gag ending.

NOTE: * We must protest! Why are building contractors always portrayed as shady, shanty Irishmen? This is much in the same tradition as calling the Police Patrol Transport vehicles "Paddy Wagons!" (Please folks, we're just kidding! Please send no nasty complaint letters!)

Today, more famous for being the voice of George Jetson, George O'Hanlon portrayed everyman Joe McDoakes in sixty shorts from 1942 till 1956. "So You Want To Build A House" is typical of these one-reelers filled with lowbrow slapstick and often corny humor, yet still harmless fun for the family getting ready for the main feature to begin.

Made in post-World War II America when returning servicemen and their families (the baby boomers) were searching for homes during a national housing shortage, "So You Want To Build A House" was timely and even lampooned the prefab craze of the day.

While no Groucho Marx, George O'Hanlon had his moments, plus he fit his character well, actually looking and acting like a Joe McDoakes. His devoted wife, Alice (Jane Harker), stood by her man through all Joe's mishaps. Many times narrator Art Gilmore would interject comments, making transitions from one misadventure to another easier for the audience to comprehend.

"So You Want To Build A House" has several colorful characters thrown in to add to the shenanigans, a particular delight is Happy Jack the Laughing Irishman (Ralph Peters), a typical loan shark who nearly dies laughing as he attempts to send Joe to the poor house.

So You Want to Build a House (1948)

** (out of 4)

Joe McDoakes (George O'Hanlon) is about to be evicted from his apartment because he can't pay rent so he decides to get a loan and build a house. Of course nothing goes as planned as soon one issue after another comes up. MGM made sixty-two of these shorts but this one here is a lesser entry in the series. The biggest issue is that there really aren't too many laughs as the screenplay really felt rushed as if someone thought of decent ideas but never tried to make them funny. O'Hanlon is his usual, goofy self and narrator Art Gilmore was always a nice addition.

Any time I watch Joe McDoakes, it gets me thinking about Edgar Kennedy, who also had a long series of comedy films, beginning in the 1930s. Kennedy was from the school of Laurel and Hardy, slapstick and hard knocks -- however -- the theme was the same. The little guy getting CRUNCHED. Likely, producer and director Richard L. Bare took some notes.

I agree, this classic short came out during the post war housing boom and bust. Too many folks looking for apartments and houses all at once. Yes, Joe and Alice fit squarely in that category, in fact, about to be kicked out of their apartment for NOT paying the rent.

So what to do? This time it's Alice who has the master plan. All Joe has to do is go to the bank, get a loan and BUILD his own pre-fab house. Prefabricated homes were quite popular at the time, where you could basically build a home by yourself?

Joe McDoakes style?

One problem, maybe two or three... Poor Joe has to go through lots of expensive red tape... First, a loan manager at the bank, then someone else, then another someone else, and what about the dreaded building inspector when his castle(?) is finally constructed? LOTS to cram into 11 minutes, but this is silly fun, and George O'Hanlon is a laugh out loud victim o' circumstances, just like Edgar Kennedy.

PS; Keep an eye on Mr. McGoon(?) and Happy Jack?

Witty script and direction by Richard L. Bare, who became famous directing GREEN ACRES. Art Gilmore (known for HIGHWAY PATROL) lends that "professional" voice.

Remastered on Warner Brothers dvd, featuring the entire series. Thanks much to TCM for bringing these oldies back.

Painfully unfunny is this attempt to get humor out of the troubles one experiences and the pitfalls you have to watch out for when buying a house.

Everything is overdone, every attempt at humor is driven home with a sledgehammer and GEORGE O'HANLON is unable to mug his way out of a very poor script.

Story has him facing eviction during a housing shortage and his wife threatens him with the fact that they'll have to move in with his mother-in-law if they can't find a place.

This sets him into motion getting appraisals and loans and ending up in a fabricated house--all in a series of skits that fail to amuse and are overplayed to the nth degree.

Skip it.