Topic: The Iceman's Ball (1932)

[falsealarms]

Look for Vernon Dent, Fred Kelsey, Walter Brennan and L&H regular James Finlayson in this rare 1932 Clark and McCullough short.

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[Blystone]

Wow! Thanks for finding this and posting it. I can never get enough of Vernon or Jimmy Finlayson, and here they are working together for what was probably the only time. This must be one of a very small number of classic comedy era shorts where the second bananas seriously upstage the stars: the deadly "Fin" scowl is in full force, but the best scene is Vernon getting a pie in the face while he's climbing up a fire escape in the dark.



I've never seen Clark & McCullough before, and they don't amount to much of an act, having no distinctive personalities. The painted-on eyeglasses are a good gag, though. After all, if Groucho could have a painted-on mustache...

[FineBari3]

That's a great tune at the short's opening!

Anybody know what it is?

I really, really enjoyed that short!  I loved the whole bit with the pie, and especially Finlayson's "D'oh!" at the end!

The only other C&M short I have seen was one about a hotel in Atlantic City, I think. I didn't enjoy it that much. 

Clark does some pretty strange things, like his cat grrrowwl and silly faces when Finlayson is talking to him.

[Rich Finegan]

That's a great tune at the short's opening!

Anybody know what it is?

That tune is a song called "Makes You Forget Your Troubles" written by Max Steiner for the 1931 RKO Radio Picture ARE THESE OUR CHILDREN. It was used as the main titles theme music for Clark & McCullough's RKO shorts for about a year from 1932 to 1933 then it was replaced by a Max Steiner-arranged medley of "Yankee Doodle" and "There'll Be a Hot Time In the Old Town Tonight" for the rest of C & M's RKO shorts through the end in 1935.

[FineBari3]

That tune is a song called "Makes You Forget Your Troubles" written by Max Steiner for the 1931 RKO Radio Picture ARE THESE OUR CHILDREN. It was used as the main titles theme music for Clark & McCullough's RKO shorts for about a year from 1932 to 1933 then it was replaced by a Max Steiner-arranged medley of "Yankee Doodle" and "There'll Be a Hot Time In the Old Town Tonight" for the rest of C & M's RKO shorts through the end in 1935.

Thanks, Rich! I knew you would know the answer!