Film & Shorts Discussions > Random Comedy Reviews
The Cuckoos (1930) - Wheeler and Woolsey
metaldams:
Geno, it’s cool you don’t like The Stooges, to each their own. Same with Sam and Fields. I love both.
As for Bert and Bob, funny you mention THE RAINMAKERS, it’s their only starring vehicle I have yet to see.
I do generally return to the pre codes when watching Bert and Bob. I like them all except GIRL CRAZY. The code films, none are unwatchable, but I return to them less. They definitely had more an edge pre code.
Of RIO RITA and DIXIANA, the former I’ve never seen and the latter I’ve tried watching a few times but could never get through. Not a fan of these big musicals, but I understand RITA is supposed to be a better film.
Of the two solo films, agree with your assessment, Geno.
metaldams:
--- Quote from: Umbrella Sam on January 18, 2021, 10:53:01 PM ---I have the second Wheeler and Woolsey RKO DVD Collection, which I mainly bought to have COCKEYED CAVALIERS on DVD. The only other films on there I’ve watched are THE CUCKOOS and EVERYTHING’S ROSIE. I do plan on watching the other ones eventually, but when I do, TOO MANY COOKS is definitely dead last on that list, and I may skip it entirely. As some of the other posters here know, I tend to usually hate in-law comedies, and the fact that Wheeler’s solo film is an in-law comedy that is already so derided does not seem promising.
I thought EVERYTHING’S ROSIE had an interesting idea for a story, but Woolsey wasn’t a very good fit for the role; I think he can pull off solo scenes without Wheeler, but he seemed a bit lost trying to sustain an entire feature by himself. Apparently this film is a rip off of a W.C. Fields musical called POPPY. Recently, I was talking about how I wasn’t very interested in Fields’s work, but I also just realized that he seems like the ideal choice for this role and I would be interested in checking out at least one of his film versions. I’m curious, does anyone recommend the silent or sound version over the other?
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As far as POPPY and which version, hard to say. Never been ideal Fields to me, but that may be a plus for you. Fields was sick when filming the talkie version and the silent version has tons of beautiful outdoor scenery shot in that D.W. Griffith way, so I prefer the silent.
GenoCuddy:
--- Quote from: metaldams on January 19, 2021, 07:25:32 AM ---As far as POPPY and which version, hard to say. Never been ideal Fields to me, but that may be a plus for you. Fields was sick when filming the talkie version and the silent version has tons of beautiful outdoor scenery shot in that D.W. Griffith way, so I prefer the silent.
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Yes, the title of which is Sally of the Sawdust.
HomokHarcos:
--- Quote from: Umbrella Sam on January 18, 2021, 05:47:56 PM ---To each their own, I guess. I have seen other reviews that also implied that COCKEYED CAVALIERS was overrated and that the songs weren’t as good as songs in their other films. I do still find that I enjoy the film a lot, and for some reason I find myself humming AND THE BIG BAD WOLF WAS DEAD every now and then.
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I like your Oswald picture. That (along with a big bad wolf reference) reminds me that once I finish watching the Clark and McCullough shorts, I plan on doing the massive task of watching the Walt Disney animated films (shorts and features) in chronological order (mainly just the ones produced during Walt's lifetime).
I really want to get around to watching Wheeler and Woolsey's movies. It's just that the RKO sets I bought are with my uncle right now. I've only watched Rio Rita, and since I watched that movie for Wheeler and Woolsey it felt like a lot of filler with the focus on Bebe Daniels and the leading man and I didn't like the fake Mexican accent Bebe was putting on. I enjoyed the parts with Wheeler and Woolsey.
Umbrella Sam:
--- Quote from: GenoCuddy on January 18, 2021, 11:11:02 PM ---I admire your bravery in admitting on a forum of this caliber to not being a fan of Fields. If I am being honest and this may result in me getting ousted from this forum but, I really do not care for the Three Stooges at all. I realize this is a Stooge forum, but I am mainly here for the comedy discussion outside of The Stooges. As far as Woolsey is concerned, I think he would have had the more promising solo career of the two, if given better scripts. I love Wheeler, but my favorite of the two has always been Woolsey.
Interesting to note as well, Woolsey had a role in the original stage run of Poppy.
Now if you'll excuse me, I must find somewhere to hide from the angry mob that will undoubtedly be approaching in the hours to come.
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Woolsey’s my favorite of the two as well. It might have been possible for him to pull off his own starring vehicle, but I see him more as someone who would have been great in supporting roles. I read the Watz book and he drew a lot of comparisons to Walter Catlett there, so I could probably see him pulling off a lot of Catlett’s roles.
I also read the biography on Clyde Bruckman and in the book the author mentioned that Woolsey specifically requested being able to do the lead in a version of POPPY (Bruckman was the director of EVERYTHING’S ROSIE).
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