Film & Shorts Discussions > Random Comedy Reviews
Hotel Anchovy (1934) - The Ritz Brothers
metaldams:
The Ritz Brothers. In their day, they were Fox Studio’s prized comedy team. These days, if known at all, it would be 1939’s THE GORILLA and for only two reasons - 1.) it’s public domain and 2.) Bela Lugosi plays a butler. It is reportedly not one of their better or more representative films, so it’s sad that’s the film people see if true. The brothers were on the outs with Fox when it was made. The Ritz Brothers now have two major fans, one of them being Moronika’s own Luke795 and the other being Mel Brooks. Luke never made a YouTube video discussing the brothers, but Mel Brooks has and I will link to it below. Even Conan O’Brien is clueless on these guys, but not Mel.
Interestingly enough, Mel singles out Harry Ritz as the standout comedian, making faces that would inspire the likes of Jerry Lewis and Sid Caesar. He also mentions their song and dance prowess, which sadly does not get displayed in the few films which are most readily available. Years ago, I did see STRAIGHT PLACE AND SHOW and remember being very impressed when they broke into a comic musical number - I think that may be the key to appreciating these guys. In HOTEL ANCHOVY, the music is absent, but what we do have is three madcap comedians making a very energetic and even Stooge like short. The difference is the comedians don’t stand out as individuals right away, both in appearance and personality.
I think the lack of individuality is why The Ritz Brothers these days do not catch on with people like other comedy teams. The Three Stooges, The Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Martin and Lewis, Wheeler and Woolsey, Hope and Crosby, Todd and Pitts/Kelly - everyone of these teams have individuals who both look and act unique from the other. All three Ritz Brothers have a similar look and all three are extreme scenery chewers. Imagine if Moe, Larry and Curly had a normal look and also imagine if Moe and Larry, in addition to Curly, acted like Curly. That’s what it is like watching The Ritz Brothers. In HOTEL ANCHOVY, I figured out Harry is the guy without a hat who somewhat appears to be the leader, Jimmy is the guy in the bell boy hat and the other guy in the hat is Al. It took some effort for me to figure this out. That would never even be a thought with the other teams mentioned above.
HOTEL ANCHOVY does have a lot of energy from the brothers and the film never gets boring. It is very much like MEN IN BLACK in the sense the team is in one building, here a hotel instead of a hospital, and they run around back and forth at a madcap pace to different situations. Mel Brooks mentions in the video above how The Ritz Brothers make fun of the tragic and downtrodden. In HOTEL ANCHOVY, a man trying and failing to commit suicide in the hotel is a fine example. At one point, the brothers even mix a drink to assist in the suicide, with Harry saying the ingredient and the other two brothers repeating the ingredient to the man, a comic rhythm similar to The Three Stooges. Heck, throughout the short, The Ritz Brothers talk, on multiple occasions, of providing “super service.” This would be four years before VIOLENT IS THE WORD FOR CURLY.
The plot of this thing is a bit helter skelter, I have no clue what convinces the guy to do the proper bid at the end, for example - maybe somebody can be so kind to explain it to me. Anyway, it’s OK because this film moves so fast I’m more interested in watching them run around in circles like lunatics than the plot resolution. I will say there is this one bit earlier in the short from Harry where he runs out of a room, does this amazing vertical leap over a chair and then gracefully jumps over the hotel check in counter. Quite impressive.
So yeah, these guys have energy to sustain a short and it’s the only short they ever made. HOTEL ANCHOVY was made at Educational Studios, the same studio that brought us all those Keaton shorts we’ve discussed. Educational shorts were distributed by Fox at the time, so The Ritz Brothers graduated to comedy relief in Fox features and then later, their own starring films. I will buy some DVDs of their features, it does appear the Fox films are available. It will be then if I can figure out if their fast pace can work in features, whether the song and dance stuff may build up my appreciation for these guys and most importantly, if watching these guys in enough films can make it easy for me to tell them apart! I’ve seen THE GORILLA but again, my understanding is it’s not the best representation of what they do.
HOTEL ANCHOVY on its own is a fun way to spend seventeen minutes. As a side note, HOTEL ANCHOVY was produced and directed by Al Christie, who also did THE CHEMIST with Buster Keaton at Educational and was a big competitor with Mack Sennett and Hal Roach in the silent era. These days, compared to the other two, he’s forgotten.
hiramhorwitz:
--- Quote from: metaldams on February 06, 2020, 09:21:40 PM ---
The Ritz Brothers now have two major fans, one of them being Moronika’s own Luke795 and the other being Mel Brooks. Luke never made a YouTube video discussing the brothers, but Mel Brooks has and I will link to it below. Even Conan O’Brien is clueless on these guys, but not Mel.
Interestingly enough, Mel singles out Harry Ritz as the standout comedian, making faces that would inspire the likes of Jerry Lewis and Sid Caesar.
--- End quote ---
Actor, writer, composer, and talk show host Steve Allen was a big Harry Ritz fan, featuring Harry in little "bits" on multiple episodes of his early 1980s TV show The Steve Allen Comedy Hour. This includes having Harry seated unbeknownst in the studio audience, providing funny reactions after being questioned by Allen; several outdoor appearances where Harry just does funny things in the presence of passersby (like one might expect on Candid Camera); and occasionally part of small skits with Allen on the studio stage. Although these Harry Ritz appearances remain uncredited on internet sites like IMDB, Allen would always announce Harry's identity at the conclusion of the bits. And, at least at that point in time, the audience members would typically respond with great apparent surprise and glee, when Allen "let the cat out of the bag" that Harry Riiz was the individual who had just appeared. What always struck me about this was that Harry Ritz had such a distinctive face - it was hard to believe that most of the audience members (particularly the older ones) didn't recognize him the second he appeared on camera. Maybe this goes back to your supposition that most folks didn't know who he was. But the audience surely acted like they knew him once Allen announced his name. I guess that's entertainment!
metaldams:
--- Quote from: hiramhorwitz on February 07, 2020, 11:20:18 AM ---Actor, writer, composer, and talk show host Steve Allen was a big Harry Ritz fan, featuring Harry in little "bits" on multiple episodes of his early 1980s TV show The Steve Allen Comedy Hour. This includes having Harry seated unbeknownst in the studio audience, providing funny reactions after being questioned by Allen; several outdoor appearances where Harry just does funny things in the presence of passersby (like one might expect on Candid Camera); and occasionally part of small skits with Allen on the studio stage. Although these Harry Ritz appearances remain uncredited on internet sites like IMDB, Allen would always announce Harry's identity at the conclusion of the bits. And, at least at that point in time, the audience members would typically respond with great apparent surprise and glee, when Allen "let the cat out of the bag" that Harry Riiz was the individual who had just appeared. What always struck me about this was that Harry Ritz had such a distinctive face - it was hard to believe that most of the audience members (particularly the older ones) didn't recognize him the second he appeared on camera. Maybe this goes back to your supposition that most folks didn't know who he was. But the audience surely acted like they knew him once Allen announced his name. I guess that's entertainment!
--- End quote ---
Fox Studios has been the one of the worst studios over the decades to show their 30’s stuff, though I believe they’ve gotten better in the past couple of decades with even The Ritz films being on DVD. I don’t think the Universal Ritz Brothers films are available, but I could be wrong. Judging by the less than 100 votes those films have on IMDb, I’m going to guess no.
Very cool story about Harry’s guest appearances with Steve Allen, thanks for sharing. He does seem like a man respected by his peers and known by a past generation of people. I‘M glad he was active until the end.
luke795:
All of the RItz Brothers movies from FOX are on DVD except their last movie Pack Up Your Troubles 1939 and only one of their movies from Universal is on DVD Behind the Eight Ball 1942.
metaldams:
--- Quote from: luke795 on February 07, 2020, 06:19:32 PM ---All of the RItz Brothers movies from FOX are on DVD except their last movie Pack Up Your Troubles 1939 and only one of their movies from Universal is on DVD Behind the Eight Ball 1942.
--- End quote ---
Thanks! I will be buying at least a few for sure, maybe all.
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