Film & Shorts Discussions > Random Comedy Reviews
The Mind Needer (1938) - Charley Chase
Paul Pain:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030453/
The first thing that must be said about THE MIND NEEDER is that it is one of the strongest overall cast performances ever produced by the Columbia Shorts Department. Every single actor was at their very best this day, and as a result the short is far better than it should have been.
It's good to see Bess Flowers, the most accomplished actor in history, get a decent role. She gets to show off some acting chops, look beautiful, and take a fall, as she does wonderful with her moment of fainting.
Ann Doran is great as Charley's long-suffering wife. Vernon Dent is perfectly explosive and violent in his jealous husband role. John T. Murray does fantastic in his limited screen time.
Of course, Charley is our focus. Charley carries the material very well and delivers his role to perfection. He really makes it easy to suspend disbelief for this short in spite of his ridiculous character, How he could sell this so well is beyond me. A top-notch performance again is given by Charley.
Del Lord and Elwood Ullman must be given credit for good directing and good writing, respectively. While the plot is a bit strange, it is very solid and unique in a way that keeps it interesting and fresh. The camera placements and other stage effects help really bring this one to its full potential. Special note to how they carry, for several minutes, the implication that Charley is naked.
10/10 [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke]
metaldams:
A very focused short. One thing is Charley’s character needs a friggin doctor having some type of neurological disorder - yet his wife and her brother are cruel to him. So if you view this like reality - yeesh!
But also in reality, this is just a comedy short, so getting caught in this short’s unique world, again, a very focused and well paced short. Charley basically can’t remember a thing and they milk this premise for all it’s worth. Charley sells the role real well in what could very easily be annoying in the hands of a lesser comedian. I especially love the coffee/breakfast scene where he sets the table cloth on fire. Unfortunately, another too sudden ending in a Columbia short - no resolution in Vernon Dent chasing him around.
Yes, in addition to Charley, wonderful seeing Vernon Dent and Bess Flowers. Vernon the angry neighbor husband, Bess the beautiful wife caught accidentally in an awkward situation and Beatrice Curtis is cute as the secretary.
Paul Pain:
--- Quote from: metaldams on July 16, 2020, 07:32:01 PM ---But also in reality, this is just a comedy short, so getting caught in this short’s unique world, again, a very focused and well paced short. Charley basically can’t remember a thing and they milk this premise for all it’s worth. Charley sells the role real well in what could very easily be annoying in the hands of a lesser comedian. I especially love the coffee/breakfast scene where he sets the table cloth on fire. Unfortunately, another too sudden ending in a Columbia short - no resolution in Vernon Dent chasing him around.
--- End quote ---
Who else for a Columbia comedian could have pulled this off? Harry Langdon with a few script tweaks? I think Buster could have, but certain scenes require that mannerism only Charley has. We're into territory that can really only be handled by Charley himself. That's a sign of good writing though.
metaldams:
--- Quote from: Paul Pain on July 16, 2020, 09:28:14 PM ---Who else for a Columbia comedian could have pulled this off? Harry Langdon with a few script tweaks? I think Buster could have, but certain scenes require that mannerism only Charley has. We're into territory that can really only be handled by Charley himself. That's a sign of good writing though.
--- End quote ---
Buster - nah. I like it better when he’s resourceful than dumb. Langdon - Hell yeah - but you’d have to slow it down. More slow blinks, blank stares and dramatic pauses, but agreed, this script could work for Langdon with tweaks.
GreenCanaries:
--- Quote from: Paul Pain on July 16, 2020, 09:28:14 PM ---Who else for a Columbia comedian could have pulled this off? Harry Langdon with a few script tweaks?
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: metaldams on July 16, 2020, 09:44:53 PM ---Langdon - Hell yeah - but you’d have to slow it down. More slow blinks, blank stares and dramatic pauses, but agreed, this script could work for Langdon with tweaks.
--- End quote ---
Funny you guys mention that, because six years later...
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