Topic: 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

[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]

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.

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]

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.

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]

Who else for a Columbia comedian could have pulled this off?  Harry Langdon with a few script tweaks?

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.

Funny you guys mention that, because six years later...

[metaldams]

Funny you guys mention that, because six years later...

Oh wow....and with Christine as well!  Arthur Q. Bryan was the voice of Elmer Fudd.

[GreenCanaries]

Oh wow....and with Christine as well!  Arthur Q. Bryan was the voice of Elmer Fudd.

Yup. Oddly but fittingly enough, we'll also see him in one of the final Chase Columbias, SOUTH OF THE BOUDOIR.

[Freddie Sanborn]

And remade again as Moron Than Off in ‘46.

[Paul Pain]

It should be interesting as I will probably be doing Harry Langdon's shorts when we are done with the Charley Chase series!  I haven't decided for certain though.

[Paul Pain]

Oh wow....and with Christine as well!  Arthur Q. Bryan was the voice of Elmer Fudd.

Are we allowed to mention Elmer Fudd by name anymore?

[metaldams]

Are we allowed to mention Elmer Fudd by name anymore?

I didn’t think Elmer had been cancelled yet - and he hasn’t, but.....

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elmer-fudd-looney-tunes-no-gun-cartoons/   

[GreenCanaries]

And remade again as Moron Than Off in %u201846.

Actually, that was a remake of an earlier Langdon Columbia short, I DON'T REMEMBER (1935). Both have plots about forgetfulness, but REMEMBER/MORON's plot involves a lottery ticket.

[Paul Pain]

I didn’t think Elmer had been cancelled yet - and he hasn’t, but.....

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elmer-fudd-looney-tunes-no-gun-cartoons/   

Yes, because Elmer's gun (1) bred so many serial killers and (2) his gun that never once kills Bugs (in any I have seen) is much scarier than all the hilarious violence Bugs metes out on him. 

Will they come for The Three Stooges next for THREE LOAN WOLVES and BABY-SITTER JITTERS???

[Umbrella Sam]

I have to agree; this is a great short. It’s definitely the best of the Chase Columbia shorts I’ve seen so far, thanks to a solid supporting cast and a unique plot that holds well together and fits Chase’s style. The idea of Chase being so easily forgetful opens up a lot of opportunities for his eccentricities. For example, he keeps a small book listing important dates he thinks he needs to remember, but the list is incredibly small and doesn’t include the very thing his wife got mad at him for earlier in the short. He also constantly forgets which house is his, which leads to a funny chase that could actually be much more easily resolved if it weren’t for this specific plot point.

Ann Doran is especially great as Charley’s wife; the way she reacts to Chase finally declaring it’s their wedding anniversary on the phone had me laughing way harder than it probably would have with anyone else. I’d even go as far as saying that moment is one of my favorite moments in any Columbia short ever. John Murray also does a convincing job playing Doran’s brother, and Vernon Dent and Bess Flowers are also great choices for their respective roles. It’s just a solidly funny short from start to finish; Chase’s delivery is great, the reactions from others are great. Everything about this short just works so well.

10 out of 10