Film & Shorts Discussions > Random Comedy Reviews
Billie Gets Her Man (1948) - Billie Burke
Paul Pain:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041180/
Really, this short is more about Patsy Moran, Dick Wessel, and Emil Sitka, but paid star gets billed as star.
Emil Sitka got his first major role in this short. What a role it was! As Emil notes, this is Hans Schumm as the German doctor and not Andre Pola, as other sites claim. Read more at his diary here: http://www.emilsitka.com/billiegetsherman1948.html
Billie Burke was 63 years old when this was made. It shows as all her comedy comes from her speaking and has little to no Columbia slapstick. Here, she's merely an hysterical old widow who mistakenly thinks her daughter is pregnant. Her best moment is when she shoves all the expectant fathers aside to get to the nurse. Most of the way she's just sniveling and far from her starring past as the Good Witch of the North in THE WIZARD OF OZ. Parts of this plot were later recycled as part of one Three Stooges short, GENTS IN A JAM, and were recycled from two earlier ones, FROM NURSE TO WORSE and MONKEY BUSINESSMEN.
The funniest parts come from Patsy Moran, Dick Wessel, and Emil Sitka. There is fantastic slapstick work among in spite of the behind-the-scenes problems. Patsy and Dick make an hilarious couple and endure tons of abuse. They really carry the comedic weight of this short.
We have people taking dangerous falls, people getting their skulls bashed, medical ether used, vases in the face, and a violent hospital chase scene. The violence more that expected from a Three Stooges short, really.
Please read Emil's diary notes for this one.
Next week, we start Harry Langdon's shorts.
7/10 [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke]
metaldams:
Had no clue Billie Burke worked with the Columbia Shorts unit. Time to get my book out again. Will check this out in a bit.
Paul Pain:
--- Quote from: metaldams on October 19, 2020, 08:59:47 PM ---Had no clue Billie Burke worked with the Columbia Shorts unit. Time to get my book out again. Will check this out in a bit.
--- End quote ---
She made two shorts, the other of which is lost.
GreenCanaries:
--- Quote from: Paul Pain on October 19, 2020, 08:43:06 PM ---As Emil notes, this is Hans Schumm as the German doctor and not Andre Pola, as other sites claim.
--- End quote ---
They're technically correct. "Andre Pola" was a stage name of Hans Schumm. He also appears (credited under that name) in FUELIN' AROUND and WAITING IN THE LURCH. (See here.)
Paul Pain:
--- Quote from: GreenCanaries on October 19, 2020, 09:40:06 PM ---They're technically correct. "Andre Pola" was a stage name of Hans Schumm. He also appears (credited under that name) in FUELIN' AROUND and WAITING IN THE LURCH. (See here.)
--- End quote ---
Oh, now I know what my mistake was! I was looking for him under the wrong short title instead of WAITING IN THE LURCH! I was remembering him as the doctor from that short but looked for him listed in a different short. Now, get to work and watch the short! It has some funny moments!
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