Bobby Clark and Paul McCullough are these days a forgotten comedy team except for those of us who really, really seek these old two reelers out. ODOR IN THE COURT, last I checked, is their most voted on film on IMDb.com, with only 41 votes. Starting out on stage before making some early talkies for Fox, they then moved onto RKO’s two reel unit in 1930 and would remain so until the mid thirties. Shortly after, in 1936, Paul McCullough sadly committed suicide. What we got in the meantime were a bunch of pre code comedies that had some raunchy humor for the time as well as familiar faces like Dorothy Granger, Bud Jamison, Vernon Dent and James Finlayson. Clark was a shyster who had painted on glasses and always had a wisecrack and a ton of energy. McCullough, whose role diminished as the years went by, pretty much tagged along and always had a quick remark and a twinkle in his eye, but really a case where Clark became the dominant character at RKO.
ODOR IN THE COURT is a high energy, pre code divorce court comedy where Clark and McCullough play lawyers and have no reverence for the judge or the legal system in general. Their contempt for authority very much plays like The Marx Brothers as does their penchant for spectacle. As they enter the courtroom, they’re joined by a huge marching band and audience. It feels like a giant pep rally with Bobby Clark leading the way, jumping in the stand and leading the crowd on. At one point, Clark even has the marching band play a giant g chord. A place of law getting made a spectacle very similar to The Marx Brothers in DUCK SOUP in their “We’re Going to War” musical number in parliament. Clark himself is also quite the spectacle, interrupting his rival lawyer after every sentence with an objection, him and McCullough sticking a rotten egg in the rival lawyer’s pants and making quite a broad performance as he is leading the witness stand. Bobby Clark proves himself to be a very energetic comedian here.
Other fun bits include Clark and McCullough trying to get Tom Kennedy to admit he is hurt after a slight fall down on the sidewalk. Kennedy is fine, but being the shyster lawyers they are, they try to exaggerate Kennedy’s condition by dirtying him up, tearing his clothes and giving him a black eye.
Later on, we get to see Clark and McCullough’s office, a room that looks like a bomb was ignited in it. In reality, it is because they enjoy throwing horseshoes indoors. They even encourage a client to throw a horseshoe through a glass door, landing on their secretary’s back side. To add to the pre code fun, they set up their rival lawyer by framing a picture where he is rubbing a women’s knee while she kisses him and for the best pre code moment of them all, there’s the woman standing above the ventilator. As the wind blows from below, her skirt lifts high in the air, revealing a garter belt stockings, and a pair of shapely legs. Clark and McCullough approve. So do I, if I’m being honest. Some people will say this is a precursor to the famous Marilyn Monroe shot twenty years later, but we all know the concept of a skirt being blown in the air by ventilator originated in kilt form by Stan Laurel in PUTTING PANTS ON PHILLIP.
So yes, ODOR IN THE COURT is a fun pre code comedy with a little raunch and tons of energy and disrespect for authority. Would make a nice short to view before Wheeler and Woolsey’s PEACH O’RENO - also RKO and a feature that deals with divorce court. An argument can be made these both their respective teams best films. If not, pretty darn close. Moronika’s own Geno Cuddy has every extant Clark and McCullough film available on his YouTube channel, Geno’s House of Rare Films. I highly suggest checking it out and subscribing.
