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Publicity Pays (1924) - Charley Chase

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HomokHarcos:


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209259/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

A director's credit from Leo McCarey, nice to see.

Another perfectly fine way to spend 10 minutes. The Jimmy Jump one reelers are short and concise, and often have a coherent story to go along with them. Back in 1924 they would have been a good fit for any movie theater bill.

The beginning of the film is about Charley Chase's woman being a good theater star, so to promote her Mr. Fiasco decides to put her in a publicity tour. They end up at a hotel where a lot of fun happens with the monkey. Charley Chase scales a building to go through a window, another Harold Lloyd-like move. Knowing that Harold Lloyd left Roach in 1923 and this series started in 1924, I'm tempted to believe that Chase was supposed to be a sort of replacement comedy wise. He ends up in another room where it looks like it will lead to a marriage mixup comedy Columbia style, but it's settled quickly with a funny scene where he pretends to be a plumber.

In the end the woman decides that this is too much, and in a decision that is not quite up to today's values, decides it's better to be a housewife than continue her acting career. I think it's funny how there were many plots like this in Hollywood back then, considering there were scores of actresses who were working while married back then.

Umbrella Sam:
Another Jimmy Jump short, another fun 10 minutes. That’s a good trend to have. Most of the comedy here revolves around trying to hide their pet monkey, so it’s very similar to Laurel and Hardy’s THE CHIMP in that sense, albeit with more Harold Lloyd-style acrobatics throughout. I really like the twist on the “jealous husband” plot they do here; Chase pretends to be a plumber and gives the husband his own bill, which is a really clever way to tie what initially seems to be a throwaway back into the overall story. Everything ties together and I pretty much like everything about it except for one thing and it’s only due to how unfortunately prophetic it was: when Chase is hiding the balloon and the hotel manager is questioning it, his response is “My heart trouble is acting up again”. Knowing how Chase died, that line made me sad.

metaldams:
       Not really too much to add from what you guys said as you both summed it up.  Agreed, another very fun one reeler with some Harold Lloyd like touches and yes, Leo McCarey’s Chase debut!  He’ll be doing these shorts consistently for the next few years.

      The one thing I do want to add is the Stooge link, one to the Chase directed MUTTS FOR YOU.  In PUBLICITY PAYS, Chase puts the balloon in his back to hide it from the hotel manager.  Chase attributes it to heart trouble.  Done much better with Larry, who has the balloon on his stomach and attributes it to something he ate.  Vernon Dent gets a little extra mileage out of the gag with Larry.

Paul Pain:
This short was a nice and concise amalgam of gags centered around a single plot.  Once again, we get another pleasant Jimmy Jump short.

I see I wasn't the only one who instantly noticed that Leo McCarey was the director.

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