Topic: Sweet Spirits of Nighter (1941) - El Brendel and Tom Kennedy

[Paul Pain]

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0141867/

This is it.  SWEET SPIRITS OF NIGHTERS.  I have been seeking this film for nearly 8 years, or about 85 years fewer than people have been trying to find Harry Langdon's HEART TROUBLE.   As I have said before in many other places, this film was deemed so scary by the British film censors (noted for their totalitarianism) that it was given an 'H' rating meaning that minors could not see this film!

It's an El Brendel film, so of course parts of it are awful.  But God bless El because man can he take the slapstick abuse like an absolute champion.  This film does better, however, because here his usual accent is just part of his character and not the driver of the comedy.  The role calls for a bumbling fool, and his approach to the events that happen in this particular short do service to a disjointed script.

Tom Kennedy found himself paired with various comedians over the years: Monte Collins, Shemp Howard, and El Brendel in particular.  Like El, he's here to be a bumbling idiot, and except for one scene with El his size relative to the typical Columbia shrimps isn't utilized so effectively.  At 6'3", Tom was huge, but then again El Brendel was 5'9".  No wonder Bud Jamison and Vernon Dent were given a separate scene and no wonder Duke York didn't seem so intimidating against them. 

Seriously, Tom is just serviceable in this one, but he does work well with El.  That was Tom's strength: he could strike up nearly instant chemistry in any situation.  Here, he gets put into several strange situations, like the hole in the ceiling gag.  Sadly, this gag doesn't get used so effectively.

This short is very disjointed.  At first, it seems like it's just going to be a classic case of bumbling idiot cops bumble into a victory with the town getting robbed blind literally under El and Tom's noses.  It's nothing new through this part, but it's executed properly.

The highlight for El and Tom is the bank scene with Tom and El running into the bank, which has already been robbed, through different doors with Tom punching El as a result.  There is also a gag with Tom and El using a combination lock as a roulette wheel that I have never seen elsewhere.  Of course, while they do this, the bank is being robbed in the background, leading to the scene I mentioned.

Then it transitions randomly into a scare comedy involving grave robbers and trying to bring the dead to life for the second reel.  The film ceases to make any sense at this point, and attempting to understand what is happening will only confuse you further.  This is typical Columbia scare comedy stuff, but you can see a genuine change in El's demeanor that is noticeably absent in other Columbia starring actors.  I am actually surprised to say I thought he handled the scare stuff fairly well.

There isn't much to say for the supporting cast because they have little impact on the film.  Ten pokes to Frank Lackteen though.

7/10

[Umbrella Sam]

This actually might be the funniest I’ve ever seen El Brendel in a film. Admittedly that’s not saying much considering he’s El Brendel, but I actually did find myself enjoying a lot more of this than I thought I would. Columbia did a lot of haunted house type comedies that often are difficult to distinguish from others, and while there are elements of that here, I think this one stands out a bit more thanks to its policeman setup. I actually really liked the whole setup with Tom and El constantly attacking each other in the dark. It’s paced properly, they vary it up with having El put the bucket in his head...it actually is a very effective comedy scene for something that initially seems so obvious. I even like the gags with the guys constantly robbing stores behind their backs while they’re complaining about the lack of crime. I was expecting them to come face to face with one of these guys and stupidly not realize what they’re doing, but no. They just flat out don’t see them and I find that so much more effective.

Like I said earlier, the haunted house setup is a bit like others, but the gags are still effective. One gag I definitely recognized was the “breaking down the closet door” gag that was later used in The Three Stooges’ DOPEY DICKS, so it was cool to see that. Duke York of course is the “Frankenstein monster” type villain he often played in these types of comedies, but I actually do really like the part where he legitimately seems engaged in Tom and El’s dice game. The two mad scientists are a bit bland, but thankfully their roles diminish pretty quickly. Most of it amounts to El and Tom doing scare reactions, but for what it’s worth, both handle them well. In general, I think Tom Kennedy is just a fine comedian; he’s not super distinctive beyond just being a big guy who scares easily and because of that, I can see why Columbia often had difficulties trying to make a proper star out of him. But like I said, he’s a big guy who scares easily, so he’s a natural for this part.

Not the best type of these comedies I’ve seen, and I fail to see what makes this so scary that the British had to give it an “H” rating, but it’s written well, it’s performed well, and it does distinguish itself a bit more from other films of this type thanks to its entertaining police scenes. I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.

[metaldams]

I really enjoyed this one.  It’s a 1941 Columbia comedy short, so we’re talking prime here.  It’s also directed by Del Lord, the best director and yes, I can easily see this being a Stooge short.  It’s got, Bud, Vernon, Frank Lackteen, Lew Kelly, and, and……Marjorie Deanne.  I mean, what’s not to like?  Even the two comics are fine.  I agree with Sam that El Brendel is at his best here and Paul in that the accent is really just there and doesn’t really drive the comedy.  This is a scare comedy and the two comics do what’s required of the gig.  Also, I’m sorry, but I still can’t shake it that every time I see Tom Kennedy, he reminds me of Pat Buchanan.

As far as the scare stuff and the “H” horror rating?  Context of the time is needed.  As a guy who just watched a bunch of Italian zombie films the other day, I understand why one can easily show this to a kid today.  But in England in the 30’s and 40’s?  The film that drew the line for British censors was the 1935 Karloff and Lugosi film, THE RAVEN.  Poooooeee, you arrr-uh AVENGED!  Bwaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha…..Bateman?  Uh, where was I?  So we’re talking different times.  Now in the context of the times, that shot of Duke York, in ugly monster make up, slowly rising out of a coffin?  I can understand the H rating.  By the context of today, I would say that’s still an effective and awesome horror shot.

[Paul Pain]

I really enjoyed this one.  It’s a 1941 Columbia comedy short, so we’re talking prime here.  It’s also directed by Del Lord, the best director and yes, I can easily see this being a Stooge short.  It’s got, Bud, Vernon, Frank Lackteen, Lew Kelly, and, and……Marjorie Deanne.  I mean, what’s not to like?  Even the two comics are fine.  I agree with Sam that El Brendel is at his best here and Paul in that the accent is really just there and doesn’t really drive the comedy.  This is a scare comedy and the two comics do what’s required of the gig.  Also, I’m sorry, but I still can’t shake it that every time I see Tom Kennedy, he reminds me of Pat Buchanan.

As far as the scare stuff and the “H” horror rating?  Context of the time is needed.  As a guy who just watched a bunch of Italian zombie films the other day, I understand why one can easily show this to a kid today.  But in England in the 30’s and 40’s?  The film that drew the line for British censors was the 1935 Karloff and Lugosi film, THE RAVEN.  Poooooeee, you arrr-uh AVENGED!  Bwaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha…..Bateman?  Uh, where was I?  So we’re talking different times.  Now in the context of the times, that shot of Duke York, in ugly monster make up, slowly rising out of a coffin?  I can understand the H rating.  By the context of today, I would say that’s still an effective and awesome horror shot.

Dang, this short rules in one regard... it got us all to say we liked an El Brendel short!