Topic: Household Blues (1929) - Monte Collins and Vernon Dent

[Paul Pain]

Educational's final one-reeler, a silent one at that, HOUSEHOLD BLUES.  This short served as the basis of several later shorts, particular Three Stooges shorts, and I'm sure someone will inform me that this was somehow a remake of someone else's work.  Nevertheless, knowing that Monte Collins did a lot of uncredited work at Columbia, I feel inclined to believe that he influenced AN ACHE IN EVERY STAKE even if only by conversing with the production team or the script writers.

Oh, what's to say about this except that it's odd to see Monte Collins and for the first time not hear him.  This short was made during the dying days of the silent era.

There isn't too much to say about this that metaldams hasn't already said.  There's clearly no chemistry between Monte and Vernon nor do the characters share anything but animosity, so the short basically focuses on them being a couple of fools.  It's not much for plot, but it's nice little 10 minutes of classic silent comedy.  This one would have been a bit better if had been cranked at real time and expanded out to a more natural 13-15 minutes, but we'll take it. 

[metaldams]

I’ve seen silent Monte Collins before and in this case, it looks like Jules White, at least in look (hats, skinny and fat comic), was going for some kind of Laurel and Hardy vibe.  He was only able to do it in look only as these two barely share a shot together and Monte clearly gets more screen time.  Out of the twenty million films I have seen Vernon Dent in, this has to be the least subtle I’ve ever seen - maybe GOLF from Larry Semon giving this some competition in that sense.  Nothing else.  But yeah, he’s really mugging for the camera in parts and I can picture Jules White behind the camera barking out instructions to him based on what I’ve read about his hands on directing style.

The gag with Monte trying to close the trunk with the pile of books is well done and that, along with the messed up house at the end, does have a Stooge feel to it.  But, other than that, this is about as graceless and knockabout of a silent comedy I’ve seen - not necessarily a bad thing for those of us inclined to enjoy this kind of thing.  I plead guilty.

[Umbrella Sam]

I wasn’t aware until now that Jules White even directed silent comedies. I’ve seen SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK and some of his horrifying DOGVILLE COMEDIES, but this very well may be the earliest film I’ve ever seen from him. And if it wasn’t clear already, this is very much proof that his style did not change much over the years. It definitely does feel like a Stooges setup, albeit without the team dynamic that made those shorts work so well. This short also shows that Jules White’s obsession with shooting tacks at his comics is there from the beginning. As far as comedy goes, this does have one great sequence, when Monte is attempting to put the books in the trunk. I love the way Monte tries pretending to lift nonexistent books into the trunk, as though that will somehow solve his problem. It’s timed well, you do get the idea that the trunk is out to get him; it reminds me a lot of the ironing board gag from SING A SONG OF SING PANTS. It works, but again, it’s the type of thing you can see in lots of White comedies, and Dent is definitely wasted in this effort; this very much could have been a solo Collins effort and they wouldn’t have even had to change that much to do so. Interesting from a historical standpoint, but not much beyond that.

[HomokHarcos]

This answers the question, for me at least, if Jules White comedies can work as silents, because I claim I’ve heard is that people only find them funny because of the sound effects.

A funny line was when Monte Collins explained that Vernon was the “inferior decorator,” mixing it up with the interior decorator.

Childish gag with the chest opening and closing, but I find those type of funny, it reminds me of a gag involving Goody in Moving Day.

The ending is what reminded me most of Laurel and Hardy,  and from what I’ve heard, Dent made more films in that vein with Harry Langdon.