Series: Charley Chase Director: Leo McCarey Producer: Hal Roach Titles: H.M. Walker Photography: Len Powers Editor: Richard C. Currier Stars: Charley Chase, Martha Sleeper, Evelyn Burns, Hardee Kirkland, Noah Young, Eddie Borden Company: Pathé Exchange Released: 12 April 1925 Length: 2 reels Production No.: E-14 Filming dates: January 16-26, 1925 Rating: 4/10

Bad Boy

Available on DVD:

Jimmy Jump (Charley Chase) is home from college where his parents want him to work in the iron business. As he gets out of his taxi Jimmy calls for his father to throw him down a $5 bill to pay for the ride but the money blows across to a diner where it settles on the counter. The clerk (Martha Sleeper) takes it when Jimmy attempts to retrieve it. Jimmy assures Martha that they will be married just as soon as he mas made enough money for them. Jimmy's first day on the job gets off to a tough start when he can't even lift one piece of iron, whilst the other men carry their loads without problem. Lunch time means it's fight time for the workers. But as soon as the noon whistle sounds everybody suddenly stops brawling and immediately turn to having their lunches. Jimmy's mother turns up in her chauffeur to give her son some lunch which Jimmy offers to share with the foreman. The foreman rejects the offer and instead shares his own enormous sandwich with Jimmy. The gigantic slab of beef inside the bread is too much for Jimmy to handle. As Jimmy goes to leave for the day he asks if the foreman wants a ride in his car. However, all the other workers take Jimmy up on the offer and rush to get into the vehicle. Fortunately Martha intervenes and everyone jumps off as Jimmy drives off home with her clinging on for dear life at the back of the car. When he gets there his mother reminds him that he had agreed to perform for her guests. So reluctantly Jimmy dons a robe and takes to the lawn to join a group of women ballet dancers. He is shockingly bad.

Jimmy is joined by another woman dancer (Katherine Grant) on the lawn but as soon as their gig is over Jimmy's girlfriend dumps him. Jimmy tries to run after her still dressed in his toga but an on duty beat cop makes him quickly change direction. Jimmy goes to Googan's dance hall in disguise to look for Martha, where he is recognised as 'Bad Boy Brodie', a local feared gun-man. Tough guy Noah Young tries to dance with Martha but Jimmy takes over when his back is momentarily turned. The tough guy is about to pick a fight with Jimmy when the owner advises him not to. Jimmy and Martha take to the dance floor and wow the small crowd of onlookers. Noah picks up a newspaper which shows Jimmy dressed in his toga and not the feared criminal he was told about. When Jimmy finishes dancing he is confronted by Noah and some others who have seen the newspaper. But before a fight can break out a cop enters the building and everyone resumes dancing. Jimmy is warned not to alert the cop or else Noah will shoot him dead. A wise guy throws a firecracker at the cop and knocks his hat off. The cop threates to arrest the perpetrator and Jimmy, seeing a way out of the dangerous situation he has found himself in volunteers that he was the one who did it. The cop takes Jimmy outside but then sees the funny side of it. Jimmy retreats to the cloakroom where the angry mob pursue him. Martha briefly causes a distraction before an all-out fight starts up with Jimmy taking on dozens of guys. Just then his parents show up and they get involved in the action. EVentually the fights breaks up and Jimmy gets to be alone with his girl, but in a last desperate attempt to salvage a victory, Noah grabs Jimmy's gun and fires it at him... only to discover it is loaded with water.

Favourite bit Evelyn Burns giving some guy a right smacking which results in him ending up the wrong way around against the wall!

Trivia • Copyrighted April 2, 1925. • Olive Borden supposedly appears in the film but I have not spotted her. • This was the first film Eddie Borden made for Hal Roach. • The name of the dance hall is Googan's Dance Hall. My opinion • Quite lacklustre for the most part; not one of Charley Chase's better films.

	Charley Chase Jimmy Jump
	Martha Sleeper Jimmy's girlfriend
	Evelyn Burns Jimmy's mother
	Hardee Kirkland Jimmy's father
	Noah Young Dance hall troublemaker
	Eddie Borden Dance hall propietor
	Martin Wolfkeil Cab driver
	Jack O'Brien Iron worker
	Dave Anderson Foreman
	Dick Gilbert Dance hall tough guy
	Leo Willis Iron worker
	Katherine Grant Dancer
	Jack Gavin Dance hall cop
	Charlie Hall Dance hall tough guy
	Harry Bowen Dance hall patron
	Sam Lufkin Iron worker
	Charles Force Iron worker
	Robert Page Iron worker

UNIDENTIFIED CAST

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)	INTERTITLES (click image to enlarge)

LOBBY CARDS (click any image to enlarge)

SHOT ON THE BACK LOT (click any image to enlarge)

SHOT ON LOCATION (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: Smile When The Raindrops Fall by Brian Anthony & Andy Edmonds (book) Christin Gleditzsch (identification of Katherine Grant) Bob Duncan, John Carpenter, Ed Watz (lobby cards) This page was last updated on: 20 June 2021