Series: James Finlayson Director: Jay A. Howe Producer: Hal Roach Titles: H.M. Walker Photography: Editor: Stars: James Finlayson, Anita Garvin Company: Pathé Exchange Released: 21 June 1925 Length: 1 reel Production No.: D-87 Filming dates: April 30 - May 4, 1925 Rating: 3/10

In The Grease

Available on DVD:

Father (James Finlayson) has been left at home with his son whilst his wife is away. He cooks breakfast (fried doughnuts) in the kitchen when the school bell rings out. Father goes to wake his son (Grant Gorman) to tell him to get to school but the dog who is sleeping in the bed with the youngster has the boy's shoes on and walks off in them. At the breakfast table the son throws his hot doughnuts onto the dog's tail which makes the dog run out into the yard and sit in a pale of water. The boy finally goes off to school whilst the father glues his wig on to his bald head. A neighbour comes by to borrow some sugar but ends up laughing at the father because he has glued his wig on upside down. Father goes to the school and confronts the teacher after his son comes hom complaining about some rough treatment and the teacher offers father to teach the kids instead if he thinks he can do any better. The children waste no time in playing up, throwing paper airplanes and flicking objects at father's head. The physical culture teacher (Anita Garvin) comes in and tries to get the class to copy her exercise moves but when father tries he ends up ripping his pants. One of the brats hooks a hornet's nest from outside the window and places it inside father's trousers. When father pulls up his pants he jumps out of the window. When father returns to the classroom he is then confronted by a pipe-smoking kid called Willie Whalebone. Father offers the kid a cigar which was given to him by his son, but the cigar explodes. Realising that his own son had tried to pass him the trick cigar father then takes his son out into the yard and is about to beat him when the film fades to the end.

Favourite bit I guess it would have to be the brief scene with Anita Garvin (and her knees) making her Hal Roach film debut.

Trivia • Copyrighted May 28 & 29, 1925. • The second film in the series. • This was Anita Garvin's first film for Hal Roach. She has one brief scene as a teacher and gets a close-up shot of her knees! • The son's name is Pershing. Pershing, indeed. My opinion • Disappointing. Not a whole lot going on and when it is, it's not all that interesting. Dull. Seriously, after reading my plot summary - would YOU want to watch the film?

	James Finlayson Father
	Anita Garvin Physical culture teacher
	Grant Gorman Pershing, son
	Al Hallett Teacher

UNIDENTIFIED CAST

INTERTITLES (click image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: Craig Calman (identification of Grant Gorman) This page was last updated on: 01 June 2021