Series: Charley Chase Director: Warren Doane Producer: Hal Roach Story editor: H.M. Walker Photography: George Stevens Editor: Richard C. Currier Sound: Elmer Raguse Stars: Charley Chase, Thelma Todd, Eddie Dunn, Edgar Kennedy Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Released: 07 September 1929 Length: 2 reels Production No.: C-24 Filming dates: June 20-27, 1929 Rating: 7/10

Crazy Feet

Available on DVD:

A group of would-be actors have turned up at a theatre to audition for a chorus line as Thelma (TODD) emerges and walks to her car. She is followed shortly after by Eddie (DUNN) who demands that Thelma gives him some money but she refuses. This turns into a heated argument which is observed by good samaritan Charley (CHASE) who comes over to intervene, but gets punched in the nose by Eddie for his troubles. Unpreterbed, Charley tries again but receives a second punch in the nose. His third attempt is a bit more physical when he climbs into the car with Thelma and Eddie and a struggle takes places between them all as Charley tries to get the purse. [see favourite bit] A passing cop (EDGAR KENNEDY) sees the commotion and stops to sort it out. When he sees Charley with the purse he assumes he is the robber and gives chase. Charley runs and hides into the line of auditioning actors waiting outside the theatre. Thelma spots Charley and asks for the casting director to select him for a job. Charley, along with a few other men, is hired and taken inside where they begin rehearsing. Charley is completely out of step and disorganized and tries to follow the lead of the other guys but he stands out like a sore thumb as they dance to the piano player who likes to eat his own cigarette! The men are awful - especially Charley. One of the men questions (in a very effeminate voice) whether Charley has even had one day's experience in his whole life? Backstage Thelma comes out of her dressing room with a letter from Eddie telling her that he is leaving town and breaking up the theatre act. Thelma grabs Charley and asks if he would be willing to help her out again and when Charley agrees she takes him into her dressing room to get him dressed up for a stage act she is about to rehearse.

The chief producer of the play shows up for the rehearsal with two of his "yes" men to watch Thelma and Charley's performance, with the couple dressed as ballerinas. Armed with a lightweight balloon/ball Thelma and Charley dance around the stage and really slow the film down until the balloon pops and they walk off, much to the displeasure of the chief who is bored by the whole thing. Thelma and Charley are given a second chance and re-emerge from her dressing room wearing leopardskins whilst cop Kennedy prowls around backstage in a fake beard still searching for Charley. Charley is hooked up to a cable by a stagehand for the next act which sees him flying around the stage. Whilst it looks like it was a lot of fun to film for the actors, the following few minutes really brings the film to a crashing halt as Charley milks the action, flying around uncontrollably as Eddie turns up and begins wrestling with the stagehand who is pulling on the ropes that Charley is attached to. The pianist plays frantically as Charley flies around in slapstick mode with Thelma chasing him around the stage. Charley is hoisted up onto a balcony where he grabs a water cooler to smash over Eddie's head. As Charley continues to be slung around he grabs the top of the canopy, releasing a shower of fake snow before picking up a fake reindeer and flying around to the sound of Jingle Bells! Eddie finally lets go of the stagehand and runs on to the stage to confront Thelma but Charley bumps into him and the two of them resume their fight from earlier. They fall from the ceiling with Charley standing victorious over his victim but Thelma is less than impressed and smacks Charley in the mouth. She is Eddie's wife. Poor Charley's luck runs out further when the cop catches up with him and chases him out of the building in a rather abrupt ending.

Favourite bit It has to be the scene where Charley tries to retrieve Thelma's purse in the car, with Eddie Dunn struggling to also take possession of it. Feet, arses and elbows everywhere and there's a nice revealing scene where Thelma's hair momentarily gets let down too.

Trivia • Copyrighted August 26, 1929. • The scene with Charley, Eddie and Thelma in the car was filmed on Hal Roach's backlot. This is edited in with the cut-away shots of Charley (and later Edgar Kennedy) looking on from Wilshire Boulevard (completely different location). • At around 3:29 as Charley and Eddie are struggling in the car you can hear one of them laugh. • I'm sure I misheard it but did the casting director ask the guys if they knew "the nigger line"? The look on Charley's face sort-of suggests this is what he heard too! • The crate on the stage says theatre - which is the English spelling of the word, not the American. Odd? • Including Charley, there are eight men in the chorus of actors who audition. • Am I the only one wondering how Edgar Kennedy managed to find - and put on that beard so quickly? • The pianist just happened to have an umbrella with him on the off chance that he might get wet. What were the odds! My opinion • Above average comedy for Charley Chase with Thelma Todd starring alongside him for the second time. There is at least 10 minutes' worth of solid comedy routines and an equal amount of time used as filler where the film feels flat. The cramped ruckus in Thelma's car is a highlight, but the scene with Charley dancing with the line of men in the rehearsal is very dull. Quite a bit of stuntwork with Charley flying around the stage suspended from a cable looks good but it does get a bit long after a while. However, earlier in the film he sits in a road and is almost hit by speeding vehicles, which if you slow it down you can see just how close it was! There is a brief scene where Charley crashes into the women's dressing room which grabbed my attention! Thelma with long hair was a nice touch and there is a twist ending which actually sours the film slightly in my opinion. Overall a decent film and the good scenes outweight the poor, but there is definitely room for improvement.

	Charley Chase Charley
	Thelma Todd Thelma
	Eddie Dunn Eddie
	Edgar Kennedy Policeman
	Harry Bowen Actor
	Charlie Hall Stagehand
	Jack Raymond Stage director
	Fred Warren Fred, pianist
	Charles Lloyd Dan, man sitting outside theatre
	Ham Kinsey Actor
	Earl McCarthy Dancer
	Sam Lufkin Stagehand
	Charles King 'Yes' man
	Cy Slocum Stagehand pulling rope
	Pete Gordon Stagehand
	Clara Guiol Woman in dressing room
	Betty Danko Woman in dressing room

UNIDENTIFIED CAST

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)

POSTER (click image to enlarge)

STILLS (click image to enlarge)

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

SHOT ON LOCATION (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/charley-chase-beauties-original-movie-3893266890 (still) Jesse Brisson (identification of Earl McCarthy, Pete Gordon, Betty Danko, Clara Guiol) Richard W. Bann (identification of Charles King) Kit Parker (for getting the film released on DVD) This page was last updated on: 05 October 2022