Series: Max Davidson Director: Leo McCarey Producer: Hal Roach Titles: Photography: Len Powers Editor: Stars: Max Davidson, Johnny Fox, Martha Sleeper, Gaston Glass, Jesse De Vorska Company: Pathé Exchange Released: 08 May 1927 Length: 2 reels Production No.: H-16 Filming dates: December 9-17, 1926 Rating: 3/10

Jewish Prudence

Available on DVD:

Gimplewart's daughter (MARTHA SLEEPER) wants to marry her attorney boyfriend (GASTON GLASS), but Papa has other ideas and tells the potential husband that only when he wins his first case will Papa give his blessing. The Gimplewart son, Abie (JESSE DE VORSKA), suddenly finds himself in the truck business after Papa buys him one. But Abie's first experience of driving the truck is to reverse it into the shed. His second is raising the back and ripping open the bottom of Papa's house as he passes underneath it, spilling his bathing younger brother, Junior, out onto the ground. An unsuccessful attempt to audition for a Charleston dancer post leads to Papa and Junior witnessing the aftermath of an automobile accident. Unseen by the crowds, Papa encourages Junior to slip into the wreckage of the car and await rescue from an ambulance crew, whom are none the wiser. It's a deliberate ploy to fake paralysis. Two insurance men arrive at the Gimplewart house to examine the patient, to determine whether he is actually injured. A clever scheme by Papa sees him substitute his son's leg with a prosthetic, so that when it is banged hard, the leg will not move. The first man (FRED KELSEY) is shocked to witness the apparent lack of feeling in the boy's leg and calls for his assistant (EUGENE PALLETTE) to see for himself. However, in the panic, Junior moves and the false leg is quickly ditched. The two insurance men then take turns in throwing a sharp pen into the boy's leg. Junior withstands the pain until the men are convinced. When they appear to have left, Junior and Papa take to dancing around the room in celebration after hearing the pay-out is worth $10,000. Fortunately for them when the two insurance men return to witness the fraud, they confess to being rent collectors!

The day of the trial and Papa arrives holding a bunch of flowers whilst Junior hobbles down the courtroom limping. Papa hands the flowers to the judge as a gift but the judge throws them on the floor and orders Papa to remove his hat. It is then revealed that the prosecuting lawyer is none other than Aaron, the man who wants to wed Papa's daughter. Worse still, Papa takes a look over to see the jury of twelve men who all look like they came out of a laboratory for the criminally insane! Papa is shocked until he sees the last man (a Saddam Hussein lookalike) and thinks the bearded man might give him a break, but soon realises that won't. Papa begins delivering his bullshit testimony but Aaron constantly objects and interrupts the proceedings. Papa stops talking after glancing up to see a portrait of George Washington on the wall. Aaron addresses the jury and asks them whether a man with a face [Papa's] that could be honest? All twelve men shake their heads "no"! Papa insists that he is telling the truth and asks to be punished from above if not. A lamp then crashes down upon his head. Junior is called to the witness chair to give his version of events but he catches the eye of the judge when he keeps looking over to Papa for the answers to the questioning. Aaron asks Junior to demonstrate how well he can dance, with his supposed damaged leg and Aaron lets rip in front of everybody, dancing his heart out and ultimately giving the game away. Papa and Junior leave the court in shame whilst the jury applaud Aaron. Aaron meets up with Papa outside and explains he had to do it in order to win Papa's daughter. Papa drives off and gets into a car crash. Aaron runs over and tells Papa he will take the case for him, until they find out that the guilty party is actually Abie, Papa's older son.

Favourite bit Everybody taking turns to throw the pen into Junior's wooden leg!

Trivia • Copyrighted April 11, 1927. • Also listed as a 3-reel film. • The first film in the series. • Some prints of the film drop the word "Jewish" from the title. • Regarding some of the filming dates: Dec. 9th looks like when they filmed the scene where Max and Johnny audition for the Charleston thing (before they spot the first accident). There is even a calendar on the wall with the date of DEC 9 on it! Charles Meakin, Edna Hall, and Phoebe Rudd (who's wearing the same hat she wears on the train in DUCK SOUP) are all there, as well as four kids including a girl who must be Lila Mae (or Lila May) Lowry, and I believe Buddy McNeal is sitting next to her. And obviously, Kelsey and Pallette's scene was filmed on the 10th/11th. Pretty clear-cut that all the courtroom stuff was filmed on Dec. 15th and 16th. I see Harry Coleman worked on those dates, as did Ed Bumps. The accident stuff was what had to have been filmed on Dec. 17th; too many folks there, and too many in long shot, to match names and faces together, but I did previously spot George Goforth among them, and Al Flores pops up as one of the four ambulance attendants. Wondering if perhaps the ending accident scene was also filmed then, while they still had all the extras. My opinion • Pretty standard stuff to be honest. Nothing remotely amusing about it whatsoever.

	Max Davidson Papa Gimplewart
	Johnny Fox Junior Gimplewart
	Martha Sleeper Rachel Gimplewart
	Gaston Glass Aaron
	Jesse De Vorska Abie Gimplewart
	Charles Meakin Charleston Dancer agency clerk
	Herbert Jones Charleston Dancer auditioning boy
	Edna Hall Woman #1 in waiting room
	Phoebe Rudd Woman #2 in waiting room
	Buddy McNeal Young boy in waiting room
	Eddie Dorsey Young boy in waiting room
	Lila May Lowry Young girl in waiting room
	Al Flores Ambulance crewman
	George Goforth Accident scene extra
	Eugene Pallette Joe, rent collector #2
	Fred Kelsey Rent collector #1
	Chet Brandenburg Truck salesman
	Lincoln Plumer Judge Pilsener
	Patrick Kelly Defense attorney
	Charles Lloyd Courtroon spectator
	Jack O'Brien Courtroon spectator
	Mrs. Ray Feldman Courtroom spectator
	Jane Shipman Courtroom spectator
	Evelyn Davidson Courtroom spectator
	Evelyn Burns Courtroon spectator
	Charles McMurphy Juryman #4
	T.C. Jack Juryman #5
	John Northpole Juryman #9
	Bert Apling Juryman #10
	Jack Herrick Juryman #11
	Abraham Schwartz Juryman #12
	Ham Kinsey Extra
	UNIDENTIFIED Cop #1
	UNIDENTIFIED Cop #2
	UNIDENTIFIED Ambulance crewman #1
	UNIDENTIFIED Ambulance crewman #2
	UNIDENTIFIED Crowd onlooker #1
	UNIDENTIFIED Crowd onlooker #2
	UNIDENTIFIED Juror #1
	UNIDENTIFIED Juror #2
	UNIDENTIFIED Juror #4
	UNIDENTIFIED Juror #6
	UNIDENTIFIED Juror #7
	UNIDENTIFIED Juror #8

The following cast members are listed in the ledgers for the film but their characters portrayed in the film are unknown. List kindly provided by Robert Demoss.

Chester Bachman J.J. Clayton Milton Fahrney Charlie Hall Clarence Morehouse Cora Gilbert Dave Ward A Buzzo (usually teacher for extra kids) Ruth Leeb Alexandra Phillips Peggy Taylor Eugenia Gray Marvin Dunagan Stephen Rengel Mard Mulhern Len Kendall Ed Eberle Fred Braush Chas Smiley Bill Fox (William Fox) Hazel Courtney Loretta Palmer Grace Polley Chas Mirams Ed Brandenburg Sarah Rosenberg Nya Anderson Maud Edwards M H Appleton Jonnie Grim Jack Walsh Al Clark Earl Nichols Frank Fernandez R Hencke Priscilla Paul Carl Jensen Pat Rooney Max White V Lowden Sam Paskin Harry Sherman Henry Black Myer Goldberg Isadore Schreck Morris Selzer Dore Marks Max Wesler Ruben Eglestein Dare (Dore?) (Dave?) Slevin Sam Bernstein Isadore Berg Hymen Davis Willie Keeler (Kesler?) Harry Arras Harry Tenbrook Cliff Saum Myer Byrens Myer Black Mrs A Sigwurth Virginia Berry (Barry) Ed Bumps A W Newington Chris Lynton Harry Coleman Jake Greenberg George French J A Mac Mahon Pat Kelly M E Stinson Jim Forshee A B Lane Lester Chelini A Poindoski Max Freiburn E Sclatt? (Selatt?) Becky (Rebecca) Schwartz Arthur Ludwig Jack Herrick George Wilson Maud Arnie Anne Lowry Mae Weller Bessie Bell Estelle Frazier Eugenie Grey Eleanor Green Ann Slater Mrs A Castlewood Rose Castlewood Ann Mc Dowell Alex Phillips Edna Triller Rose Wheeler Emma Tyron Kitty Smith Alice Annand Harry Milton Mrs E Eames Stephen Rengle Bill Conant Ward Mulhern Shorty Rogers Dick Johnstone Al Olds Gene Porcheur Bennie Gerson Bob Gordon J H Allen Rann Kimball Johnnie Grimm Ray Allman Amil Deardoff Jack Morris Dan Sullivan George Young J A Smith J F Allers Sid Greene Nathan Singer Ben Sharpe Charlotte Lillard Myrtle Rishelle Helen Bruns (Bruno?) Clara Guiol Hope Harper Marian Cooper Jean Huntley A Flores Ed Dahlen Robert Reed Don Rankin Floyd Goodman L V Hoff Jack Casey Jerry Egerton George Harvey Herschel Graham Wilkie Mahoney Joe Allen (same as J H Allen?) Chase Mc Donald Michael Stark Bud Weiser Barton Lea A W Rippel E Bergen Sarah Beskin A Weisberg Sam Simons L O Lindsay C T Truschel

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

GLASS SLIDE (click any image to enlarge)

ALTERNATE TITLE CARD (click any image to enlarge)

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

SHOT ON LOCATION (click any image to enlarge)

INTERIOR SHOTS (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: A History Of The Hal Roach Studios by Richard Lewis Ward (book) Steve Massa (identification of Lincoln Plumer as the Judge) Jesse Brisson (trivia notes for filming dates; identification of Abraham Schwartz, Mrs Ray Feldman, George Goforth, Charles McMurphy, Jack Herrick, Bert Apling, John Northpole, Jack O'Brien, T.C. Jack, Herbert Jones, Eddie Dorsey, Jane Shipman, Evelyn Davidson) Lord Heath (identification of Patrick Kelly, Charles Lloyd, Evelyn Burns) This page was last updated on: 28 July 2026