Some of the Pete Smith shorts resemble Ed Sullivan TV shows with an assortment of jaw-dropping "acts" that bare little resemblance to each other. This is a great one-reeler, even if it has a "parts-are-greater-than-the-whole" vibe. Like all of Pete's sports-reels, there is plenty to entertain the less "sporty" crowd.
We open with some ice-skating stunts highlighted by a trio that incorporates flip-flop acrobatics, reminding me of the Ross sisters sch-tick in "Broadway Rhythm". In the most entertaining segment, Buddy Bowner demonstrates a variety of bowling tricks, giving new meaning to "gutter-balls" and even succeeds with a "square-ball". The surfing clips are a bit more conventional compared to the earlier stunts, though the scene with a two-year old toddler (press statement is "gah!") stands out. The high diving clowning act in the finale is strictly for laughs... goofy sound effects are added which are louder than Pete's narration. (The broken glass sound when the diver hits the water is a popular gag in many short subjects.)
We open with some ice-skating stunts highlighted by a trio that incorporates flip-flop acrobatics, reminding me of the Ross sisters sch-tick in "Broadway Rhythm". In the most entertaining segment, Buddy Bowner demonstrates a variety of bowling tricks, giving new meaning to "gutter-balls" and even succeeds with a "square-ball". The surfing clips are a bit more conventional compared to the earlier stunts, though the scene with a two-year old toddler (press statement is "gah!") stands out. The high diving clowning act in the finale is strictly for laughs... goofy sound effects are added which are louder than Pete's narration. (The broken glass sound when the diver hits the water is a popular gag in many short subjects.)