BEING THE SECOND of the great four 2 reelers that Mr. Fields had contracted with Mack Sennett to star in in that 1932-33 period, it is probably the most controversial. As far as its acceptance with movie goers, it was strictly a hit or miss proposition. You either loved it or hated it. Much like today's American political spectrum, there was no middle ground.
CRITICS ASSAILED THE "cheapness" of its use of stock film of wild elk as being unrealistic. Apparently those scribes missed the spirit and central; theme of the film. Beyond that of making laughter permeate movie houses wherever it played, the movie playfully spoofed Victorian mores, attitudes and those old stage plays that dramatized such social attitudes.
IT DOES APPEAR that latter day audiences were more easily persuaded to enjoy it for what it was; much more so than their Depression Era counterparts. All whom we have talked with as viewers in recent times tend to rave about the movie's offbeat storyline, stagy appearance and clever dialog & song.
IN THE PROVRERBIAL nutshell, Mr. & Mrs. Snavley (Fields & Rosemary Theby) relate to local Yukon Mountie (Richard Cramer) the story of how their son Chester (George Chandler) went wrong, turned to a life of crime and was subsequently sent to prison; all after drinking his first glass of beer. The story is related in song and verbal narrative to others as the long suffering parents await Chester's return; after having been released from the Penitentary, his sentence having been completed.
THE STORY REACHES an unexpected, albeit an extremely comical one, when the parents reveal their true feelings at film's end. When this is achieved, so ends what may well be the most off beat comedy short in history. That's it!
THE SPOKEN WORD throughout is filled with Fields' verbal gems, such as: "The City's no place for Women, but Pretty Men go thar! (there)" "I've got to go and milk the Elk!" and (when a highly fatigued Chester returns home and offered a bowl of soup by his mother)"That's my soup, Ma!"
ONE PARTICULAR PIECE of information came to us some time later. Concerning the song that Fields sings about Chester's fall from grace, it is central to the whole story and serves to bring it all together in the end. We had always assumed that it was also a Fields' original; but, alas no! Several years ago, we heard an old recording of the very same lyrics on Chicago Radio, WFMT.98.7, on its Saturday night's THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL; which is 3 hours of Folk, Show Tunes, Off Beat Comedy, etc. (The usually Classical Music station often refers the long running program-ever since 1955-as being their "Weekly Abhoration!")
CRITICS ASSAILED THE "cheapness" of its use of stock film of wild elk as being unrealistic. Apparently those scribes missed the spirit and central; theme of the film. Beyond that of making laughter permeate movie houses wherever it played, the movie playfully spoofed Victorian mores, attitudes and those old stage plays that dramatized such social attitudes.
IT DOES APPEAR that latter day audiences were more easily persuaded to enjoy it for what it was; much more so than their Depression Era counterparts. All whom we have talked with as viewers in recent times tend to rave about the movie's offbeat storyline, stagy appearance and clever dialog & song.
IN THE PROVRERBIAL nutshell, Mr. & Mrs. Snavley (Fields & Rosemary Theby) relate to local Yukon Mountie (Richard Cramer) the story of how their son Chester (George Chandler) went wrong, turned to a life of crime and was subsequently sent to prison; all after drinking his first glass of beer. The story is related in song and verbal narrative to others as the long suffering parents await Chester's return; after having been released from the Penitentary, his sentence having been completed.
THE STORY REACHES an unexpected, albeit an extremely comical one, when the parents reveal their true feelings at film's end. When this is achieved, so ends what may well be the most off beat comedy short in history. That's it!
THE SPOKEN WORD throughout is filled with Fields' verbal gems, such as: "The City's no place for Women, but Pretty Men go thar! (there)" "I've got to go and milk the Elk!" and (when a highly fatigued Chester returns home and offered a bowl of soup by his mother)"That's my soup, Ma!"
ONE PARTICULAR PIECE of information came to us some time later. Concerning the song that Fields sings about Chester's fall from grace, it is central to the whole story and serves to bring it all together in the end. We had always assumed that it was also a Fields' original; but, alas no! Several years ago, we heard an old recording of the very same lyrics on Chicago Radio, WFMT.98.7, on its Saturday night's THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL; which is 3 hours of Folk, Show Tunes, Off Beat Comedy, etc. (The usually Classical Music station often refers the long running program-ever since 1955-as being their "Weekly Abhoration!")