Der Schrecken der Rennbahn

Vaudeville trick bicyclist Gordon Westcott steals small-town bike messenger Joe E. Brown's girl, Maxine Doyle. Brown pursues them to the city, where he hooks up with Frank McHugh, who will be taking part in a six-day bicycle race, in which Westcott will take part. So Brown joins as McHugh's partner.

Brown's vehicles had become pretty hidebound by this point, with him playing the over-confident hick who turns out to be right. The reason it works is that it flattered the rural audiences and amused the urban movie-goers. While this one hasn't aged well -- are there any working velodromes in the US besides the one in Rock Hill South Carolina? -- there is plenty of amusement throughout.

One annoying thing about the film: due to the layout of the Los Angeles Winter Garden track, where the race was filmed, it appears as if it was photographed through an anamorphic lens that was constantly being turned!

This is a funny movie. It's good for kids too because it's all good natured fun. I usually don't watch movies this old, but it was on one afternoon and it had me laughing a lot. it's better than a lot of modern comedies. Give it a shot if you like silly movies. In a way it reminds me of Jim Carey movie. It's also fun to watch a movie like this from the 30's to see some of our country's history. Such as clothes worn, and cars, and just artifacts of everyday life. Some of the old fashioned slang is funny too. The star Joe E. Brown was more famous for his role in Some Like It Hot. I guess you'd say this film is filled with a lot of gags and silly situations.

"6 Day Bike Rider" stars Joe E. Brown. Interestingly enough, of the hundreds of movies I've watched from the early-30's, I'd never seen a Joe E. Brown movie, and he was pumping out films as early as 1927. I can't say I'm terribly impressed with him, but he's no worse a comedian than Jimmy Durante.

He plays Wilfred 'Mildew' Simpson, an avid bike rider who is a cross between the Absent-Minded Professor and Ernest from Ernest Goes to Camp. The entire premise of the movie is that Wilfred is trying to win a six-day bike race with his partner, Clinton Hemmings (Frank McHugh). They're up against a big time cheater named Harry St. Clair (Gordon Westcott). Before the race began there was bad blood between Harry and Wilfred because Harry almost took Wilfred's girl, Phyllis (Maxine Doyle).

The movie is pretty dumb, but harmlessly so. I'd say it's more for kids due to the wacky nature of it and the interesting choices of words Wilfred uses instead of more harsh language. I didn't love the movie and I didn't hate it.

Free on Odnoklassniki.

Hysterical Joe E. Brown plays a nearsighted buffoon in a series of pratfalls, sight gags filled with goofy characters participating in improbable events that might leave you giggling at all the silliness.

Just a look at Joe E's silly mugging will make you smile.

This is the type of small-town/countrified fun we came to know and love with the "Ma and Pa Kettle" series of films and in the 60's with such fare as the "Beverly Hillbillies", "Green Acres" and "Petticoat Junction".

The difference here is that the humor is clean, innocent, charming...and old-fashioned. Which is just "hunky-dory" with me!

Joe E. Brown's type of humor here may appear dated to some, but is has a place in the history of film comedy in reflecting the sober type of fun which has sadly fallen completely by the wayside in recent years.

It's not a classic...but worth a look for all its screwball moments.

Six Day Bike Rider is a standard Joe E. Brown comedy featuring the big mouth as a clueless braggart postal inspector who has his girl (Colleen Doyle) stolen in front of eyes by a traveling trick cyclist (Gordon Westcott). Determined to get her back he enters a marathon against his foe but runs into a lot of obstacles just trying to get to the velodrome.

As a kid I found Joe E Brown quite amusing in small doses whether in KIx commercials or supporting roles. His sad sack demeanor and trade mark yapper made him a living caricature and a very popular star in the early and mid 30s with Fireman Save my Child and Alibi Ike both baseball films that were tailor made for the former semi - professional ball player. In Six Day he does display some of his athletic prowess but he fares much better with a bat in his hand than a bike under him and and Bike Rider goes flat early.