Penny Wisdom

The plot involves the hubby inviting the boss home for supper and notifying the wifey only about 2 hours before said supper. She attempts to produce a worthy meal but fails. The evening is saved when a favor is called in and the husband beams with pride, none the wiser about the culinary disaster she created behind the kitchen door.

This movie pays off in this one unforgettable scene--when the hapless housewife douses the family dog, a black cocker spaniel, in spilled flour. She then tries to wash it clean in the kitchen sink and ... Well, I won't spoil this wonderful visual joke.

While other Pete Smith shorts I've found to be rather infantile in content and humor level, such as Dogs 'N Ducks and You Can't Win, this gem, Penny Wisdom (1937) had many charming qualities.

This is a rehash of a similar short produced a few years earlier called "Menu". Like the previous short, this one is also in Technicolor, much improved over the intervening years, and stars PRUDENCE PENNY, a culinary expert who specialized in home economics and wrote a column a Chicago newspaper.

As in the previous short, a housewife is badly in need of help before company arrives with her husband. She calls for the services of Prudence Penny, who shows up prepared to whip up a meal on short notice. The results look appetizing enough, especially in color.

Once again, the best feature of this short is the narration which manages to remain bright and witty throughout. By the time it's over, you may want to whip up a little snack for yourself.

Penny Wisdom (1937)

*** (out of 4)

Fun, Oscar-winning short from Pete Smith tells the story of a housewife who receives a call from her husband saying he's bringing the boss home for dinner. The wife ends up ruining the dinner but have no fear because the famous cook Prudence Penny, from various Chicago newspapers, comes in and shows her how to make a great meal very quickly. This is pretty much a reworked version of Smith's 1933 film Menu but in my opinion this one here is a lot better. Gertrude Short does a pretty good job as the wife as she has a certainly look and style that makes it seem like she'd be the type to ruin a dinner. The uncertain nature of her character is perfectly brought out by Short. Penny does a pretty nice job as well even though she pretty much just has to smile and cook the food. The film being in Technicolor was fairly rare for this type of short but perhaps it helped in the Oscar voting. I guess the best thing to say about the film is that it made me quite hungry while watching it.

Hubby phones home to announce he is bringing the boss and his best customer. Wife Gertrude Short finds the cook has quit, ad her idea of how to cook involves coating the dog in flour. No problem! A Smith called Pete phones the local paper, and Prudence Penny shows up .

There was no Prudence Penny. It was a pen name used by the Los Angeles Times for their food editors. Here, with Smith's snarky narration, ill-conceived make-up and dyspeptic Technicolor, the audience gets treated to some household hints.

It's the sarcastic commentary from Pete Smith that sells this rather daft short feature. "Mr. Smudge" telephones "Mrs. Smudge" to say that he's bringing his boss round for dinner. That's fine, she's got the best cook in the city. Or does she? It looks like she's been a bit of a pain to her lately and so she has abandoned ship. Cooking can't be that hard, or so she thinks. Some cremated and rock hard roast beef and ice cubes later, the chaos requires the intervention of our narrator and his skilful pal Prudence who'll try to turn this disaster into a triumph. Who knew peanut butter eliminated the taste of burning? Indeed, Prudence is full of great tips to satisfy even the most pernickety of diners. The day is saved! Phew! Good fun, this...