Reducing

Suffering hard times in South Bend, hefty Marie Dressler (as Marie Truffle) moves her poverty-stricken family to New York. There, she moves in with her generous, more well-to-do sister Polly Moran (as Polly Rochay). Ms. Dressler joins Ms. Moran at work in her "Beauty Parlor" and "Reducing" salon, with calamitous results. Dressler is frequently funny, and Moran mostly so; but, the comedy suffers whenever the focus becomes their respective daughters' love story. Dressler and Moran squabble over the younger women's interest in the same man, which becomes an issue about class. Still, Dressler is terrific, especially in the first half. And, capable daughters Anita Page (as Vivian Truffle) and Sally Eilers (as Joyce Rochay) strengthen the weaker parts.

***** Reducing (1/3/31) Charles Reisner ~ Marie Dressler, Polly Moran, Anita Page

"Reducing" is a wonderful comedy and drama with Hollywood's biggest comedy actress during the first few years of sound pictures. Marie Dressler was not only a large woman, but truly a top comedienne of the cinema then. She got a late start in silent films and made only 31 movies, 18 of which were sound pictures. She was one of the first female academy awards winners, taking the Oscar for best actress in the 1930 film, "Min and Bill," a very good comedy and drama.

In her comedies, Dressler combined witty lines with facial expressions that alone would get laughs, and when the script added antics, she could be riotously funny. Some of her antics remind one of Laurel and Hardy, and she might well have been a case study for Lucille Ball in her later career.

In this film, Dressler is paired with long-time silent film actress Polly Moran. This is the first of three comedies they made together, and by far the best one. The two women are sisters. They both have characters with their real first names. Polly Rochay owns an upscale reducing parlor in New York. She has invited Marie Truffle and her hubby and family to come and live with her since they've had hard times in South Bend. Both of the ladies have grownup daughters, and Marie and Elmer have two younger boys.

Marie holds up the ticket line as she argues with the ticket agent, buying train tickets for her family. She takes the cheaper upper berths for sleeping arrangements for her family, and it's a real hoot watching this large woman trying to climb into her top berth. Then, when Polly and her daughter meet them at the train station, the women hug and hug, and Polly starts bawling with joy and huge streaks of mascara run down her cheeks.

But the comedy gets quite funny after Marie and her daughter, Vivian, go to work in Polly's reducing salon. Marie boggles much of the equipment, creates mayhem and almost destroys the place. She nearly electrocutes Polly and then sends her flying into the mud bath. It's a real hoot watching Marie leading a group of very heavy women in calisthenics.

It must have been fun working in films with Dressler. She stumbles, bumps into things, kicks things, and hits her head and arms on furniture and cupboards. One can imagine that all of this wasn't in the script but that when she had a mishap for which a studio would normally reshoot a scene with most actors, they just left it in as part of her comedy performance.

The funniest aspect of this film is the relationship of the two sisters. They start off all aglow, not having seen one another for many years. Before long they are at one another's throats and hurling insults back and forth. Then they are all lovey-dovey again, but not for too long when the epithets start flying again.

This film is partly drama, and that's what brings it to a nice conclusion. Here are some favorite lines and exchanges from this film.

Railroad ticket agent, "Where are you going?" Marie Truffle, "I'm going to visit my sister." Agent, "Well, where does she live?" Marie, "On Riverside Drive." Agent, "Madame, would you be kind enough to tell me what city you wanna go to?" Marie, "Oh, huh, huh, the city. Why isn't that silly of me? Yeah, I wanna go to New York." Agent, "You wanna go by Buffalo." Marie, "No, I don't wanna go by Buffalo. I wanna go by train."

Polly Rochay, "Is that your husband?" Marie, "Yeah, what's wrong with him?" Polly, "Nothing. Only he has such a peculiar expression on his face." Marie, "Where'd you expect him to have it?"

Marie, "You know, my shape isn't what it used to be. As a matter of fact, I don't think I'm very good for a reducing parlor." Polly, "Oh, nonsense! Your shape hasn't anything to do with it at all." Marie, "Hasn't it?" Polly, "Just look at the people who buy hair tonic from bald-headed barbers." Marie, "Hah, hmmm. I hadn't thought of that."

Vivian Truffle, "Well, Tommy isn't smart or sophisticated." Marie, "Aw, a woman doesn't want a husband who's too smart. A man that's a little dumb is a lot more restful."

Marie, "Oh, baby, listen. I don't want you to miss out on the biggest thing in life - real love. Romance!"

Polly, "I don't want the money. Whaddaya think I am, an Indian giver?" Marie, 'You're a whole reservation."

Polly, "Oh, I've been so terribly dumb." Marie, "Well, I don't know what you're talking about, but I agree with you."

A Midwestern housewife comes to New York City to help her social-climbing sister run a fancy beauty salon & REDUCING parlor.

Marie Dressler shines in this movie vehicle tailored especially for her. With simple dignity & genuineness - and a crazy sense of humor - she captures the viewer's attention from her very first scene. Whether intimidating a ticket seller, attempting to climb into an upper berth, creating havoc in the salon, or prying an egg out of her little boy's mouth, she amply provides illustration why she was Hollywood's greatest & most beloved star in the early 1930's. There's never been another like her; she was completely unique & irreplaceable.

Receiving equal billing with Dressler is her frequent partner in mirth, the ubiquitous Polly Moran. This short, shrill, buxom comedienne could hold her own with the inimitable Dressler in the field of slapstick. Whether wallowing in a mud bath or trapped in a steam room, Moran is great fun as Marie's foil.

Anita Page & Lucien Littlefield have some good moments as Dressler's daughter & husband; but with Dressler & Moran on the loose, they're up against severe screen competition.

Movie mavens will recognize the unbilled Roscoe Ates as the stuttering railway ticket agent who has the misfortune to find Marie in his line.

It is important to note that the large glass swastika in the salon, which Marie inadvertently smashes, has nothing whatsoever to do with the Nazis. Rather it was an ancient symbol, even used by some Native American tribes, and was not infrequently seen as a trendy design or decoration.

Fun flick. Stuttering ticket-seller at the train station. Gotta love Marie Dressler - I think she was in almost EVERY black and white movie made before 1935, and she was great! Marie Truffle (Dressler) goes to visit cousin Polly (Polly Moran) in NYC to "help" her with her store. You can tell talkies had just started, since director Charles Reisner uses title cards here and there. Dressler would work with Reisner on seven different films in just three years. This one also has some slapstick comedy routines that could have been snitched from a three stooges show (in the beauty salon...) but the film has a quick pace and is fun to watch. It's a "country mouse goes to the big city" movie, and lots of bickering between Polly and Marie, but they forgive each other quickly every time. Dressler would make THIRTEEN films with Polly Moran, and three films with Roscoe Ates. Sadly, Marie would only make a couple more films after this one, including her most famous "Dinner at Eight" with all the big names in it. She died in her 60's in 1934.

Marie Dressler stars as a woman from South Bend, IN who comes east to visit her sister (Polly Moran) who runs a fancy beauty salon. Each sister has a beautiful daughter: Dressler has Anita Page; Moran has snooty Sally Eilers. Dressler has has 2 boys and a failed husband (Lucien Littlefield). The cousins begin scrapping over "catch" William Collier, Jr., while another beau (William Bakewell) mopes around. Before long the sisters are quarreling too. Roscoe Ates is the ticket seller. Sitcom comedy/drama but worth a look for the Dressler-Moran pairing as well as the nice deco sets or Moran's home and salon. This film takes an interesting turn at the end.

Funniest bit is probably Dressler trying to buy train tickets from the stuttering Ates while the long line of people behind Dressler look on. Ates asks her where she wants to go. She finally says New York. Ates asks, "Do you want to go by Buffalo?" After a perfect comedic pause and a few facial twitches she responds, "No, I want to go by train."

And oh, the little boy (the one who gets his foot caught in a spittoon), Jay Ward, grew up to create Rocky and Bullwinkle.