Handy Andy

"Handy Andy" stars Will Rogers in an atypical role: Andrew Yates, a small-town pharmacist (dispensing chemist) who has worked hard his entire life and never cultivated any hobbies or interests outside of his job. Also, he's henpecked. Ernestine Yates (Peggy Wood) is a social climber who completely dominates her husband. (In real life, Rogers was happily married... but certainly not henpecked.)

Mrs Yates bullies her husband Andy into selling his pharmacy to the Norcross drugstore chain. He does this reluctantly: the sale will bring enough money for Andy and his wife to retire, but it also means that Andy (who devoted his entire life to his pharmacy) will now have nothing to do. Mrs Yates also schemes for their daughter Janice (Mary Carlisle) to marry young Howard Norcross, the dullard heir to the drugstore fortune. Andy rebels at this, as Howard has nothing to offer Janice but his family's name and his family's wealth ... and Janice is in love with Lloyd Burmeister, the son of the local country doctor who provides most of Andy's custom. (Lloyd is well-played by handsome Robert Taylor in an early role.)

Mrs Yates decides to attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and she insists on dragging Andy along. (There's some interesting Mardi Gras footage here.) To spite his wife, Andy decides to embarrass her in public. There's an hilarious scene when Will Rogers shows up in his Mardi Gras costume ... dressed as Tarzan! Even more hilariously, Rogers does an incredible imitation of Tarzan. (The stunt doubling for Will Rogers is crudely obvious, which hurts the joke ... but it's still pretty funny.) Eventually, of course, Will sets everything right for everybody.

"Handy Andy" has fewer than usual of Will Rogers's wisecracks, which is one reason why I enjoyed it. Peggy Wood is extremely attractive and stylish as his wife, although I had difficulty believing that any woman who looks and behaves like this would be attracted to a hayseed like the fellow Rogers plays in this film. I'll rate "Handy Andy" 6 points out of 10.

Known primarily today as the debut film of Robert Taylor, Handy Andy was one of Will Rogers's typical roles as small-town druggist and cracker-barrel philosopher. But he's facing a Dodsworth like midlife crisis with wife Peggy Wood.

Unlike Dodsworth, Handy Andy is played strictly for laughs. Rogers is a man in love with his life, his profession, and his wife and probably in that order. Peggy Wood as his wife wants him to retire and take it easy and towards that end she's encouraging a relationship with drugstore chain owner Paul Harvey and is even practically throwing Harvey's son Frank Melton and her daughter Mary Carlisle together. Mary however prefers town doctor Roger Imhoff's son, Robert Taylor.

The film comes close to the edge of the plot of Dodsworth when on a trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras that Rogers has to be dragged to, kicking and screaming, Wood starts falling for the charms of gigolo Gregory Gaye. Will does a Tarzan act to rescue his woman caveman style and he's pretty funny.

Taylor doesn't have much to do, but look good and be in solid support of Rogers and his homespun view of life. In the Films of Robert Taylor Citadel film series, Taylor said that Rogers was nothing, but kindness itself and very supportive of a new kid just starting in the picture business.

Handy Andy is a good way to be introduced to that American institution known as Will Rogers. Would we had someone of his common sense and common touch today.