The Show-Off

Show Off, The (1934)

*** (out of 4)

J. Aubrey Piper (Spencer Tracy) is the ultimate blowhard, a man who never stops talking about everything great he's done yet he never realizes that he's never done a single worthwhile thing in his life. He eventually marries a girl (Madge Evans) but the two soon find themselves in debt with Aubrey losing more and more. He's eventually without a job and when his wife leaves him he must try and find someway to save face. This isn't the greatest comedy ever made as the direction is a bit sloppy and the screenplay has a few loose ends but what makes this thing so special is the performance by Tracy in his first role for MGM. This character is without question one of the biggest idiots in the history of cinema and if this person was involved in your real life even the most civil person would probably have to fight themselves in not punching him in the face. Aubrey is constantly telling lies, trying to make himself look better than he is and more often than not his lies end up costing other people their happiness. Apparently Lee Tracy was originally set to play this part but after his legendary incident in Mexico during the filming of VIVA VILLA! he was let go and Tracy got the part. This was certainly a great thing because I don't think there's another actor in the history of cinema that could have brought this character to life. Tracy's powerful attitude and strong voice brings this character to life and one can't help but overlook the character's flaws simply because of how magnificent the actor is. There's a running joke about the character being in one room but talking so loud that you could hear him a block away and even this is perfectly done by Tracy. The way he gives that powerful voice just takes over a room and you can't help but feel as if Tracy is this character. The mannerisms are perfect, the walk he gives and even the way he laughs at his own jokes. This certainly isn't Tracy's greatest work as an actor but I'd be willing to say it's one of the most memorable characters he has created. Evans is also extremely good as the suffering wife and we get strong supporting work from Grant Mitchell, Clara Blandick, Henry Wadsworth, Lois Wilson and Alan Edwards. I'm sure many will watch this film and just want to kill the Aubrey character and I'm sure many will hate the film simply because they hate this guy. I certainly understand this as there were times where I was hoping someone would do bodily harm to him. However, Tracy is just so terrific in bringing this character to life that I have no problem recommending the film.

Today Spencer Tracy is looked upon as a sage contemplative man of wisdom in regards to his film persona as husband, father and priest over the decades. In the Show -Off Tracy becomes one of the many characters that would try his calm patience in the years to come.

J. Aubrey Piper is a lowly railroad office employee who freely gives vent to all who will listen or are in ear shot to his delusions of grandeur. After inadvertently becoming a hero by falling off a boat to save a drowning man he hooks up with Amy Fisher (Madge Evans) who believes in him even if her family (and you can't blame them) doesn't. J. Aubrey continues to make a mess of things though and loses his job and Amy leaves him while J A is now reduced to wearing a sandwich board advertising turkey dinners.

Tracy's Piper possesses a huge ego that fails to see the error of his ways in the most glaring of circumstances. He's so abrasive, annoying and audacious at times that you just want someone to slap some sense into him. Spence goes a little over the top at times but it's when chastened and free of mania that we see the performer that would go on to be as respected as any film actor of his era bring the audience to his side. The prolific Clara Blandick (she'd appear in 10 films in 1934) as the disapproving mother provides a perfect foil for Piper with cutting one liners and withering facial expressions.

Overall The Show-Off is a mild comedy with a thin story line but it does offer an energetic performance from Spencer Tracy seldom seen in a man with the cinema gravitas of Mount Rushmore.

This is an amiable version of an interesting play about a genial but dangerous bullslinger played by Tracy. He is just barely successful with personal relationships (his in-laws can't stand him) and gets fired from his job, but in the end triumphs! A good lesson about the way the corporation works, and why the rewards for a good salesman are so great.

I think if viewed as a culture clash - upper-middle-class Puritans who are slipping economically - and desperately need some new blood - having a head-on collision with Irish-Catholic culture - where forgiveness always waiting around the corner.

As someone who grew up with that clash - though it was Puritan vs. Italian-Catholic, with the Irish as referrees, I loved this movie. The Puritans were so perfectly portrayed, and WHO CAN CRITICIZE Clara Blandick? If she isn't waving the "white" flag better than anyone for our culture going down in all its glory - as the WASP business class did in the 1930s, then I don't know who..

Clara is superb and her character pegs Tracy for the blowhard that he is. But he is more than a blowhard - he is genuinely tender with Madge, and his love for her - albeit the puppy love of a couple in their 20s - is real and sincere.

Clara reminded me of a maternal grandmother - granted, grandma, born Charlotte Evelyn Hemmings, was on the serious narcotic known as Roman Catholicsm by the time I knew her (having converted 20 years before I was born), and to a lesser extent, my dear mother, gone these three years, who not only was on Roman Catholicism, but also on real narcotics after having Irish triplets, courtesy of the Latino known as Daddio.

Anyway, I love these portrayals of Yankee/Puritan/WASP womanhood (don't all happy people love their mothers?) - both Clara and Madge are honest to the core - and like Kay Johnson in Passion Flower - they are willing to accept the "other" - in this case the new blood that is Spencer Tracy - daughter lovingly, mother grudgingly.

No coincidence that Kay Francis is the femme fatale in Passion Flower - like Tracy she was culturally Irish, right down to the convent schools (when Ma could afford them).

So watch this movie as a culture class and enjoy it. The Irish had a few things to teach the white people...

Spencer Tracy was busy working at Fox Studio at this time, turning out a succession of B film programmers that gave very little indication of the star he would eventually become. Fox loaned him out occasionally and they did here to MGM where he would really hit the big time.

Watching The Show-Off today I thought of two early television characters that Tracy reminded me of. A little bit of Phil Silvers as Sergeant Bilko and a whole lot of Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden.

The film is of course based on George Kelly's play of the same name and in doing a little research on Kelly I found there was a live production on television in the Fifties that starred none other than Jackie Gleason. Red Skelton did a remake of this as a feature film, but I hope that Gleason's performance is not lost and a kinescope of the performance exists and is preserved.

Tracy's a lovable mug with a gift for gab who like Ralph Kramden had every big scheme blow up in his face. And he's got his Alice here in the person of Madge Evans who Audrey Meadows could have played in a remake. Tracy's not a womanizer here, he really does love Madge and she him. But Madge is about at her wit's end with him.

During the course of things they have to move back with her mother. You remember Ralph's mother-in-law? Clara Blandick almost steals the film as Madge's mom who cannot stand her son-in-law. Like Bilko and Ralph he's always "on" all the time. I know I couldn't stand living with someone like that.

Tracy gives it a good try and the cast does well. But maybe the film needed a Norton character.