South of the Boudoir

This is the best short Charley Chase made during his time at Columbia Pictures. It's really sad, however, when you see that he really hit his stride in this one...and was dead only a few weeks after this film debuted. This early death (at age 46) was due to a heart attack most likely brought on by the effects of his heavy drinking*. What a loss.

As is typical in many of the Charley Chase films, he's trying to impress his boss so he can get a promotion. Despite promising his wife that they'd go out for their anniversary, when Charley's boss says he'd love a home-cooked meal, Charley invites him home for dinner. Seeing his wife's reaction to this on the phone is pretty funny. However, she does eventually agree--but not without a lot of protests! In fact, soon the pair end up fighting and she stomps off. So, Charley not only calls to have some folks make the dinner for him but he gets the lady who cooked it to pretend to be his wife. This will go off without a hitch, right?! Well, no...as the boss decides to bring a date--a cute woman he just met. The problem is that this woman is Charley's wife!! How's it all end up? See it for yourself.

By the way, the boss is played by Arthur Q. Bryan--the guy who was the voice of Elmer Fudd. He looks and even sounds a bit like Elmer!

*Very sadly, Charley's brother, Paul Parrott, died the year before from the same exact causes...and he was only 42! Aside from being a decent comic during the silent era, he was responsible for directing a lot of great comedies--including many of Laurel & Hardy's best. And, now that I think of it, Charley also directed quite a few nice comedies as well-- though he tended to do a bit more acting and a bit less directing than Paul.

This very late Charley Chase film -- it was the last released while he was alive --reworks the themes from ASSISTANT WIVES, but don't be cross. Chase would redo his films every eight years or so and vary them consistently to produce something fresh each time. Here he gets into a lovely plate-throwing routine with Ann Doran before she walks out on him -- and boss Arthur Q. Bryan is coming to dinner, doing his Elmer Fudd voice -- although never credited, since Mel Blanc had sole screen credit, it was Bryan who did Fudd, and boy, does he look and act like him, even with no obvious mansion or yacht.

This is a very oddly timed short for Chase, who usually worked at a slower and more deliberate pace. On the other hand, it's quite a bit slower than the usual Columbia short, as people lose their tempers quickly, but always with reason. The collaboration with director Del Lord might have managed something interesting in this line, but alas, they never had the chance to get much further.