Mr. Widget

Joe Cook is a salesman who has to make a sale or lose his job in this short comedy.

Cook started out in vaudeville in a double act with his brother, and worked at the circus, where he learned to juggle and do acrobatics. His stage act included singing, nonsense monologues, and inventions that did nothing useful. By the 1920s, he was one of the highest paid performers in show business. He only made two features -- one based on a stage hit and directed by Frank Capra -- and half a dozen shorts. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1941 and retired. He died in 1959, about 69 years old.

Joe certainly demonstrates his versatily, doing a little bit of everything, plus a coule of gags only possible in the movies.

In this short film from Educational Pictures, comic Joe Cook plays the title character, Joe Widget. It begins with Widget receiving an award as the company's best salesman. Unfortunately, it was all a dream and the following scene looks like it was inspired by Snub Pollard's great silent comedy, "It's a Gift", as Joe has all sorts of weird gizmos to help him get dressed and head off to work. Additionally, all sorts of crazy gags and gizmos show up throughout the rest of the film...and they come one after the other...and after often pretty funny. A few of the gags fall flat, but I loved the high energy and strangeness of this one. Very clever.