Kelly the Second

This picture was shown on TCM recently and it is strictly for hard-core Patsy Kelly fans. Apparently it was a vehicle for her in hopes it would lead to a series of films, according to Maltin.

But Patsy Kelly is an acquired taste and this film did her no favors. The humor is extremely broad and the storyline is vapid. The climax has to be seen to be believed and is far removed from true comedy. The one bright light is the inimitable Charley Chase who injects as much fun as he can into the proceedings and which sorely needs his expertise.

Can't really recommend this one except for the historical value via a glimpse of some of '30's Hollywood's great extras and character actors. A rainy day movie - but it is only 70 minutes long and doesn't kill enough bad weather time.

Hal Roach decided to try pushing Patsy Kelly up from short subjects to feature stardom and this is the first attempt. It's actually quite good, mostly because of the expert cast on hand. An odd title, although it refers to Patsy Kelly's character being Guinn Williams "second" in the ring, it's never said: she's referred to only as William's trainer. But the film is an odd duck overall, anyway. It has a loopy start with Williams as a two-fisted truck driver who gets into a donnybrook on the street after accidentally hijacking Kelly's car onto the rear bumper of his truck. When the cops arrive the two of them dash off to her place of employment: a pharmacy run by Charley Chase. Now the film becomes equal parts Kelly-Williams and Chase as Williams is given a 'no-fight-or-else' probation by the Judge and Chase inadvertently puts up his pharmacy as Williams' bond. Weirdly, Kelly and Chase decide that Williams SHOULD keep fighting... but in the boxing ring instead. This leads to a ringside get together with gangster Ed Brophy and his mob, featuring girlfriend Kelton and head bodyguard Harold Huber. From here on the film becomes equal parts Chase, Brophy and Kelly-Williams. When Chase gets in trouble with Brophy lots of complications ensue.

Quite a slapsticky film, with lots of frantic antics keeping the movie going at top speed. It rarely lets up for a quiet moment and that's to its advantage. Even with all the fights and gangsters and jealousy stuff between Kelton and Kelly over Williams, the film is still a good- natured romp from start to finish. Even the gangsters are fun, especially Huber who looks like he's having a blast as Brophy's slyly wisecracking strong arm. Charley Chase, even here late in his career, plays the nervous bumbler better than any other. And Williams may never have gotten a bigger or better role in his career, seeing as he was usually relegated to small supporting roles in most of his film appearances. Kelly is expert, as always, although she's directed to shout most of her lines, making her a tad too brassy and one-note after awhile (whereas in contrast Chase and Huber get laughs by almost muttering some of their lines). Only the expert comedian Pert Kelton is left without much of a part and almost nothing funny to say. Too bad. But this little comedy is still worth a look for its modest but goofy charm.

This is a very odd film in that I mildly enjoyed it but found almost no laughs whatsoever in this Hal Roach comedy! Despite having Patsy Kelly and Charlie Chase, the movie looked like a light drama--and putting the laughs in the script was just forgotten. It is a pleasant enough film--just not funny. And, I doubt if Roach would have been happy with me saying this if he were alive today because it WAS intended as a comedy.

Part of the reason I was not terribly impressed by the film is that I am really not a huge fan of Patsy Kelly, as she always seems to be screaming her lines--subtle she sure ain't. Interestingly enough, and this is NOT meant at all to be a criticism, but Rosie O'Donnell is almost the spitting image of her.

I was also disappointed because I LOVE Charlie Chase's silent films, but found at least in the case of this film, he doesn't make a good transition to sound--as the entire chemistry that made him famous is gone. He does play a fine supporting character--but he's nothing like the character he was in silent days, that's all.

As for the plot and the other actors, they were fine though not outstanding. It almost seemed like in every way, Roach was using his B or C-string unit to make this film--saving his better stuff and energy for Laurel and Hardy and Our Gang. Speaking of Our Gang, look carefully for a very young and cute scene with Alfalfa--in his pre-Our Gang days.

NOTE: Patsy Kelly's car at the beginning of the film appears to be the same one used for a comedy bit in the Laurel and Hardy short, OUR WIFE.

In 'Kelly the Second', Patsy Kelly meets an Irish lorry-driver who rejoices in the name Cecil Callahan, and she trains him to become a prizefighter. This is a Hal Roach feature, so its production budget is at the bottom of the barrel. You might expect all parties concerned to set their sights on appropriately modest goals. Hell, no! Patsy trains Cecil to be the heavyweight champion of the *world*, and before the end of the film he gets a crack at the championship. But we know in advance that we're not going to see a realistic depiction of a heavyweight title bout on screen, because this movie's budget won't stretch that far.

Cecil is played by Guinn Williams, a fine character actor whose immense size typecast him as hulking thugs of less intellect than the hero. I'll admit that my interest in Guinn (real name Gwynn) Williams isn't entirely objective: my own name, Gwynplaine, is occasionally mistaken (usually by Americans) for a female name: I wish that Guinn Williams - a huge, macho actor - were better known, so that the gender of my own name would be a bit less cryptic to some people. Personal motives aside, Guinn Williams was a talented and versatile actor (within his physical range) who never got the lead roles he deserved. Williams spent most of his career playing the roles turned down by Nat Pendleton.

There are funny performances in 'Kelly the Second' by Edward Brophy and Billy Gilbert. Pert Kelton is vulgar (as usual), but brunette Rosina Lawrence is winsome and pleasant. Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom (whose acting talents were underrated) is effective and funny as a rival pugilist. Charley Chase was already well into his dipso decline at this point; Hal Roach seems to have stuck him into this film simply because Chase was available and under contract. I'll rate 'Kelly the Second' 3 points out of 10.

Patsy Kelly is in a comedy league all of her own. She has quick silver timing and excels at physical comedy which is pretty rare for a woman. I had never seen her in the lead before this film...usually being relegated to sidekick, and I think she carries the show wonderfully. She is paired nicely with Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams who plays Cecil Callahan a truck driver who accidentally gets his truck attached to Molly Kelly's car and drags her around New York making her late for her job at the lunch counter of pharmacist Dr. J. Willoughby Klum (silent star Charley Chase). Before Callahan can get Molly to her job a big brawl ensues, such that by the time they get to the pharmacy the cops are hot on their heels and arrest Klum, Callahan and Molly. They make bail by putting up the pharmacy, but the judge proclaims Callahan can't get into any more fights. Worried that the big Irish brawler is going to get them all in trouble, Molly comes up with the idea to make him a prize fighter...where he can fight for money and not get into trouble.

In the boxing business they encounter a mobster, including his dame and entourage. After Callahan's initial loss due to their naïveté, Molly and Klum set to training him properly...which involves more automotive shenanigans and puts them on a farm for Molly to ride and get chased by all sorts of animals.

I love Patsy Kelly. I really think she is delightful. I was amazed at how physically taxing this film must have been for her. I thought her and Williams made a nice romantic couple. I really enjoyed the use of the song "The Irish Washerwoman" throughout the film...as it stilled up Callahan's blood. The biggest revelation for me was Charley Chase. I couldn't believe how light on his feet he was for his and Kelly's big dance number, but also his comedic timing and acting. He was wonderful. I can't believe he didn't go on to be a bigger star after his silents. I will be seeking out more of his films to watch based on this performance.