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Blondes and Blunders (1940) Online

Blondes and Blunders (1940) Online
1940 Walter Catlett Ann Doran Marion Martin Del Lord
Original Title :
Blondes and Blunders
Genre :
Movie / Comedy / Short
Year :
1940
Directror :
Del Lord
Cast :
Walter Catlett,Ann Doran,Marion Martin
Writer :
Harry Edwards
Type :
Movie
Time :
19min
Rating :
6.8/10

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A beautiful blonde places a stolen diamond on an unsuspecting man. Later, she returns to retrieve it.

Blondes and Blunders (1940) Online

The sixth and last of the Walter Catlett shorts made by Columbia from 1934 to 1940. Walter is returning from an ocean voyage and is met at the pier by his wife and her barely-tolerable brother Gus. A jewel thief and his moll are on board, and the girl, to escape being caught by the detectives waiting at the pier, slips the stolen necklace in Walter's coat. His wife and Gus see her snuggling up to Walter, and Gus does all he can to make Mrs. Catlett think Walter has struck up a shipboard romance. He convinces her otherwise on the car trip home, but she discovers the necklace in his pocket and thinks it is a present Walter has bought for her. The jewel thieves, who handily enough have the apartment across the hall from the Catletts, then go to work to retrieve the necklace.
Credited cast:
Walter Catlett Walter Catlett - Walter Catlett
Ann Doran Ann Doran - Lillie Catlett
Marion Martin Marion Martin - Blondie, Jewel Thief
Matt McHugh Matt McHugh - Gus, Walter's Brother-in-Law
Richard Fiske Richard Fiske - Dutch, Jewel Thief
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Victor Travis Victor Travis - Man on Pier (as Victor Travers)


User reviews

Hystana

Hystana

Walter Catlett was a prolific character actor who appeared in many films during the 1930s and 1940s. Among his movies were THE FRONT PAGE, A TALE OF TWO CITIES, and BRINGING UP BABY. He'd usually liven up any film with his wryly comic personality. Like other character actors such as Franklin Pangborn and Edgar Kennedy, he also starred in comedy short subjects. The quality of these shorts varied from delightful to dreary. Unfortunately, "dreary" is the appropriate adjective for BLONDES AND BLUNDERS.

It isn't Catlett's fault. He conveys a highly amusing characterization of a befuddled, timorous everyman. His doughy face comically utilizes a variety of reactions and double takes without mugging. Although Catlett engages in foolish behavior, he always maintains a likable Milquetoast demeanor.

Catlett is supported by a good cast, including Ann Doran, Matt McHugh, Marion Martin, and Richard Fiske. They are seasoned pros who can effortlessly handle comedy. Unfortunately, there is little comedy in this short.

The premise is promising: A pair of crooks (Martin and Fiske) hide a diamond in the innocent Catlett's clothes. Catlett's wife Doran thinks the diamond is a present for her. Then the crooks try to get the diamond back. Throughout the short, the actors run around, hide in various places, exchange insults, and get into perilous situations. But they hardly do anything funny. Gags are scarce and those few gags are generally too sadistic to be funny. (Example: the crooks step on Catlett's hands and he bites one of them in retaliation.) BLONDES AND BLUNDERS also suffers from a rushed and unresolved ending.

The short's humorlessness is astonishing, since the director, Del Lord, was highly adept in slapstick. BLONDES AND BLUNDERS proves that Lord, like all filmmakers, was fallible. It also proves that even during the Golden Age of Hollywood, bad comedies existed.