Bigger and Better (1930) Online

In 1930, Hal Roach decided to put his old OUR GANG actors, Mickey Daniels and Mary Kornman, back to work in a series of short teenage comedies. Adding in Grady Sutton and giving them the usual fine Roach behind-the-camera talent -- this would be the last movie that George Stevens handled as a regular cinematographer --this series of shorts continued for three years, Unhappily, while loaded with good performances and gags, the series -- and this one in particular -- lacks the innocent charm that series director Robert McGowan brought to the Our Gang series. Also, Mickey Daniels, has grown from a cute freckle-faced child to a positively ugly young man whose mugging is over the top.

It's still fun, so enjoy it for that. It's just not great.

Bigger and Better (1930)

** (out of 4)

Decent "Boy Friends" entry has Mickey Daniels, David Sharpe and Grady Sutton getting summer jobs in a department store where they plan on meeting girls but soon each of them are in over their heads and especially Mickey who is working as a detective. This isn't the greatest short to come out of Hal Roach Studios but there are enough decent moments to make it worth sitting through if you enjoy these early sound shorts. I actually thought the first half of the film was better when the boys were on a train with a lot of girls and trying to pick them up. All three try for this one young lady are end up being rejected in some funny ways. The second portion of the film takes place at the department store and this is where the screenplay goes rather flat as we get the jokes you'd expect and none of them are very funny. One such joke includes Mickey arresting a famous shoplifter who of course turns out to be the store's best customer. Sharpe has a run in with a man whose hat keeps getting damaged and Sutton has no luck in the shoe department.

This Boy Friends short begins oddly--just like a few other of Hal Roach's early talking shorts. The same set of twins introduces the movie and reads off the credits--then the actual story begins.

Like the other Boy Friends films, this one has Mickey Daniels (originally from Roach's Our Gang series) and Grady Sutton--along with several other cast members you'll see later (whose composition changed a lot in the following films). Sutton and Daniels are on a train--the widest train I've ever seen on a film! They annoy a young lady and their friend Dave (David Sharpe) arrives and tells them he's going to work for Grady's Uncle Ed (Edgar Kennedy). When Grady stops by to see Uncle Ed, he and Mickey are told by the uncle that BOTH of them are also going to work for him--and he's already talked to their parents about this. Apparently, during this summer vacation the lazy college students will not be having fun! Grady gives in--but Mickey is determined to do whatever job is easiest and asks to become a store detective. And, naturally, Mickey makes a mess of everything.

While this film isn't bad, it isn't that great either. Part of the problem is Mickey Daniels' trademark laugh. Some people thought it was funny--I felt it was truly horrific. I did, however, like seeing Sharpe's actrobatics. While there really was no reason for his backflips, they were pretty remarkable. Too bad this might just be the best part of the film! Passable entertainment and nothing more.