Review of Hollywood on Parade No. B-9

This is a comedy, musical short, that was part of a long-running series of theatrical shorts, seen in the movie theaters, from the 1920s to the 1950s. This is, for lack of a better word, episode #B-9, which you can see at the bottom of the title card, in the beginning of the film. I hate using the word "episode", because that word sounds too much like television. Jimmy Durante opens things up in the film, by running around a bar, looking for a dog, with different people, interacting with each other, in quick little comedy or musical bits. It all seems very improvisational. It feels very conversational. It is so laid-back, that some of the performers, look a little buzzed-up in this short subject.

Ben Turpin plays the bartender, with Ted Healy, Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard coming in as customers. They put on the best show in this short 12 minute romp. This looks every bit like a 1934 version of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968-1973). It also reminded me a little of Hee-Haw (1969-1993). Ted Healy's gang, which includes Bonnie Bonnell and the Stooges, save this thing, but the film does finish strong, whoops, maybe not. I just saw Ben Turpin do a backflip, for no reason. The audio is not great in this film, even for 1934 and I'm not sure if it has anything to do with age. I think it was originally recorded like that. It is an artifact from a forgotten era.

4.9 (E+ MyGrade) = 5 IMDB.