Bert Lahr may have been "King of the Forest" as a Cowardly Lion but here as a traffic cop, he's king of the malapropism! You'll instantly recognize his growl in human form that he makes as he realizes that the young singing lothario (James Melton) that he just gave a traffic ticket to is the mayor, and thus his boss. Lahr decides that if a crooner can be mayor, so can he. Lahr, already a veteran Broadway Star by this time, had tried and failed in movies, although his one starring part ("Flying High") is a pre-code delight. Lahr's gimmick is okay in small doses, so this short is an interesting curio.
Having starred mainly in musical revues, this is a record of what type of skits he might have done on the Broadway stage. There's also his nagging wife, flirtatious blonde sexpots, power hungry men behind the scenes and even an obvious gay character whose presents must have slipped past those monitoring the Hays code. As seen today, this crosses the line of good taste with its stereotypical characters and obvious chauvinism, but there are some very funny moments that are a testimony to Lahr's many talents.
Having starred mainly in musical revues, this is a record of what type of skits he might have done on the Broadway stage. There's also his nagging wife, flirtatious blonde sexpots, power hungry men behind the scenes and even an obvious gay character whose presents must have slipped past those monitoring the Hays code. As seen today, this crosses the line of good taste with its stereotypical characters and obvious chauvinism, but there are some very funny moments that are a testimony to Lahr's many talents.
