Copyright 8 July 1936 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Corp. A Hal Roach Comedy. U.S. release: 9 May 1936. 2 reels.
SYNOPSIS: Bank night at the local cinema. Charley's daughter draws the winning ticket.
NOTES: Originally made as a 55-minute feature, which was previewed and shown to the trade. Reaction supposedly was unfavorable. In any event, Roach never released the feature, instead ordered that it be edited down from its original 6 reels to 2!
COMMENT: No expense spared on this Bank Night. The reason, as explained above, was the film's budget originally extended to a feature. Hence the big crowd scenes.
True, the fade-out and a couple of transitions are a bit abrupt, but the picture forms an amusing finale to Chase's Roach career all the same. After starring in no fewer than 59 short subjects for Hal Roach, Chase signed with Columbia in 1937. There he made another 20 starring 2-reelers.
Despite its abrupt finish, Neighborhood House is one of the most entertaining of his Roach entries. Although Charley performs a couple of mild slapstick turns, this is primarily a comedy of errors in which the ingratiatingly bumble-footed Chase, assisted by the precocious Hood and the discomfited Meeker, pile up the chuckles a treat, yet are actually beaten in the laugh department by the crowd. In fact, this is one of the few films in which the crowd plays a major role in the comedy proceedings. Full marks to the directors for masterly control of all the extras and a special pat on the back for the film editor for maintaining such a tight yet reasonably cohesive pace. If you didn't know it was a cut-down feature, you could never tell. Admittedly, you'd certainly marvel how Roach could afford to spend so much money on a little 2-reeler!
SYNOPSIS: Bank night at the local cinema. Charley's daughter draws the winning ticket.
NOTES: Originally made as a 55-minute feature, which was previewed and shown to the trade. Reaction supposedly was unfavorable. In any event, Roach never released the feature, instead ordered that it be edited down from its original 6 reels to 2!
COMMENT: No expense spared on this Bank Night. The reason, as explained above, was the film's budget originally extended to a feature. Hence the big crowd scenes.
True, the fade-out and a couple of transitions are a bit abrupt, but the picture forms an amusing finale to Chase's Roach career all the same. After starring in no fewer than 59 short subjects for Hal Roach, Chase signed with Columbia in 1937. There he made another 20 starring 2-reelers.
Despite its abrupt finish, Neighborhood House is one of the most entertaining of his Roach entries. Although Charley performs a couple of mild slapstick turns, this is primarily a comedy of errors in which the ingratiatingly bumble-footed Chase, assisted by the precocious Hood and the discomfited Meeker, pile up the chuckles a treat, yet are actually beaten in the laugh department by the crowd. In fact, this is one of the few films in which the crowd plays a major role in the comedy proceedings. Full marks to the directors for masterly control of all the extras and a special pat on the back for the film editor for maintaining such a tight yet reasonably cohesive pace. If you didn't know it was a cut-down feature, you could never tell. Admittedly, you'd certainly marvel how Roach could afford to spend so much money on a little 2-reeler!