Cantor's name is well-known in the annals of comedy, but his cinematic legacy tends to be overshadowed by Laurel & Hardy, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, The Marx Brothers and Harold Lloyd. Here is one of his most popular films and one of only several that are still readily available to view. He plays a rather knuckle-headed town dope who is beloved by most of the citizens, but disliked by the corrupt Mayor and Police Chief. When he foils their plan to evict a bunch of families, (by convincing them to set up house in the street!) he is run out of town and proceeds to dream that he's in ancient Rome, experiencing similar difficulties. While discovering the hierarchy of Roman society, he comes into contact with handsome nobleman Manners, beautiful captive slave Stuart and devious Emperor Arnold, whose discontent wife Teasdale is out to poison him. Legendary torch singer Ettig also appears as a slave who bemoans the fate of her kind in an elaborate production number featuring semi-nude, platinum-haired girls chained to a rotating column! Cantor gets into every type of trouble imaginable, giving him a chance to try out innumerable sight gags and quips, the bulk of which are surprisingly funny in spite of the fact that they've been used, heard and stolen many times since! Like any comedian, Cantor's style will appeal more to some than to others. Believe it or not, some of Pee Wee Herman's roots can be glimpsed here, though Cantor has surely inspired many others as well. Manners is lively and attractive here, able to overcome his permed hair and rise to the occasion of being a virile hero. Stuart isn't called upon to be much more than window dressing, but she's lovely. Appearing in the cast is Darwell as the haughty owner of a salon. One of the most memorable numbers is set there with Cantor on the run in (now politically-incorrect) blackface. What happens to him at the end of it is a comic highlight. Buried even further down is Ball, who has one line early on and can be seen occasionally thereafter. Stuart claims to have met Ball here and introduced her to her husband, who was able to get her career rolling a bit more heavily. For a film more than 70 years old, the material is more entertaining and arresting than one might expect. It can't be accused of being slow as Cantor bounces from one locale to the next, causing havoc at every turn. Fans of classic comedy owe it to themselves to give it a look.
Review of Roman Scandals
