When I used to watch 'The Red Skelton Hour' in the Sixties with my Dad, I never realized that he had already previewed many of his TV bits in movie appearances of prior decades. In this short, the story opens with Red offering up a version of his Clem Kadiddlehopper character with the floppy hat, and later on he impersonates a woman putting on makeup. It's a real treat catching these shorts on Turner Classics, otherwise I don't know how I'd ever see them.
In the main story line, Red manages to get fired by an irate boss, and in retaliation, places a hex on him that turns into a pleasant treat for the viewer. Showing up at a swanky night club, the boss encounters a version of his former employee as a doorman, a coatroom attendant, a waiter and an MC for a staged variety show. The double (quadruple?) vision irritates the boss so much he can't enjoy the show.
As for the show itself, there are a number of variety acts, and the one that intrigued me was a funny looking character who kept pulling a warehouse full of props out of his over-sized frock coat. He reminded me of a clown I used to see on kid shows back in the day who called himself the Banana Man. Wouldn't you know it, the actor's name was A. Robins, and he was the Banana Man I so fondly remember. Actually, one of the tip-offs in the story was when he uttered a cat like meow that was a trademark of the Banana Man, so that only confirmed my suspicion even before looking it up.
If you're a Red Skelton fan, one observation you might make is that when he was in his mid Twenties like you see him here, he had an uncanny resemblance to a more modern day clownish actor - Jim Carrey. Or vice versa if you know what I mean. If Skelton was an inspiration for Carrey I wouldn't be surprised, both comedians made extensive use of their rubbery faces to affect various characters.
I haven't mentioned this in prior reviews, but if you're catching these film shorts on TCM like I do, here's a tip. They often show a number of these right in a row and I usually DVR them to watch at a more convenient time for me. Almost always, the start, stop and duration times indicated on the cable channel lineup don't match with the way the pictures are listed, so if there's a particular one you want to catch and intend to record it, I'd recommend recording the one immediately prior to and after the title you want. You'll avoid disappointment not seeing an entire show by virtue of the film stopping right in the middle of it's run.
In the main story line, Red manages to get fired by an irate boss, and in retaliation, places a hex on him that turns into a pleasant treat for the viewer. Showing up at a swanky night club, the boss encounters a version of his former employee as a doorman, a coatroom attendant, a waiter and an MC for a staged variety show. The double (quadruple?) vision irritates the boss so much he can't enjoy the show.
As for the show itself, there are a number of variety acts, and the one that intrigued me was a funny looking character who kept pulling a warehouse full of props out of his over-sized frock coat. He reminded me of a clown I used to see on kid shows back in the day who called himself the Banana Man. Wouldn't you know it, the actor's name was A. Robins, and he was the Banana Man I so fondly remember. Actually, one of the tip-offs in the story was when he uttered a cat like meow that was a trademark of the Banana Man, so that only confirmed my suspicion even before looking it up.
If you're a Red Skelton fan, one observation you might make is that when he was in his mid Twenties like you see him here, he had an uncanny resemblance to a more modern day clownish actor - Jim Carrey. Or vice versa if you know what I mean. If Skelton was an inspiration for Carrey I wouldn't be surprised, both comedians made extensive use of their rubbery faces to affect various characters.
I haven't mentioned this in prior reviews, but if you're catching these film shorts on TCM like I do, here's a tip. They often show a number of these right in a row and I usually DVR them to watch at a more convenient time for me. Almost always, the start, stop and duration times indicated on the cable channel lineup don't match with the way the pictures are listed, so if there's a particular one you want to catch and intend to record it, I'd recommend recording the one immediately prior to and after the title you want. You'll avoid disappointment not seeing an entire show by virtue of the film stopping right in the middle of it's run.
