What happens when Edgar Kennedy becomes a director? Well, technically, he was a director for a while during the silent era, and at least he didn't have an annoying family hounding him at every turn, but times have since changed. Edgar and his family have moved to Hollywood where he's an assistant director for Magnet Pictures, and they've got a real diva of a starlet giving everyone a hard time on set, so much so that the director's had a nervous breakdown. Now who's going to finish the picture? Well, just after Edgar's family gives a him a hard time about how they want to see a picture made and figure he'll never make it as a director, the producer calls up and asks Edgar to direct the last scene on the movie they're making. Brother ends up volunteering him, then Florence and Mother provide Edgar with a new set of clothes they'd procured for when he would finally be a director: riding britches, a beret, and even a bullhorn. So, Cecil B. Kennedy reluctantly goes to the studio to pick up where the director had left off. I like how the producer tells him that "a good director never takes a scene more than twice." Just wait til this guy gets a load of Stanley Kubrick. And I also love how every time Edgar tries to take a scene, his family interrupts by trying to enter the set. Yeah, they gained access to the lot by taking Edgar's studio pass and simply added "& Family" in front of his name. Pretty sure that wouldn't fly in real life, they would've had a better chance sneaking in behind Milton Berle. Some security this lot has, as they can't stop three troublemakers from entering a sound stage, which isn't even a sound stage if they can hear racket from outside. I realize Edgar is only a novice director, but I'm surprised he doesn't try to rehearse the scene before rolling the cameras. Had he done that, his family wouldn't have blown two takes already. It's not until after those idiots force their way onto the set does Edgar make an attempt to have his actors rehearse. Once that's done, they're ready to roll... until Mother in-law recognizes Carol Bonet and barges on set to ask for her autograph. Despite Edgar saying she's temperamental and seeing how she treated the producer, she must be a hell of a lot nicer than she's lets on, as she signs Mother in-law's autograph booklet. I mean, I know there are plenty of nice stars in Hollywood like, say, Tom Hanks, but I'm pretty sure if a fan burst on set and asked him for an autograph while he was rehearsing a scene, he'd tell them to hit the road.
The next take goes bad because Mother ended up sitting on a camera crane that ascended at a crucial moment, then the next take was blown because Brother switched on a giant fan, blowing papers all over the place. He scampers away up a scaffolding to hide from Edgar, and when a 1000 watt light is requested, Brother drops a bulb on him. It's time like these that I decide to start asking logical questions, like why on earth doesn't Edgar simply call studio security and have his family arrested for trespassing? I know they have a forged pass, but just simply adding "Family" to it wouldn't fly. I'll bet you no other director in movie history would tolerate what Edgar's going through. You think James Cameron would stay quiet if his family crashed the set of Titanic? Suppose Orson Welles' in-laws got in his way while filming Citizen Kane? What if the mechanical shark in Jaws wasn't Steven Spielberg's only headache if he had some annoying relatives hounding him on set? Yes, I know this is just a comedy short, but if you drill enough holes into the logic, then it comes a little hard to tolerate. Well, speaking of Titanic, the production of Edgar's movie was sinking fast. Finally, on take 52, the film was able to proceed. Makes me wonder how they family fumbled every other take before that. Well, being Edgar's family, I'm sure they found a way. That's when the producer comes on set to see how they're doing. See, he's determined to get this movie finished by 5:00 or Miss Bonet would receive a $10,000 bonus. Ha, well, if time and money were of the essence, why didn't Edgar rehearse the scene before filming, and why couldn't he bar his family from set? Well, it's not HIS money being spent, but it is his job. Anyway, how do you think this take went? Surprisingly well, Edgar could frame and take a decent lovemaking scene between a guy and a gal... unfortunately, Brother soon got the drop on them. Literally. Then the set erupts into a frenzy as we see some really terrible fight choreography. Look at those punches. I've seen children play-punch each other in a more convincing way. Oh, and guess what? Edgar gets fired. I'm also guessing Carol Bonet walked away from set ten grand richer. Hopefully she thanked Edgar for that.
This short, among many of Edgar's early Average Man shorts are much more frustrating to watch, because the family is more annoying. Basically all the damage done here is their fault. I know Edgar made a lousy director and the studio security were as effective as a wall made of toilet paper, but you just can't fathom how annoying and entitled these jerks are. It starts at the very beginning of the short, where Edgar had a tough night and asked to sleep in, only for his noisy neighbors to wake him up. He's even taken up drinking, as evidenced by all the empty beer bottles on the front porch... either that, or they were just renting a house from W.C. Fields. Mother in-law was on a kick about getting autographs, and I think we can see where I Love Lucy drew inspiration for their Hollywood episodes. I mean, can you imagine what would've happened if Ricky were chosen to direct a picture and Lucy kept crashing the set and causing trouble? I know there was one episode where Lucy had a chance to be in a movie, but she kept upstaging her co-stars because she wanted the spotlight. Well, sir, Ricky would've put her over his knee and played Babaloo on her fanny, something Edgar should've done with Florence. No, I don't condone spousal abuse, but for crying out loud, he needed some cajones here. The nerve of that family thinking they were entitled to see a movie made. Maybe Edgar should rent a camera and film his own movie, starring his family: the very first snuff film. In closing, do I recommend Wrong Direction? Well, I mean it's alright. If you like Edgar Kennedy and films from the 1930s, then you'd enjoy this. But be prepared to chuck logic out the window. Going back to what I said about Kennedy being a real director during the silent era, I think a lot of the problems presented for him here would've been solved had it been a silent movie they were filming. Chaplain and Keaton sure had it easy when making their movies.
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