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The Nickel-hopper (1926)
Topic Started: Nov 2 2007, 10:13 AM (236 Views)
Laughing Gravy
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The Nickel-Hopper
Pathe/Hal Roach, 1926
Directed by F. Richard Jones

Starring Mabel Normand, Michael Visaroff, Oliver Hardy, James Finlayson, and Boris Karloff

In 1926, Karloff was picking up work wherever he could get it. The guy was about to turn 40, and he was still struggling to make a good living at his dedicated craft, but things were finally looking up a bit. The New York Times noticed him in showy role as a narcotics fiend in Her Honor, the Governor, and he scored a major part in the Lionel Barrymore thriller The Bells. In between, though, came things like this: a small, unbilled, but key (and very funny) bit in this quite worthwhile Hal Roach 3-reeler.

By night, Mabel is a nickel-a-dance girl down at the local hall, catering to low-budget swells and various guys in uniform. By day, she takes in children and laundry and cares for her father, who spends all of his time (a) avoiding looking for work, and (B) complaining about high taxes. Much of the film shows the kind of riff-raff dance hall girls had to put up with, from over-active octogenarians to bad dancers with big feet to mashers who won't take "NO" for an answer; Mr. Karloff falls into that latter category. She ends up borrowing $10 from him, which she promptly gives to a blind peddler. When Karloff tries to retrieve the dough, a cop is called, and Boris gets to do a double-take and demonstrate his ability to run funny. He's no Jerry Lewis in that department, but he's capable enough. The rest of the film concerns itself with Mabel's date with a genuine nice guy she meets; her shiftless father doesn't approve, so she can't bring him home, but the home she DOES bring him to (so that he won't know where she lives) is owned by James Finlayson ("D'oh!"), who thinks Mabel's a burglar and calls the cops. Slapstick ensues.

The best part of this short is Oliver Hardy as a hopped up, totally frantic jazz drummer at the dance hall. He's hysterical. Imagine what a comedy team Karloff & Hardy would've been...
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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Inspector Carr
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Where did you come across this short? i
"Life is a Crapshoot however you need a pair of dice to participate"
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Laughing Gravy
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It's a bonus on one of the German L&H DVDs.
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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Inspector Carr
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That certainly is a little hidden treasure......thanks ;) LG
"Life is a Crapshoot however you need a pair of dice to participate"
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