Radio Dough

George Sidney and Charlie Murray had had a better hit in THE COHENS AND THE KELLYS about a Jewish family and an Irish family that had become in-laws and their teaming continued into sound films. By 1834 they were near the end of the line, so they went to Jules White's newly formed comedy shorts department at Columbia, where they made six shorts and then basically vanished.

In this one they want to be radio stars and, through the usual series of coincidences, wind up bringing chicken soup to a safe-cracking operation. Although there two two good sets of gags in this one, it's apparent that some one thought this was funnier than it turns out. There are lots of long reaction shots intended to let the audience finish laughing.

The director was Al Boasberg, a fine writer of comedies, who would return to writing -- for radio. Three years later he would sign a great deal for Jack Benny's radio show and promptly die.

George Sidney was an old time movie actor by the time he made "Radio Dough" and had previously worked in comedies with Mack Sennett. Charlie Murray was a Vaudevillian whose routines were often filled with Jewish humor. Here, Columbia Pictures brings the two together to make "Radio Dough".

Both George and Charlie want to become radio stars. Their little boys play a joke on them and pretend to be radio announcers. The fake announcers say that whoever brings chicken soup to a certain location will be given a chance to perform on the radio. Instead, the pair end up being recruited for a crook who wants to blow up a safe at the radio station. How will all this end up at the end?

The film is not filled with laughs. However, it's also inoffensive and mildly amusing...and gives you a chance to see what killed Vaudeville...it was probably these guys! If you do see it, pay attention to the drunk at the beginning..that's a young Walter Brennan.