The Delicatessen Kid

Benny Rubin was a comic from the silent and early days of sound. Later, he took on acting in character roles. But in "The Delicatessen Kid", Rubin also sings and dances...something you don't often get to see.

In this film, Benny goes to work at his dad's store and delicatessen. Repeatedly, various stars of the stage (including Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson) come to buy food to go. The father doesn't recognize them and isn't impressed when Benny recognizes them and tells him who they are. How does it all end? See the film.

This is a clever film but not exactly a comedy...more a nice film with a bit of singing and dancing. Worth seeing....and with surprisingly good sound for a 1929 short.

By the way, I saw some folks talking about how this film isn't politically correct. Well, the stereotype is pretty broad when it comes to the father...though back then, such 'stereotypes' were really pretty close to the realities of first-generation immigrants. Plus, and this is important, can the film be politically incorrect if the portrayal is positive....and the father is very much a positive role model.

Ben Rubin goes into father Otto Lederer's store, full of ambition to be a stage performer. He sings and dances. In come stars Eddie Dowling and Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, and Rubin performs in their styles for them.

Clearly, it's an attempt to establish Rubin as a star, but showing him performing for these performers is insane; it's Robinson's first screen appearance, and we're supposed to enjoy Rubin dancing on the stairs?

Lederer gets to do a bit of acting, doing a monologue from a melodrama that affected him greatly. But the whole movie is misconceived. While Rubin is a capable performer, this annoyed me.