vidrare

Fun compilation that stars with high-lights from the seldom seen silent short BACON GRABBERS and ends with the delightful dance number from WAY OUT WEST. Breezy narration by Gary Moore. Great choice of clips.

Every way as good as any of the Hal Roach Charley Chase shorts, TEACHER'S PEST features Charley as a school teacher who wants to bring some "Edumacation" to the people of a hillbilly town. Charley is shot at, given a bed to sleep in that he must share with a mother pig and her piglets and finally gets to teach (!?) the gun crazy yokels. Turns out that an evil land baron wants to buy the town cause it is sitting on a rich oil reserve. The bad guy is played by perennial Columbia second banana Vernon Dent. You will also see Chester Conklin. The classroom scene alone is worth seeing this classic. When Charley asks a student what 3 minus 1 is, the student looks out the window and sees three hillbilly's sitting on a fence. He shoots one dead and proudly says "Two!". Charley plays dual roles at one point in the story and with a fake beard, shows the townspeople that Vernon is a crook. Recommended.

Watching this show reminds a nostalgia buff like myself, how much certain stars are missed. Usually the beginning of each show has a star of the period state his or her name and say: ...."And I've got a secret". One such guest was Harpo Marx who not only had a chance to promote his excellent autobiography "Harpo Speaks" but also interact with the panel and Gary Moore through pantomime. Lloyd Bridges pretending to be in a diving suit (His double a New York restaurant doorman was in the suit!)to fool the panel while answering questions from the audience through a microphone! Elvis Presley's Grandad singing folk songs, Tony Curtis demonstrates boyhood games, Mickey Rooney imitating a monkey etc. etc. A really great show that has yet to disappoint this babyboomer. Recommended. >