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Author Topic: OFF THE HORSES (Bert lahr Comedy)
Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted March 27, 2007 04:31 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I love being the champion of rare oldies, and Niles came forth with this one from the mid thirties. It is entitled,

"Off the Horses"

This is a Bert lahr comedy. Bert lahr will always be immortalized as the Cowardly lion from "The Wizard of OZ", but he did have a career before this, mostly as a song and dance man. After the "Wizard of OZ", his career slipped back into the mode of before "OZ", but at this time, (before OZ), he had enough clout to have his own short subjects.

This particular title has Lahr as a financier who likes to work the ponies, (he bets on horses), but he uses astrology in order to do it, (anyone interested, check out my review of Joe E Brown's "When's Your Birthday?", already reviewed at an earlier time, as it appear Joe E. Brown basically borrowed somewhat from this short.)

His company is in financial chaos. He is expecting a raise, and hears he's to be fired. he cons his boss to take a chance on the horses in order to save the company.

The only problem is that Lahr's wife (in the film) forbids him to have anything to do with the horses. needless to say, he doesn't tell his wife he's going to the tracks. Unbeknownst to our hero, friends of the family invite his wife over to the track the very day, just for relaxation! Uh Oh!

While at the track, our hero is bothered by a fence to bet on a horse that is "a sure thing", that turns out to be anything BUT a sure thing! Meanwhile, the wife is constantly around the corner, and knows that her no good husband is there.

Amidst constant returns of the fence, as well as dodging of the wife, as well as an edgy boss, our hero Finally does come out on top, to the joy of boss as well as wife. Job saved!

Bert lahr didn't change much of his personality as well as his best traits as the Cowardly lion, becuase they are here as well, all the little "ticks" that made lahr famous. The laugh is most noticeable, as well as that big grin, his famous "mugging"!

This is a Niles print, running 17 minutes. The contrast is okay, but the focus is just barely there, but passable. the sound is fine. The only problem with this print is that the original negative had a few splices to it, actually more than a few.

But considering that this is a rare title to see, whether on film or DVD/video, you can live with those imperfections.

The original titles are on this print as well.

A fun little comedy with a good number of little comedic moments, (sorry, I can't remember them at the moment.) If you can find this film, pick it up, it's worth a good little laugh, as well as seeing that Bert lahr had his own career besides OZ.

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Paul Spinks
Master Film Handler

Posts: 453
From: Barking, Essex, UK
Registered: Mar 2006


 - posted March 28, 2007 07:47 AM      Profile for Paul Spinks   Email Paul Spinks   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Great review Osi, many thanks. It's great to know that other Bert Lahr titles made it on to Super 8. I have a feature length print of "One Body Too Many" (1944) which I principally got because it featured Bela Lugosi in the cast. It's a comedy horror film in "The Cat and the Canary" tradition and stars "The Tin Man" Jack Haley. He's really good in a "Bob Hope" sort of way. It's nice to see these performers in roles that, were it not for super 8 releases, would have probably become long forgotten because of that one famous picture they made which has become a perennial classic on TV and dvd and is therefore all that is made available.

Best wishes,
Paul.

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David Michael Leugers
Master Film Handler

Posts: 264
From: Fairfield, OH, USA
Registered: Feb 2004


 - posted March 28, 2007 11:20 AM      Profile for David Michael Leugers   Email David Michael Leugers   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have a print also, a very enjoyable short comedy. A shame a better print was not obtainable.

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Live Free or Die

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted March 28, 2007 03:17 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I agree David. Blackhawk would have done this release better, as Niles was always kind of "iffy" when it came to overall quality control, but I liken Niles to a glorified "Thunderbird", who also had a number of rare titles but once again marginal quality.

So, mariginal quality is better than no film at all, (although I have run into some rare super 8's that are so poor of quality, I really wonder why they bothered to print it.)

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Joe Caruso
Film God

Posts: 4105
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted March 28, 2007 05:53 PM      Profile for Joe Caruso     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
There's another; HENRY THE ACHE, by Niles, also very funny with Lahr

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted March 29, 2007 01:53 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I'll look for that one Joe, thanks.

OSI

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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