Caught Plastered (1931)

Director:

William A. Seiter

Writers:

Douglas MacLean (story)
Ralph Spence (writer)

Release Date:

9 August 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

The Big Roar

Plot Keywords:

Police Chief | Drugstore | Debt | Prohibition | Bootlegger

Cast

Bert Wheeler	...	Tommy Tanner
Robert Woolsey	...	Egbert G. Higginbothom
Dorothy Lee	...	Peggy Norton
Lucy Beaumont	...	Mother Talley
Jason Robards Sr.	...	Harry Waters (as Jason Robards)
Charles Middleton	...	Sheriff Flint (as Charles B. Middleton)
DeWitt Jennings	...	Police Chief H.A. Morton
Josephine Whittell	...	Miss Newton
Jim Farley	...	Clancy - the Cop (as James Farley)
William Scott	...	Clarke (as Bill Scott)

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Certification:

USA:Approved

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Soundtrack:

While Strolling Through the Park One Day

Surprisingly good.

I have reviewed quite a few Wheeler and Woolsey films and, for the most part, I have been pretty tough on them. I have not particularly enjoyed most of the films, though there have been a few relatively bright spots in their otherwise bleak careers. However, with CAUGHT PLASTERED I have finally found them in a genuinely enjoyable film that I can heartily recommend. It was a very pleasant surprise, as the earlier films seemed to have too much singing and the later ones were just dull. This one works.

The film begins with the boys out of work. However, they things are even worse for a sweet old lady who they soon meet. It seems that her drug store is about to be taken away, as it's heavily in debt. Wheeler and Woolsey promise her they can turn things around and go to work for her. Shockingly, they do make a genuine success of the store--mostly because they did what makes most drug stores popular--they emphasized everything other than drugs! In fact, they don't even know how to fill out a prescription and in the one case where they actually get one, Woolsey runs to the nearest drug store to get it filled! While there is some singing in the film, it fits into the movie well and doesn't dominate. Wheeler sings a couple cute songs with Dorothy Lee, but they actually work well and are quite catchy. Also, a major plus in this film is that the team actually sticks with a plot!! In so many of their other films, the plot seems incidental...at best! Overall, the film is polished, funny and makes the best use of the team's talents. Who'd have thought that Wheeler and Woolsey could actually make a very good film?!