The Cat's-Paw (1934) User Reviews

A still-potent political comedy

[kep315 · 8/10 · 9 September 2002]

Before Frank Capra's socially-aware comedy-dramas such as "It's a Wonderful Life," "Mr. Deeds Goes to Washington" and (my favorite) "Meet John Doe" there was "The Cat's Paw." In fact, "The Cat's Paw" and "Meet John Doe" share a similar plot: Corrupt politicians in a pickle find a sap to run for office so that they can use him for their own purposes.

In this case, Harold Lloyd plays a naive missionary just returned from China to his hometown of Stockport. Lloyd's character, Ezekiel Cobb, had planned on catching up with a friend of his, the Rev. Julius P. Withers, who dies unexpectedly. Withers had been running for mayor as the token losing opposition against the long-corrupt incumbent. His planned loss would've insured Withers' party (THE REFORM PARTY, no less! Talk about cynicism!) would continue to be paid off through the mayor's graft. Wouldn't you know it, just as the Reformers are looking for some sap to take Withers' place, in walks Ezekiel. Naturally, Ezekiel wins instead of losing, and turns idealistic political reformer -- much to the dismay of all the town's corrupt politicians and criminal class. Ezekiel's solution to halting the political corruption is both surprising and hilarious.

I found this film on TCM and, much to my surprise, not only kept watching it, but kept laughing -- all the way through. Great performances by Lloyd, transforming from unsophisticated (he doesn't even know how to use a phone!), Chinese-proverb quoting straight-arrow to incorruptible populist mayor; Una Merkle as the tough-girl love interest who convinces Ezekiel to do what's right through canny reverse psychology; and George Barbier as the initially-corrupt Reform Party boss, who comes around to Ezekiel's way of thinking. Also, lots of familiar character-actor faces whom you can't identify though you know you've seen them before.

This film is well worth seeking out. If it's not on VHS or DVD, it should be! It's a forgotten classic!

The Wisdom Of Lin Po

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 9 May 2009]

For those of you looking for the crazy stunts that typified a Harold Lloyd silent comedy, this is not the film for you. What The Cat's-Paw gives us is an interesting and atypical character for Lloyd who was trying to establish himself in sound.

For me the closest movie comparison to Lloyd's character is that of Peter Sellers in Being There. For all the education that Lloyd has received in dealing with the world, he might as well have been brought up in isolation as Sellers was.

But where he was brought up was as a missionary's child in China and I don't know how much Christianity he and his family were able to teach the Chinese, but young Harold has learned the wisdom of Chinese philosopher Lin Po whom he quotes constantly like a fortune cookie aphorism. As it turns out Lin Po turns out to be one wise dude.

Anyway Lloyd's father Samuel S. Hinds has decided his son needs some education in the modern world of 20th century America and he sends him back to be the guest of the pastor of the home church which sponsors the mission. The pastor there is the perennial candidate of the 'reform' movement of that town of Stockport. But no sooner does Lloyd arrive and the pastor dies.

Now the reform movement is a sham and the pastor a patsy of the political bosses who need a straw-man opponent in every election. They decide Lloyd just might be a better patsy than the guy who just died.

Of course as it goes in these type of films the patsy proves to be not so easy a proposition. In fact Lloyd constantly quoting from Lin Po, the way Charlie Chan used to dispense wisdom proves quite the adversary for the crooks who run Stockport. In addition Lloyd gains the admiration of Una Merkel, as cynical a dame as Jean Arthur was in Mr. Deeds and Mr. Smith.

The Cat's-Paw is still a nice political satire though it did not establish Harold Lloyd as big a comedy name as he was in silent films. A nice cast of players was selected by director Sam Taylor topped by George Barbier who plays a political boss who discovers Lloyd and actually proves to have a streak of honesty in him.

One of Lloyd's best sound films!

[[e-mail] · 8/10 · 17 April 2003]

As a Harold Lloyd fan, i agree with the other reviewer's comments, EXCEPT that I feel that "Movie Crazy" was his best sound film; "Cat's Paw" is a close second. (But, this is just MY opinion).

This film is a "hoot" from beginning to end and, in many scenes, George Barbier (the crook that gets him elected mayor) almost steals the show! (Especially at the end of the film).

One wishes that Una Merkel's character would be a bit more sympathetic to Harold, especially as the film progresses. Only in the last few minutes of the film do we find out her true feelings for him. (And, even then, there is no "romance" - kissing, etc).

This is a Must-See film!

Enjoyable Satirical Comedy

[Snow Leopard · 13 March 2006]

This generally enjoyable comedy is unusually satirical for a Harold Lloyd feature, but as long as you don't take it too seriously, it has some very amusing moments. Lloyd's character lets him combine elements of his familiar silent-screen roles plus dialogue and other material that take advantage of the relatively new sound technology. Una Merkel also helps out as a sarcastic young woman who takes an interest in Lloyd's character.

The prologue is a little lengthy, but it works in establishing a positive view of the Chinese culture in which Lloyd's character was raised and which determines his personality, so it serves a purpose. The main part of the movie has Lloyd as Ezekiel, a missionary's son, coming back to the USA and innocently contending against the rampant corruption in the local government and the distorted values of society. Much of it is amusing in a low-key fashion, but eventually it also builds up the tension between Ezekiel and the local political machine.

You always hope for something big in the finale in a Lloyd movie. Here the finale is creative, taking advantage of the possibilities in the story, and making use of sound in addition to the many visual effects. Though slower and not filled with slapstick the way that his great silent film finales were, it caps things off suitably enough.

Like most of Lloyd's sound features, this one doesn't come up to the level of his silent classics. But it does give him a good character to work with, and it is often rather funny as long as you don't read too much into the story and characters.

Fascistic Politics or What?

[theowinthrop · 7/10 · 26 March 2005]

It has to be admitted that the best work of Harold Lloyd ended with his last great silent comedy "Speedy" in 1928. After that he enters sound films (like Chaplin and Keaton and Laurel & Hardy and W.C. Fields) and does do better than Keaton, but not as well as the other three. Chaplin was rich enough to make his own films as producer (but he paced his films so there were five years between productions). Laurel & Hardy were under the protection of Hal Roach, so production standards for their shorts and sound films were pretty good. Fields first worked with Mack Sennett, than with Paramount, and then free-lanced. Lloyd tried the route that Chaplin took, but with less success.

He produced his own films, but unlike Chaplin he did not own his own studio. Also his first two choices were not good (especially "Feet First"). But he did begin to choose more wisely and "Movie Crazy", "The Cat's-Paw", and "The Milky Way" were all good choices. These three (and possibly "The Sin of Harold Diddlebock") were his best sound ventures. They are all entertaining, but none are up to "Safety Last", "The Freshman", "The Kid Brother", or "Speedy".

Of the top four sound films "The Cat's Paw" is the most controversial. Ezekiel Cobb's solution to ridding the city that elects him mayor is very extreme for the tastes of 2005. Or is it? When a movie is made dictates what it's politics are: "The Cat's Paw" is from 1934. That second year of the Roosevelt New Deal (itself rather controversial for heavier government involvement) movie audiences saw films like "Gabriel Over the White House" and "The Phantom President", where our leaders did extra-Constitutional actions to rid the nation of internal enemies (and to force disarmament around the globe). Even Cecil B. De Mille got into this act with "This Day and Age", where a bunch of teenagers use rats to force a gangster to confess his crimes.

To us, the use of violence to force anyone (even a bunch of goons and boodlers like Alan Dinehart's gang) to confess is repellent. After all, the Supreme Court has protected us from confession under duress. What we forget is that the reforms we are thinking of did not occur until the Warren Court and the Burger Court made them. For example, although Mr. Justice Sutherland's opinion in the Powell ("Scottsboro Boys") Case of 1932 guaranteed every criminal defendant had a right to counsel, Gideon v. Wainwright did not extend this to ordering court paid counsel to defendants until 1962. The Miranda Case, with it's now well-known anti-self-incrimination warning is from 1963. Nothing like this were considered necessary in 1934.

If you study other movies of the period up to 1954 (and even to 1960) tricks are used to get confessions - Kirk Douglas confesses his crimes in front of witnesses in "I Walk Alone" while Burt Lancaster holds a gun to him. When Lancaster leaves, Douglas sneers about confessing under duress, only to see the gun is unloaded. Suddenly he realizes that (legally - in 1948) he has confessed without duress. Hate to say it, to any civil libertarians reading this note, but what Cobb/Lloyd does to Dinehart and his pals in the conclusion of "The Cat's Paw" was not only legal, but would have led to their jail sentences in 1934. We may call it heavy handed, fascistic, or horrid, but it would have worked legally when it was thought up.

An Enjoyable Paw-litical Yarn

[byufan-05531 · 7/10 · 22 December 2017]

Maybe it was because I had heard about how every silent film star failed to make quality sound films but I was caught by surprise that I actually enjoyed this Lloyd vehicle. While definitely not as innovative or captivating as his silent work, The Cat's-Paw proves to be a delight to watch.

Harold Lloyd's character is a good fit for his acting skills and does not seem very far off from the up and coming and somewhat hopeful and naive characters he played in the silent era. I loved the oddity of his character and thought that the running joke of him quoting Ling Po was highly enjoyable, probably because it reminded me of how people always misquote Confucius. The political message is a bit alarming to modern viewers but does not completely overshadow the finale's bizarre yet amusing ending and makes more sense when taken into the context of the times. While not a groundbreaking piece of film, it is still an enjoyable snapshot into Lloyd's career after the advent of sound and the political climate of mid-1930's America.

Yes, Harold Lloyd Can Talk

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 5 September 2006]

This film would be considered controversial today, but is still very funny. The racial stereotyping is done from the view of humor & not hate. This film strips off & shows how corrupt politicians already were in the early 1930's. This film proves it started before the 1970's & beyond when it has accelerated in the United States. Lloyd is still in his typical genre here, even though his character was raised in China.

The meaning of a Cat's Paw in this instance is a person who is running for political office but is being used by the established political machine to advance their agenda. In other words, they think this guy (Lloyd)is harmless when he runs for office. Then when he gets elected, he surprises them.

This same theme is used later in James Stewarts film Mr. Smith goes to Washington. Stewarts is more famous & has a stronger message. This film is more clever & subtle which are Harold Lloyds trademarks.

There is still the heart of romantic comedy hidden with the facade of the movie but today's mainstream audiences would still appreciate the political humor & the ending is absolutely priceless. I wish someone could beat today's political system in this way. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this film & find myself wishing Harold had done more like it during the 1930's.

At least we have this one. I think the person who is quoted most in the movie is fictional Ling Po. I always thought Confusicus was the wise one but this one makes me believe the wisdom of China was not limited to him & is a vast field of comedy Lloyd mined in this movie.

THE CAT'S-PAW (Sam Taylor, 1934) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 18 December 2006]

This underrated Harold Lloyd Talkie feature is Capra-esquire before the term was even invented - in fact, before that director ever really made those kind of films (which is not to say that it directly influenced him)! Anyway, it's typical of Lloyd in many ways as well (the innocent at large in a big city) yet the film is more interesting as a political satire (with which many star comedians dabbled in around this time, with varying degrees of success). Una Merkel is an unlikely leading lady, however, being unsuited to Lloyd's persona but the supporting cast - made up of familiar character actors of the era - is quite wonderful.

The film - in essence, a wish-fulfillment fantasy for Depression-era America - is, not surprisingly, rather talky and, ultimately, overlong; still, it contains much to be grateful for - especially once Lloyd's character (a Missionary elected puppet Mayor of a city controlled by an all-powerful racketeer) turns dictator and decides to round up every known gangster he can lay his hands on: having spent his formative years in China, he pretty much lives by their code and, with the help of a Chinese magician, stages elaborate old-style executions in a cellar which enable him to get each of his captives to confess to their past crimes out of fear - thus ridding the town of corruption in one fell swoop!

Fighting For Reform With Mr. Lloyd

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 13 March 2004]

Returning from 20 years in China, a young missionary refuses to become THE CAT'S-PAW for a gang of hometown hoodlums.

This movie was a bit of a departure from Harold Lloyd's previous movies. Comedy derived more from dialogue, often rather serious, predominates here, rather than the elaborate sight gags which powered Harold's classics of the past. There are some splendid moments, however, which are pure visual fun, as when Harold attempts to follow a convertible down a crowded street, or when he desperately tries to keep a nightclub stripper from losing her clothes. There is also the climactic scene, set in a Chinatown basement, in which Harold gleefully jumps unabashedly into the darkest comedy. But most of the humor derives from Harold's refusal to be the patsy of the criminals who've run his hometown for years.

And it's quite a collection of crooked politicians & thugs Harold finds himself up against, played by a bevy of fine character actors: George Barbier, Nat Pendleton, Grant Mitchell, Edwin Maxwell, Alan Dinehart, Warren Hymer & stuttering Fuzzy Knight. Pert Una Merkel is on hand as the tobacco stand girl who catches Harold's eye and keeps him intrigued by her no-nonsense outlook on life.

Movie mavens will recognize Samuel S. Hinds as Harold's missionary father; Charles Sellon as an elderly Stockport clergyman; and Herman Bing as a German gangster--all uncredited. Also, showing up for only a few seconds as an attempted kidnapper, is Noah Young, a familiar face from Harold's silent films, here making his final appearance in a Lloyd picture.

Fox gave the film fine production values, especially in the opening scenes set in China.

A clunker of a talkie

[LCShackley · 6/10 · 15 April 2023]

I'm a huge fan of Harold Lloyd, the star of the silent screen, but not so much of his talkie era. It's not his fault - he's still a likeable character and his voice was pleasant enough. But when the laughs depend on the script rather than the visuals, the peculiar talent of Lloyd is sidelined.

Not that there aren't some funny things on screen - it's just that the flashes of wit and zippy pacing are gone. Harold plays a boring character, a fish out of water who gets caught up in city politics against his will. He uses his Chinese connections and wisdom (he's a visiting missionary from Asia) to come up with a way to beat the city system.

It's probably funnier than a lot of today's comedies, but because of its time frame there are racial slurs dropped casually throughout the film. (The Chinese characters are presented with respect in the script, but the white characters refer to them by an old-fashioned pejorative.) Other than that, the worst language is "Holy Cats!" The supporting cast is excellent, and the give-and-take between Lloyd and George Berbier is particularly enjoyable.

Harold speaks.... Chinese... sort of...

[revere-7 · 5/10 · 3 September 2009]

We hear so much about how the coming of sound ruined careers. This doesn't seem to be the case for Harold Lloyd, who smoothly makes the transition to talkies in 'The Cat's Paw' (1934). The story has Lloyd as missionary's son Ezekiel Cobb raised in rural China. On return to America Cobb becomes a patsy for a political machine, but to everyone's surprise gets elected mayor.

The story is entertaining even though most of the jokes fall flat. It does contain a lot of racial stereotypes and epithets, but is good natured and pretty equal-opportunity in it's treatment of various ethnic groups making it at least honest in it's portrayal of life in Depression era U.S.A.

Modern audiences may find the use of caucasian actors in Chinese roles, and the dubbing of Lloyd when he speaks Chinese in 'The Cat's Paw' as much more blatantly obvious than did audiences of the time. And while it's not as groundbreaking as Lloyd's silent film work, and there are admittedly better films from the mid 30s, as mentioned, it's entertaining and fast moving, and worth checking out if for no other reason than to see Una Merkel as savvy cigarette girl Pet and to see Lloyd transition from sight gags to speaking.

Harold Lloyd's first best sound venture

[vox-sane · 9/10 · 26 March 2002]

What is often neglected about Harold Lloyd is that he was an actor. Unlike Chaplin and Keaton, Lloyd didn't have the Vaudeville/Music Hall background and he wasn't a natural comedian. He came to Hollywood to act; and he discovered he had a knack for acting funny -- first in shorts, then in features. He made a name for himself as "Lonesome Luke", a Chaplin knock-off; with the "glasses character" that made him the all-American boy rather than a grotesque, Lloyd found his stride and his movies became some of the best produced during the silent era.

He developed a reputation as a "daredevil" in some shorts, and retained this in some of his best movies ("Safety Last", "For Heaven's Sake", "Girl Shy"). He was more popular than either Chaplin or Keaton during the twenties and he became very rich before the advent of sound.

The first sound movies were often disasters. To get the most out of their "sound", too much dialog was used in many movies.

Lloyd's acting skills were, after two decades, geared for silents. He didn't have a bad voice; its high pitch suited his "glasses" character. And his sound films weren't the unqualified disasters of legend. Yet silent movies had been raised to a high art (especially Lloyd's, which did not stint on budget and were extremely well-crafted); with the introduction of talkies movies had to learn to walk again and they made some missteps.

Though he tried to move with the times and embraced sound, Lloyd's best bits from his early (overly talky) talkies were still visual -- such as the scene in "Movie Crazy" where he appears to be riding in a swank car, but actually "hitched a ride" on his bicycle.

Trying to recapture the daredevil antics that made him famous, as he did in "Feet First", was misstep. (In "Safety Last", his best movie and the one that, deservedly or not, shoved Lloyd in the box as a "daredevil comic", he played a determined young man, climbing to the top. "Safety Last" had a natural structure that ascended to his character's scaling the side of the building. He was obviously afraid, but his fear added to the humor. In "Feet First", he arrived in a precarious building-scaling position by accident; his frantic cries for help detracted from the humor. His character was pathetic and cringing, aspiration to save his neck -- possibly an accurate statement of the 1930s, but not amusing).

Harold Lloyd was not mired in the past, like some wacky Norma Desmond. He embraced sound and tried to take his movies in different directions, growing and changing with the industry. When "Feet First" failed he left the daredevil business and made a satire on the talking movie industry, "Movie Crazy". Just as he had to flounder through many movies as "Lonesome Luke" before carving his place in movie history with the glasses character, he had tried several directions in sound movies before hitting his stride in sound, which he did with "The Catspaw".

In "The Catspaw" he plays a missionary's son reared in China who unwittingly gets elected mayor as a front for corrupt political interests. When he finds out the truth, he sets himself the task of cleaning up the town. Only in his early forties, Lloyd could still act the brash young man.

Yet "The Catspaw" was another box-office failure, and Lloyd made only three more movies, including "The Milky Way". Of his chief competitors, Chaplin still had silent movies in him and Keaton was hopelessly mismanaged. "The Catspaw" and "The Milky Way" suggest Lloyd might have mastered sound comedy if he had been a little younger, or if audiences had given him the benefit of the doubt after his early sound fiascoes.

Though the movie has been unfairly maligned about the way Lloyd's character cleaned up the town, it suits him. From his days in "shorts" Lloyd wanted to scare his audience, and the climax of "The Catspaw" achieved it yet again, in a surprising way; until the trick is revealed it appears gruesome, and then come the laughs.

Viewed as a product of its time, "The Catspaw" is charming and funny. A very well-written sound comedy, well-acted by Lloyd. Directed by Sam Taylor, its curious blend of drama and sly humor make it look almost like a Frank Capra or Preston Sturges comedy.

The Cat's Whiskers it ain't!

[Steamcarrot · 5/10 · 3 December 2006]

Being a fan of Harold Lloyd since the days of the BBC2 shows in the seventies I was looking forward to this talking feature of his from 1934. A lot of silent comedians had trouble when making the switch to sound (to be fair this was down to the new 'technology' as much as anything) but Lloyd seemed to make the transition quite well. The Cat's Paw is an easy watching film that neither bores nor excites. Harold plays a missionary's son who is sent back to his hometown in the states, for the 1st time since childhood, to find a wife so he can take over the running of the missionary. He ends up being a stooge in an election (the cat's paw of the title) put against the corrupt mayor to supposedly ensure an easy victory. Of course, Harold wins and goes about cleaning up the town and finds a wife in the process. The film takes a long time to wake up and it isn't until Harold's election victory that the film really starts. Unfortunately throughout the whole film, Harold the slapstick ace never appears regardless of how much you hope for it and you have to settle for Harold the reasonable character comedian, an unfortunate use of his talents that was to blight most of his talkies. The scene in the nightclub when the singer/stripper/gangster's moll tries to discredit him (and does the opposite) is very interesting as it's quite risqué. It must have have been a pre-coder, and possibly one of the last. All in all this is an average movie, enjoyable but well below Lloyd's capabilities.

Missionary returns to find a wife and gets elected mayor of a corrupt town

[blando13 · 10/10 · 20 April 2009]

I really enjoyed this old black and white talkie. At first I didn't recognize Harold Lloyd as Mr. Cobb, a missionary to China coming home to find a wife. There were many twists and turns in Mr. Cobb's attempts to clean up city hall. His methods of making the punishment fit the crime would likely be illegal, but this is not a movie based on reality. This would be a perfect movie for children except that there is female near nudity (pasties only on Grace Bradley)! The old telephones are enchanting. The only fault is a problem typical of the day - Caucasians are used to represent Chinese men. This is offset by the positive way the Chinese are portrayed. They are the wise, good and friendly guys. Trivia - a Bekins truck appears in the movie when the police run out of Black Marias.

Some historical credit due

[Local Hero · 28 July 2008]

No specific spoilers.

So many viewers, in my opinion, have unfairly maligned Lloyd's transition to talkies, including several reviewers here. I think that from a retrospective, critical point of view, Lloyd was reasonably successful in this switchover (in fact, he has much of the manic quality and all of the voice of Woody Allen in his most successful talkie, _Movie Crazy_). Although it is a flawed film, _The Cat's-Paw_ is, on the whole, another such success.

While the film's controversial ending may be a tad facile, and while the reviewer Patricia Parker very capably articulates the full, disturbing political implications of this ending, it is precisely the outrageous, provocative nature of the plot's culmination that makes this film more engrossing to watch today.

Some other reviewers have commented on the film's racism, asking us to excuse it as typical of the time. However, again I feel that these viewers are slightly skewing the issue. Yes, the movie is an interesting document of the utter prevalence of casually racist attitudes in the United States of the 1930s. However, I would say that 95% of the time, _the film itself_ is not racist (there are a few moments of racial condescension, such as Lloyd's too-precious quip about white women looking alike, and there is a stock-stereotype black character introduced at the end); rather it is numerous _negative characters_ who express racist attitudes. References to brutality and misogyny aside, for the most part Chinese culture is accorded a fair degree of respect in this film, and is indeed used as a foil for the corrupt and ignorant world of Stockport, USA. Note, for instance, Lloyd's response whenever another character uses the slur 'ch*nk': he winces every time (or at least pauses with displeasure), and then answers in a manner that tries to maintain dignity for the Asian culture and individuals being referenced. While this is not to say this is a bold, crusading film, nonetheless, some credit should be given for this attitude in the early 1930s; it is, in its own clumsy sort of way, a gently anti-racist film.

And credit should also be given for the engrossingly cynical view of society put forward here, as well as the comically dark resolution of the plot, even if that resolution is ultimately fairly problematic in its political implications.

Another tale of a milquetoast making good.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 24 January 2012]

The son of missionaries in China (bespeckled Harold Lloyd) returns to the United States to his home town and finds himself in the running for mayor. The men behind the scenes (George Barbier and Grant Mitchell) think he will be a puppet, but Lloyd has his own way of doing things. It's all predictable at first until the surprising climax where Lloyd fights crime and corruption in a really surprising manner that is almost laughably offensive.

There is a major overdose of somewhat improper language in discussing Asian Americans, particularly those dressed up in Fu Manchu garb. There isn't really all that much slapstick (as compared to Lloyd's silent classics), but the twist at the end is rather surprisingly original and daring, and tastelessly funny (in a Mel Brooks "Springtime For Hitler" manner) that will provoke interest. Una Merkel is wasted as Lloyd's spunky love interest, while veteran dumbbell Nat Pendleton plays the head gangster.

surprisingly good,...but not at all like a "Harold Lloyd" film

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 26 April 2006]

This movie caught me by surprise. For years I have avoided many of Harold Lloyd's sound pictures (as well as those of Keaton) because they have a generally well-deserved reputation for being lousy compared to the silent films because the basic formula has been lost. However, when I saw this film I was pleasantly surprised to find I actually liked it,...once I accepted it really was not a "Harold Lloyd" film (despite him starring in it). This is because although it is nothing like the style of his earlier films, it IS highly original and Lloyd isn't bad playing a totally different type of character.

As I mentioned above, the formula of the old films is almost completely missing here. Lloyd does not do the old familiar stunt work, the romance is quite unlike his early screen romances, and the plot is just plain weird! Instead of the usual roles, he is the son of a Chinese missionary who returns to America for the first time since he was a small boy. Because of this, though he looks like an American (except for his white suit and explorer's helmet), he thinks and acts a lot like someone who is Chinese. In many ways, he's very naive about America and is like an innocent among wolves. Early on, he meets a man who turns out to be a local party boss. This boss ALWAYS produces a losing candidate for the mayoral race--because he is bought and paid for by the corrupt mayor to produce a "token" candidate who has NO CHANCE of winning. Well, the old geezer who they traditionally run for office just died and he decides to run the naive Lloyd--he hasn't a prayer of winning! Well, the unthinkable happens and Lloyd wins!!! This, and Lloyd's decision to clean up the town greatly upsets the old political machine and they stop at nothing to destroy honest Lloyd. Just when it appears Lloyd is headed to jail on a trumped up corruption charge, he creates a scheme that is 100% impossible and very illegal to get signed confessions from the crooks. However, despite this, it is incredibly funny and a great ending. So, my advice is at the end, just suspend disbelief and enjoy.

An important note: This movie is definitely NOT politically correct. The word "Chink" is used repeatedly. I found it offensive but considering the times, I ignored it as you should too. If, however, you are someone who CAN'T and like being angry, I suggest you never watch movies anyway--as you are bound to become offended again and again.

Bogus mayor cleans up corrupt town...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 20 April 2009]

HAROLD LLOYD is a young man brought up in China who returns to the U.S. where his naive and bumbling ways lead him into a den of corrupt citizens who want to use him for their own purposes. He turns the tables on them by deciding that honesty is his best policy, winning an election he was supposed to lose.

Chief among the crooked politicians is GEORGE BARBIER, whom I had only seen in supporting roles in Warner comedies like IT'S LOVE I'M AFTER (as Olivia de Havilland's father) and a number of other screwball comedies where he played a befuddled gentleman. Here he is, just as befuddled as ever, in a larger role than usual, but he soon adopts some of Lloyd's philosophy and helps him rid the city of corruption.

The final act is bound to stir controversy today, dealing as it does with Chinese justice by the sword. NAT PENDLETON is amusing as a man who clearly doesn't want to die by the sword (or lose his head), and ALAN DINEHART and others give Lloyd fine support.

Not quite as funny as intended, it does pass the time quickly in spite of its rather long running time for a comedy of this sort. It should please Harold Lloyd fans who may forgive the lack of chemistry between him and UNA MERKEL, who is nobody's idea of a leading lady. She plays her usual wisecracking dame.

Alfred Newman's busy background score is more apparent than usual in a film of this vintage.

Don't expect the usual slapstick gags to liven up the satire. It's the sort of story Frank Capra or Preston Sturges would work wonders with later on.

Pleasant cinematic diversion

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 1 March 2014]

The social satire of this cinematic diversion shows Harold Lloyd proving he is as funny as he ever was in silent pictures. It does seem as though Mr. Lloyd's Chinese was dubbed in this film.

Despite its presentation of ethnic stereotypes that might be offensive to some modern day viewers, The Cat's Paw is still charming and rather tongue-in-cheek and not at all malicious. In fact, this writer would rank it among Lloyd's best sound features. Its greatest asset is its potent commentary about simple life values.

You do not need nine reminders to watch this film...just nine lives to enjoy it time and time again.

Is that the same Harold Lloyd that was hanging from the clock?

[Ben-38 · 8/10 · 5 October 1999]

This production was quite a surprise for me. I absolutely love obscure early 30s movies, but I wasn't prepared for the last 25 minutes of this story. If, by any chance, you're not convinced in the first half, hang in there for the finale. Of course, you must look at the blatant racism as being purely topical. A fascinating viewing experience, but I think THE CAT'S PAW is not available on video/DVD yet. Watch your PBS listings!

Entertaining little flick

[mrush · 4/10 · 9 May 2009]

While this isn't an all time classic comedy it is a pretty good little movie to watch if you catch it on a rainy Saturday morning with not a lot else going on right then.

Harold Lloyd plays Ezekiel Cobb, an American coming home after growing up in China where his dad was a missionary.He has come home from China to find an American wife and plans to return to China to continue his father's work.Cobb unwittingly is recruited to run for mayor of his corrupt home town when the existing political machine that controls the town realizes that he would make a perfect patsy to run against the current mayor who also is the head of the town's underworld.They figure the bumbling ,stumbling Cobb has no chance to win and therefore the current mayor continues to run the town and run his schemes which makes them all rich.

Lloyd isn't doing the physical comedy here like he did in his silent films.He does a convincing portrayal of Cobb with a reserved understated dignity.The acting was good from all involved and the story and script were also quite good.

Being made in 1934 the film does have some rather racist language when talking about the Chinese and it also has a typical black character from that era but these stereotypes aren't nearly as mean as I've seen from other films from that time.

Although not close to being Lloyd's best film ,this movie does entertain and Lloyd is very good as Cobb.You won't be blown away by this film but it may be enough to peak your interest in Lloyd and make you want to see more of his work.

Firmly Right Wing (as the Pressbook deftly informs us, but I loved it anyway!

[JohnHowardReid · 10/10 · 26 November 2017]

"The Cat's-Paw" (1934) (another 10/10 DVD from New Line) is a variation on Clarence Budington Kelland's own "Mr. Deeds Goes To Town" (1936). Instead of Gary Cooper, the naïve but Right-thinking (notice the capital "R") boob in this instance is played – and very effectively too – by Harold Lloyd.

Actually, Lloyd is enacting a far more serious role than usual, although it's not until the climax that he finally outwits his opponents more by cunning than good luck.

Even if you don't agree with the message, this is a mighty entertaining movie with elaborate production values, including really huge sets (the whole film was lensed at Fox studios) and thousands of extras.

Even the official credited players listed in the studio's press book number 108, and include such luminaries as Herman Bing, Sidney Bracy, Noah Young, Tom Dugan and Noel Madison who simply flash by in the background.

In the foreground, Lloyd gives a wholeheartedly ingratiating performance and is brilliantly supported by George Barbier (absolutely terrific in one of his meatiest roles), Grace Bradley (as the femme fatale), Una Merkel (as the unlikely heroine), and Alan Dinehart (as the corrupt boss of a corrupt machine).

But a movie of course does not succeed because its elaborate production values engage the audience's attention. Writing and direction are still paramount and both are most deftly supplied by Sam Taylor.

Should Politics Motivate Comedy?

[pap2348 · 1/10 · 13 December 2007]

If one were to return to the dawn of the talking picture, one would prophesy a bright future for Harold Lloyd. Unlike his competitors, he was a comedic actor trained on the legitimate stage not a performer raised in the purgatory of the music hall or vaudeville circuit. He had a good voice which matched his image. Moreover, from 1924 on, his "silent" films had incorporated sequences based on sound gags lost on the audience (e.g., the bell sequence at the Fall Frolic from THE FRESHMAN and the monkey sequence in THE KID BROTHER). Yet Lloyd's sound features consistently failed at the box office once the novelty of WELCOME DANGER had ebbed. Lloyd blamed his fall on many external sources, but never realized that the Glass character's enemy was not sound but the Great Depression. Pre-Depression audiences, giddy with optimism, may have rooted for this ambitious go-getter in whom they saw their surrogate; Depression audiences despised him as the person likely to foreclose on their mortgage and throw them in the gutter. Compounding this problem of character choice is Lloyd's perception as an insincere glad hander. Sincerity, of course, is a subjective appraisal, but it is undeniable that Lloyd, despite his own tragic upbringing, could never play a convincing down-and-outer. Perhaps this is because he feared returning to that state permanently. THE CAT'S-PAW fails for these reasons, but it alone suffers from the revelation of Lloyd's pro-fascist agenda. Many film scholars believe that Lloyd was prompted to make this film because he saw the presidency of FDR as a dictatorship bent on soaking the rich and soft on crime. We should remember that he was not alone in this feeling. DeMille had directed THIS DAY AND AGE, a pro-police state drama, the previous year. We should also remember that America was founded by hotheaded tax protesters and continues to be motivated by those who want something without paying for it. TCP suffered because it treated fascism lightly in a "comedy" and because its release was particularly ill-timed given the events in Germany in that year. The Production Code of 1934 would ultimately curtail the glorification of vigilante justice and reaffirm the rule of constitutional law, cumbersome as it might be. The ideal of the benevolent despot, the good-intentioned all-powerful leader who brings about a utopia once freed of the checks and balances on this omnipotence, dates to classical antiquity. For this reason, totalitarian regimes fear laughter even though it acts as a safety valve. Ironically, the mere existence of TCP, a film which demonizes the democratic experience of the country of its origin, shows that FDR's America was secure enough to accept criticism. One sees no parallel criticism in Hitler's Germany, Stalin's USSR, or Mussolini's Italy. But can one laugh at the gallows humor of pending fascism? Lloyd's unnuanced film is skewed to the right and might have been written by Dr Goebbels himself if he'd had a sense of humor, of course. It posits an alternative history in which a chosen one restores order and lost honor BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY, and does so with good nature and fun. Impending fascism approached by the left is, of course, Chaplin's THE GREAT DICTATOR. This latter film has the benefit of being set in another country and based on a thinly veiled actual persona and events. THE GREAT DICTATOR produces few laughs today because it under-estimated the extent of human evil, but it succeeds despite its artless and inappropriate speechifying, because it has the distinct advantage of being vindicated by history. Lloyd, however, should be credited for two things: first, he neither made any further pro-fascist films nor produced any subsequently hypocritically pro-allied films during the War: second, he never sold TCP to television. The post-1945 world had seen the face of fascism and it wasn't amusing.

The Great Dictator

[RainDogJr · 14 October 2008]

I'm still starting with the work of the prolific Harold Lloyd, actually this was just the very first experience with a feature film with Lloyd. I have seen before only four of his short films (Bumping Into Broadway, An Eastern Westerner, Now or Never and I Do) and this was also the very first time I listened to the voice of Lloyd. Anyway, this film was a little different of what I was expecting, well actually I didn't know anything about The Cat's-Paw and the little synopsis from the box set only remarks that the film is talked and that it is a satire. It was different from those short films but The Cat's-Paw is a very good achievement in Lloyd's career, extremely funny and with some very true things.

In the beginning we watch a "kid Harold Lloyd" (like in Now or Never) who is Ezekiel Cobb the son of a missionary who's mission took Ezekiel Cobb to China since he was just a kid. 20 years later is time for Cobby to finally return to the place where he was born, to the United States of America but not to stay there, actually he just want to find the right woman to later return to China to continue with the mission of his father. So we have an innocent man lost in the city, a man who grew up surrounded of Chinese literature and who in short is just too kind so too unique in the city. You can imagine the immediate consequences but maybe not the future ones.

We have a very funny politic satire set during election times so when the whole theater of the politicians is in danger they will need immediately a solution, they need a new candidate since the original one died. These politicians will see in Cobby the perfect new candidate for their theater, who will "try" to win the election against the mayor Morgan (Alan Dinehart). Is hilarious to watch these politicians picturing the future of their new candidate, "a missionary from China comes to reform his birth place" and stuff. However Cobby will be the new mayor and the whole theater will be down. With Cobby as mayor the problems begins soon since the guy doesn't know a single thing of politics but he does know what is bad and what is good, he is a complete honest mayor and with that the problems really begins for the machine. So at one point, after Cobby suffers a conspiracy, he will be alone as a dictator and he still has the time to finally make the police work but this time is for something big, the patrols won't be enough, the whole scum of the town will be in one place. So what will happen when this honest man has all the scum in the place that he wanted? Well is just a magical ending! And Cobby will return to China with his beautiful lady (Una Merkel).

I was completely entertained with this film, I laughed very load in many parts, I do think it is a great satire so I do recommend it a lot. Ling Po will be a name that you will not easily forget!

Lloyd brings a little Chinese wisdom to the politics of California

[SimonJack · 8/10 · 29 March 2022]

It should be said right up front that this is not a movie about a cat's paw, or kittens' claws, or anything to do with the feline species, or any animal paws. A cat's-paw, spelling just like that, is defined as one of three things in Merriam-Webster. In this case, it's a dupe or stooge, or someone who is used as a tool by someone else. And that fits this film perfectly.

"The Cats-Paw" is based on a novel of the same title (though spelled, "The Cat's Paw?), by Clarence Budington Kelland. An all but forgotten American author of some 60 novels and numerous short stories, Kelland is otherwise anonymously known -- and is likely to remain known, for generations to come because of Hollywood. That's because 30 films were made based on his stories. Among those that are best known are "Thirty Day Princess" of 1934, "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" of 1936, "Stand-In" of 1937, and "Arizona" of 1940.

Harold Lloyd was of the three great comedians of the silent film era to have a huge influence on cinema. This is one of a handful of sound films that his company made after making the last of his silent era films. Another reviewer noted that this isn't the Harold Lloyd most recognized from the silent era, and that's true. There are no antics or pratfalls by Lloyd here. But, instead there's a very good comedy with a cunningly thoughtful plot.

Lloyd is Ezekiel Cobb who was born and raised in China by his parents, where his father was a missionary. So, all he ever knew about Caucasians and Western civilization was from his father. He grew up with and was a friend of many of the Chinese people in his father's mission area. But now he is being sent off to America for some formal education and training in Western ways, before he hopes to return to follow in his father's footsteps. But shortly after his arrival, and before he can even meet the man in the church that has sponsored his father's mission, that guy drops dead of a heart attack. Cobb meets and gets some directional help from Jake Mayo, who is an old political operator. Cobb appreciates Mayo's frankness and honesty, and when the minister drops dead, Mayo convinces his crony friends that they should run Cobb on the opposition ticket in the minister's place. The election is just three days off, and they need to front a reform candidate, who is never expected to win, but just to keep a good face on the elections so that their friend, mayor Ed Morgan, can continue to operate the city with his thoroughly corrupt machine - of which they are all a part.

Well, without his church connection, Cobb then turns, naturally, toward the city's China town where he meets and befriends the leading wise Chinese men. And, his native Chinese language and constant reference to the sage Ling Po, endears him to these men. So, Cobb is often out having tea at Tien Wang's.

The story turns quite hilarious as Cobb, who only agreed to run because he could be assured of not winning, has a couple of encounters on the campaign trail that the newspapers chronicle and that endear him to the public. So, after a sweeping upset, the battle is on between the crooked Morgan and his machine who are daily losing members as Cobb fires one after another of them who are on the city roles. Mayo has become his right hand man and has to run interference with his old buddies and the new mayor.

George Barbier has never played any other role as well as he does this one, as Jake Mayo. He's superb in the role, and very funny in the situations he gets entangled in. Along with Lloyd and Barbier, two others on the supporting cast give top performances. Una Merkel plays Pet Pratt and Nat Pendleton is Strozzi. The rest of the cast give good performances.

The ending is a hilarious, very different and wonderful wrap to this story. Here are a couple of favorite lines from this film.

Ezekiel Cobb, to Jake Mayo, 'Now, that's what I like about you. You're so honest in your dishonesty that at heart I believe you're honest." Jake Mayo, "Say that again - kinda slow like."

Ezekiel Cobb, "He who's lived in the jungle is best equipped to fight wild beasts." Jake Mayo, "What?" Cobb, "Ling Po." Mayo, "Whatta you mean lived in the jungle?"