Three Chumps Ahead (1934)

Thelma rushes into the apartment she shares with Patsy, excited because she's fallen in love with Archie, a rich man with yachts and a British accent. Patsy isn't impressed and less so when... See full summary »

Director:

Gus Meins

Stars:

Thelma Todd, Patsy Kelly, Benny Baker

Cast

Cast overview:
Thelma Todd	...	Thelma Todd
Patsy Kelly	...	Patricia 'Patsy' Kelly
Benny Baker	...	Benny Baker, Second Suitor
Eddie Phillips	...	Archie Baker, First Suitor
Frank Moran	...	First Waiter

Storyline

Thelma rushes into the apartment she shares with Patsy, excited because she's fallen in love with Archie, a rich man with yachts and a British accent. Patsy isn't impressed and less so when Archie comes calling. She does her best to sink the romance, making noise while the lovers talk and offering Limburger cheese sandwiches. In desperation, Archie calls his brother Benny, who's a sailor, and asks him to keep Patsy company. After a series of mishaps, they end up at a saloon where Patsy orders everything on the menu. Who's going to have to pay?

---

Genres:

Comedy | Short

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 July 1934 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Roach Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

19 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

Some Good Laughs

Three Chumps Ahead (1934)

*** (out of 4)

Hal Roach short turns out to be one of the better entries in the Thelma Todd/Patsy Kelly series. In the film Todd is excited because she's met a millionaire (Eddie Phillips) but Kelly isn't so sure he's who he says he is. Kelly decides to stick around on their date just to see how much trouble she can cause. I've seen a limited number of these Todd/Kelly shorts and for the most part they've been hit and miss but this one here is clearly the best of the bunch. Turner Classic Movies show these from time to time and after this one I'm really looking forward to future airings. What works best here is that the supporting characters actually offer the two leads support. Phillips is very good and very funny in the role of the suitor and his facial gestures are priceless as he keeps getting annoyed with Kelly's antics. Benny Baker also gets a few good laughs as his buddy and Frank Moran, who some might remember from "B" Monogram pictures like GHOSTS ON THE LOOSE and THE CORPSE VANISHES, is very funny as a waiter. Kelly and Todd are also up to their usual standards and work well with the rest of the cast. The highlight is certainly the ending where the men discover they don't have enough money to pay for the check.