Call Her Sausage (1933)

Ben proves to be the undoing when Billy opens a new deli. Ben and Billy do a variation of the famous "who's on first" skit.

Director:

Gus Meins

Stars:

Ben Blue, Billy Gilbert, Lucile Browne

Cast

Cast overview:
Ben Blue	...	Benny
Billy Gilbert	...	Heinie Schmaltz
Lucile Browne	...	Matilda Schmaltz
Billy Bletcher	...	Meyer

Storyline

Against his better judgment, Schmaltz lets Billy help him prepare for the opening of Schmaltz's Delicatessen. Mama is the cook, Tillie is the cashier, and Billy is the clerk. First there are problems stocking the shelves, then there's a discordant rehearsal of the musicians who will play at the opening, then there's Billy's inept hanging of the Grand Opening sign outside the shop. Why has such a crowd gathered? What has Billy done?

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Plot Keywords:

rehearsal | sign | delicatessen | grand opening | shop | 

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Genres:

Short | Comedy | Music

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 1933 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Hal Roach Studios - 8822 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Roach Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

20 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

End of the Taxi Boys

Although this was released under the "Taxi Boys" banner, this Ben Blue and Billy Gilbert short has nothing to do with taxis. Gus Meins' production deals with the opening of a deli owned by Billy, who is "helped" by Ben. Billy plays his "Schmaltz" character, a middle European stereotype, which he played in Roach comedies through 1934. I guess Roach knew that the Taxi series wasn't working and tried a couple of films to keep the Blue and Gilbert teaming going. (The other film is "The Rummy", which is not as good.) Besides the typical Roach slapstick, Ben and Billy engage in some verbal acrobatics similar to Abbott and Costello. However, the timing is slower, and it doesn't really work. After "The Rummy", Ben Blue returned to New York where he appeared in some Vitaphone shorts. Roach still tried to promote Billy as a leading comic doing his Schmaltz character or a variation of it. "Apples to You" and "Music in Your Hair" are particularly good short comedies from this period. Gilbert freelanced at most of the studios, even though he was a Roach regular. He even has a showy role in the later Roach comedy "Blockheads".