As dry and droll as Fred Allen but not quite as witty and never as sarcastic, ROBERT BENCHLEY stars in this bland '38 short on the subject of baseball.
He plays City Treasurer Benchley, a man invited to throw out the first ball to celebrate opening of a new ballpark. Instead of getting down to business, Benchley starts making a speech that soon drags on and on, exasperating the ball players and the audience in the stands (as well, I presume, as anyone watching this short).
He goes on and on about city finances, puts the ball down, picks up his briefcase and delves into the subject of city finances while the crowd on the stands fidgets in boredom. Occasionally, a drunken man shouts in agreement with something he says and the crowd bursts into laughter.
Not really that funny, but at least there is a nice twist at the end that might satisfy some Benchley fans when he does make the throw.
He plays City Treasurer Benchley, a man invited to throw out the first ball to celebrate opening of a new ballpark. Instead of getting down to business, Benchley starts making a speech that soon drags on and on, exasperating the ball players and the audience in the stands (as well, I presume, as anyone watching this short).
He goes on and on about city finances, puts the ball down, picks up his briefcase and delves into the subject of city finances while the crowd on the stands fidgets in boredom. Occasionally, a drunken man shouts in agreement with something he says and the crowd bursts into laughter.
Not really that funny, but at least there is a nice twist at the end that might satisfy some Benchley fans when he does make the throw.