I know what you've been asking. When is someone going to show some Wheeler and Woolsey movies, for God's sake? Well, your prayers have been answered. This evening, Turner Classic Movies is airing a batch of films starring the movie comedy team that darn near no one remembers, Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey. The two men were, like the Marx Brothers, big Broadway stars who segued to the silver screen once talking pictures were invented…and they were pretty popular until 1938 when Mr. Woolsey passed away.
If you watch any of the films airing tonight — and if you have to pick one, I'd suggest Caught Plastered, which was directed by William Seiter, who directed Laurel and Hardy in Sons of the Desert — you might wonder why Wheeler and Woolsey have been so totally forgotten. Their films move quickly and are just as full of gags as anything with Stan, Ollie, Groucho, Harpo, Chico or even Zeppo. True, they lack the wonderful characterizations and personalities of those men but they still delivered a lot more entertainment than most other early funny boys of the talkies. They aren't in the same league as Laurel and Hardy or the Brothers Marx but they also don't deserve total obscurity.