Tuesday, March 4, 2014

The Boy Friends

A little about "The Boy Friends" series at the Roach studio.

The Boy Friends

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cast members from left to right: Grady Sutton, Dorothy Granger, David Sharpe, Gertrude Messinger, Mickey Daniels, Mary Kornman

The Boy Friends is a series of American comedy short films released between 1930 and 1932. The series consisted of fifteen films and was spun off from the long running Our Gang film series (also known as The Little Rascals).

Overview

Like the Our Gang shorts of the time, The Boy Friends films were two-reel short subjects produced by Hal Roach through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. They featured teenaged actors including some, particularly Mickey Daniels and Mary Kornman, who as children had starred in the early silent Our Gang shorts. Grady Sutton was also a lead player in the series. Daniels appeared in every short, Kornman appeared in all but one.
Roach released three The Boy Friends films in 1930: Doctor's Orders, Ladies Last, and Bigger and Better. The series added seven installments in 1931: Blood and Thunder, High Gear, Love Fever, Air Tight, Call a Cop, Mama Loves Papa, and The Kickoff. Finally, 1932 saw the release of the last five films: Love Pains, The Knockout, Too Many Women, Wild Babies, and You're Telling Me. Mickey Daniels appeared in each short, as did Mary Kornman with the exception of You're Telling Me. At least some of the films in the series took place at Elmira College, an actual school located in Roach's home town of Elmira, New York.

Characters

Mickey (Mickey Daniels): The main character
Mary (Mary Kornman): Mickey's girl friend
Grady "Alabam" Sutton (Grady Sutton): Mickey's best friend and sidekick
Dave (David Sharpe): Mickey and Grady's friend. He was their rival in his first short.
Gertie (Gertrude Messinger):Dave's love interest
Dorothy (Dorothy Granger): Alabam's love interest

Filmography

1930

Doctor's Orders
Bigger and Better
Ladies Last

1931

Blood and Thunder
High Gear
Love Fever
Air-Tight
Call a Cop!
Mama Loves Papa
The Kick-Off!

1932

Love Pains
The Knock-Out
You're Telling Me
Wild Babies
Too Many Women

* * *

"The Boy Friends" was like a teenage version of "Our Gang". The idea had potential, and the films even had some of the same cast members as the earlier series, but the series was not a success. Best thing that I can say about these movies is that they had pretty girls in them. Betty Bolen and Jacqueline Wells appeared in addition to Mary Kornman, Gertrude Messinger, and Dorothy Granger.

The series was said to have been the brainchild of George Stevens, who later became one of the most famous directors of all time. GUNGA DINN, THE MORE THE MERRIER, SHANE, and THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD are among the many classics he had to his credit. He also had another two-reel comedy series at RKO, "The Blondes And The Redheads", which was similar to "The Boy Friends", only with more emphasis on the girls..

Cast members Grady Sutton, Dorothy Granger, David Sharpe, Gertrude Messinger, Mickey Daniels, and Mary Kornman all autographed this photo.

Looking at these photos, it seems to me that the idea was that each couple resembled each other somewhat, and therefore looked as if they belonged together.

Leg art.

No doubt about it, in each case those legs look like they belong together.

In another publicity photo, they form a human pyramid.

MAMA LOVES PAPA

George Stevens ( seated ) directs a "Boy Friends" comedy.

Mickey Daniels and Mary Kornman in TOO MANY WOMEN.

The idea is that she's showing him pictures of them together that were taken when they were kids. The movie showed flashbacks from Our Gang comedies that they had made together in the silent era. This was an interesting idea, but it wasn't followed up on afterwards.

Jacqueline Wells, Mary Kornman, and Betty Bolen in THE KNOCKOUT

Notice the toy Mickey Mouse in this scene from THE KNOCKOUT.

Since Kay Kamen handled the merchandising of Hal Roach's properties as well as those of Walt Disney, it's not too surprising that Roach was actually involved in the promotion of toy "Mickey Mouses" in this period.

Hal Roach photographer Stax shot this photo of the "Boy Friends" with this 1932 Studebaker just in case it might be wanted for advertising purposes. But like the series itself, it didn't sell.

Reblogged from http://www.waxapple.org/articles/archives/98/

FILM FAN MONTHLY with "Boy Friends" cover.

Watch AIR TIGHT:

The Blondes And The Redheads:
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2013/02/blondes-and-redheads.html

The Boy Friends:
http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/354593%7C0/The-Boyfriends-Shorts.html

http://petekellysblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/some-grace-notes-on-hal-roach-fun.html

http://www.lordheath.com/index.php?p=1_1155_The-Boy-Friends

Betty Bolen:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0092863/

Mickey Daniels:
http://ourgang.wikia.com/wiki/Mickey_Daniels_(actor)

Dorothy Granger:
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2012/04/dorothy-granger.html

Mary Kornman:
http://marykornman.com/

Gertrude Messenger:
http://www.b-westerns.com/ladies47.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Messinger

Mickey Mouse ( And Hal Roach ):
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2013/10/mickey-mouse-and-mr-roach.html

David Sharpe:
http://hollywoodstuntmen.blogspot.com/2012/09/david-sharpe_27.html

George Stevens:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stevens

Grady Sutton:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Messinger

Jacqueline Wells:
http://www.westernclippings.com/interview/juliebishop_interview.shtml

A

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Cameos In The Comics

Various movie stars turned up as characters in the comics.

Mary Astor* on the cover of MOLLY O'DAY ( 1945 ): inside, the character resembles SALLY THE SLEUTH.

A Joe Penner page from 1938 was reprinted in MOLLY O'DAY.

The duck is there because he had an act where he kept asking everyone if they wanted to buy a duck.

The character of Dixie Dugan was based on Louise Brooks.

MY FRIEND IRMA was based on a character that Marie Wilson played, and we see a picture of Marie Wilson herself on the cover along with the cartoon character.

Moronica was like another version of Marie Wilson.

Moronica with someone who looks like Grady Sutton

STARLET O'HARA had red hair and might have been meant to be like Rita Hayworth. Her friend Fritzi made a reference to having hair like Hedy Lamarr. There were some movie stars in their stories.

Gregory Peck with Starlet O'Hara