During her stardom years no one could approach Mabel Normand in popularity and success as the screen's premier comedienne and she was beloved not only by her fans but by other stars as well. But she was an "ice cream for breakfast" girl and the parties and riotous living told their tale, not to mention inadvertent involvement in several scandals. Those scandals were the last straw and her heady career came to a stand still until, overnight, she was back where she started - in short slapstick comedies. Only Hal Roach was willing to put her to work - at this stage he often utilized former greats on their way down and got as much value and publicity from them as he could!! There are flashes of comedic sparkle but not many in Mabel's last hurrah for the cinema.
She plays Raggedy Rose, a poor junk shop worker who, along with her boss (Max Davidson) creeps out in the dead of night with a pair of mechanical fighting cats that they set off so they can collect shoes etc, from angry people disturbed from their slumbers (actually a very funny gag). When a former junk shop worker tells tales of the wonderful food and treatment she was given when she accidentally fell in front of a bus and was raced to hospital, Rose dreams of the day that will happen to her. Eventually it does but instead of hospital she finds herself being treated like a princess in the home of the town's most eligible bachelor, Ted Tudor played by Carl Miller with hair so heavily brillianteened you can almost see your reflection in it!! Rose is dazed and confused - she also thinks that butler Simpson Sniffle (James Finlayson) is a lunatic and he ends up believing he is Napoleon!!
Throw into the mix the leggy Anita Garvin as a gold digging fiancé who sees Rose as after her meal ticket and there are plenty of laughs!! In fact I think Finlayson almost steals the movie as the put upon butler who decides it might be easier being crazy instead!!
Even though Mabel's friends, Hal Roach and Stan Laurel pulled out all stops to secure the film's success it was a box office flop and Mabel retired permanently from Hollywood a couple of months later. Interesting thing is that the image so often associated with this movie, of Mabel in a gorgeous flounced skirt is seen all too briefly in a dream sequence. It's a pity because she looks adorable in it but it is over all too soon!!
She plays Raggedy Rose, a poor junk shop worker who, along with her boss (Max Davidson) creeps out in the dead of night with a pair of mechanical fighting cats that they set off so they can collect shoes etc, from angry people disturbed from their slumbers (actually a very funny gag). When a former junk shop worker tells tales of the wonderful food and treatment she was given when she accidentally fell in front of a bus and was raced to hospital, Rose dreams of the day that will happen to her. Eventually it does but instead of hospital she finds herself being treated like a princess in the home of the town's most eligible bachelor, Ted Tudor played by Carl Miller with hair so heavily brillianteened you can almost see your reflection in it!! Rose is dazed and confused - she also thinks that butler Simpson Sniffle (James Finlayson) is a lunatic and he ends up believing he is Napoleon!!
Throw into the mix the leggy Anita Garvin as a gold digging fiancé who sees Rose as after her meal ticket and there are plenty of laughs!! In fact I think Finlayson almost steals the movie as the put upon butler who decides it might be easier being crazy instead!!
Even though Mabel's friends, Hal Roach and Stan Laurel pulled out all stops to secure the film's success it was a box office flop and Mabel retired permanently from Hollywood a couple of months later. Interesting thing is that the image so often associated with this movie, of Mabel in a gorgeous flounced skirt is seen all too briefly in a dream sequence. It's a pity because she looks adorable in it but it is over all too soon!!