On Again—Off Again
This wacky vaudeville-style romp casts the irreverent comedy team as feuding co-owners of a drug company, William “Willy” Hobbs and Claude Augustus Horton, who agree to wrestle each other for the sole ownership of the business. The winner will take the company and the loser must become the other’s valet for a year. But when Hobbs loses, he sends his wife to Florida and schemes to trick Horton. What follows are hilarious hijinks as only Wheeler and Woolsey can pull off!
Insights
Plot Summary
In this short comedy, a bumbling salesman attempts to sell a newfangled invention to a skeptical businessman. The invention, a contraption designed to automate the process of opening and closing doors, leads to a series of chaotic and slapstick encounters. The salesman's persistent efforts are met with increasing frustration and physical comedy.
Critical Reception
As a short film from 1937, contemporary critical reception is difficult to pinpoint. However, it is generally regarded as a typical example of the low-budget, gag-driven comedies popular in that era, relying on physical humor and simple premises for entertainment. Audience reception would have been tied to its theatrical release as a B-movie or short subject.
What Reviewers Say
- Relies heavily on physical comedy and slapstick.
- A straightforward, gag-filled short typical of its time.
- Simple premise with predictable outcomes.
Google audience: Information on specific Google user reviews for this short film is not available.
Fun Fact
The film is notable for featuring a primitive-looking automated door opener, a common trope in science fiction and comedic visions of the future during the early 20th century.
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