Andy's Stump Speech (1924)
*** (out of 4)
Live action adaptation of the Sidney Smith cartoon has Joe Murphy playing Andy Gump, a man running for President who can't seem to get a break when it comes time for him to travel and make his first big speech. This is the first film in the series that I've ever seen so I really wasn't sure what to expect but it turned out to be pretty funny and it certainly made me want to track down some of the others. This here was lost for decades but was thankfully recovered in a New Zealand vault. I thought the film was rather routine in regards to its actual story but where it set itself apart was when the various bad things started happening. There's a really good joke early on because Andy is naked in a lake and can't get out because some goats have eaten his clothes. This is followed by a wonderful scene where there's a trick done so that we, the viewer, don't see any nudity. There's also a great little gag involving Andy and his family being hit by a train and many more funny bits follow. I thought Murphy was extremely good in the role as his awkward looks allowed him to have some very funny moments including one where he's trying to shave. There's a very funny bee sequence and I won't ruin what happens at the speech but it too was quite funny. ANDY'S STUMP SPEECH is certainly a nice little gem that was thankfully found.
*** (out of 4)
Live action adaptation of the Sidney Smith cartoon has Joe Murphy playing Andy Gump, a man running for President who can't seem to get a break when it comes time for him to travel and make his first big speech. This is the first film in the series that I've ever seen so I really wasn't sure what to expect but it turned out to be pretty funny and it certainly made me want to track down some of the others. This here was lost for decades but was thankfully recovered in a New Zealand vault. I thought the film was rather routine in regards to its actual story but where it set itself apart was when the various bad things started happening. There's a really good joke early on because Andy is naked in a lake and can't get out because some goats have eaten his clothes. This is followed by a wonderful scene where there's a trick done so that we, the viewer, don't see any nudity. There's also a great little gag involving Andy and his family being hit by a train and many more funny bits follow. I thought Murphy was extremely good in the role as his awkward looks allowed him to have some very funny moments including one where he's trying to shave. There's a very funny bee sequence and I won't ruin what happens at the speech but it too was quite funny. ANDY'S STUMP SPEECH is certainly a nice little gem that was thankfully found.