This more than usually entertaining 1940 Vitaphone short directed by Roy Mack borrows the plot of a Phil Harris short made four years earlier. A stunt double, Lee Dixon, under anesthesia dreams he is in other worlds populated by movie stars. Some of the imitations he hears are excellent--Tom Herbert does a terrific job impersonating his more famous brother Hugh. Fans of Mae West will love rehearing the great Sammy Fain song "Now I'm A Lady" decently mimicked by Virginia Rendell. There's even a Hollywood song for male chorus by Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin with lyrics as good as "Horray for Hollywood." A better than average Warner Bros. short subject.
8 Reviews
interesting premise
SnoopyStyle3 December 2022
Bill (Lee Dixon) is a stunt double for the movie star lead. The punch actually connects. He loses a tooth and gets knocked out. He goes to the dentist. He dreams of other doubles replacing the well-known stars while he's put under.
It's an interesting premise. The audience of its day would be having fun spotting the double of their favorite star. I probably have a lot more trouble. For example, Mae West is easy. I definitely recognize some of these roles. Some of the others are a little harder to figure out. I wouldn't mind a modern movie trying this concept. It's a surreal watch. It's a real guessing game.
It's an interesting premise. The audience of its day would be having fun spotting the double of their favorite star. I probably have a lot more trouble. For example, Mae West is easy. I definitely recognize some of these roles. Some of the others are a little harder to figure out. I wouldn't mind a modern movie trying this concept. It's a surreal watch. It's a real guessing game.
Amusing short has doubles representing famous stars of the '30s and '40s...
Doylenf25 February 2009
LEE DIXON is a stunt double who gets punched in the jaw and ends up at the dentist to have a tooth replaced. He's given gas by the dental assistant and immediately imagines himself acting opposite various stars of the silver screen.
Among the stars, the Deanna Durbin double is the most effective--as well as the Greta Garbo impersonation and Hugh Herbert. Less impressive but good enough were Mae West, Norma Shearer, Charles Laughton, Joe E. Brown, Zasu Pitts, Bing Crosby and Eddie Cantor.
Enjoyment will depend solely on whether you recognize these performers or not. Other than that, there are a couple of so-so song numbers composed by Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin--but nothing special.
Among the stars, the Deanna Durbin double is the most effective--as well as the Greta Garbo impersonation and Hugh Herbert. Less impressive but good enough were Mae West, Norma Shearer, Charles Laughton, Joe E. Brown, Zasu Pitts, Bing Crosby and Eddie Cantor.
Enjoyment will depend solely on whether you recognize these performers or not. Other than that, there are a couple of so-so song numbers composed by Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin--but nothing special.
Bing's fans seeing double
bkoganbing25 February 2020
3 years before this short subject from Warner Brothers Bing Crosby did a film
also entitled Double Or Nothing. Maybe a few of his fans thought they were
seeing a re-release.
This amusing short subject has many of the folks who double for stars including Bing Crosby getting a chance to show their stuff. Other doubles include Mae West, Zasu Pitts, Deanna Durbin, Hugh Herbert, Charles Laughton, and Eddie Cantor.
All this is in a dream sequence where Lee Dixon gets the gas courtesy of his dentist. Dixon is best known for being the original Will Parker in Oklahoma.
It's an amusing short subject, you'll like the impersonations.
This amusing short subject has many of the folks who double for stars including Bing Crosby getting a chance to show their stuff. Other doubles include Mae West, Zasu Pitts, Deanna Durbin, Hugh Herbert, Charles Laughton, and Eddie Cantor.
All this is in a dream sequence where Lee Dixon gets the gas courtesy of his dentist. Dixon is best known for being the original Will Parker in Oklahoma.
It's an amusing short subject, you'll like the impersonations.
Somewhere In Between
boblipton26 April 2022
Stunt double Lee Dixon is injured on set. He's also given anesthesia and dreams of production numbers in famous films, with roles taken by other doubles. It's of some fun for fans of movies of the era, watching people do decent imitations of Joe E. Brown, Deanna Durbin and other movie stars, but others will likely be confused.
Not So Lasting Impressions
atlasmb11 February 2019
This short features a collection of impressions of film stars, presented as the dreams of a dental patient under anesthesia. Some of the impressions are very convincing while others are rather amateurish. It's enough to hold one's attention between feature presentations, but if you skipped it to get another box of popcorn, you would probably be okay with that.
Fun for those who remember the film personalities of the thirties
inkster-411 July 1999
This is a fun short for those of us who remember the personalities being impersonated or who want an early example of the genius of songwriters Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin. Under anesthesia a stunt double, having a dentist repair a tooth lost during a fight in a western, dreams of movie scenes starring him with famous stars (Mae West, Bing Crosby, Eddie Cantor, Deanna Durbin, Hugh Herbert, Zazu Pitts, Joe E. Brown, Greta Garbo, among them). Only the actors are portrayed by their doubles.
During this hilarious "send-up" of Hollywood . . .
pixrox126 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
. . . Tinsel Town's brightest stars--ALL uncredited!!--impersonate comedians spoofing themselves performing their own greatest roles. Perhaps most convincing is "Clark Gable," who pulls double duty during DOUBLE OR NOTHING by first channeling "Red Skelton" as "Fletcher Christian" in MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, and then embodying a very wide-mouthed "Joe E. Brown" as GONE WITH THE WINDS's "Rhett Butler" (to a spot-on "Vivien Leigh" as "Lucille Ball" as "Scarlett O'Hara"). Not to be outdone, "Al Jolson" dons Blackface to roast "Fred Astaire" as THE JAZZ SINGER, before the raucous laughter has even faded from seeing "Grete Garbo" sashaying about aping "Mae West" attempting QUEEN CHRISTINA. A barely recognizable "James Cagney" apes "Hugh Herbert" performing in the guise of a PUBLIC ENEMY, while a precocious "Laurence Olivier" stretches himself to encompass "Mickey Rooney" as Der Fuhrer's "Is it safe?" mad dentist so memorably menacing in MARATHON MAN.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
