We know we're in for a doozy when the second-billed credit after George O'Hanlon is, "Introducing Clarence Ross, Mr. America 1945, Mr. U.S.A. 1948." So Clifton Young never gets a credit for his great support as Homer Hotbox, but some one-time muscle-bound lunk does??
Anyway, Ross plays Ellery, Joe's new hunky neighbor, whose entire wardrobe (for the movie, at least) consists of a tight pair of shorts, all the better to appease the women in the audience with endless shots of Ellery's perfectly chiseled anatomy. Naturally, Joe's wife Alice is taken in by this sight, causing Joe to spend $86 for the complete set of "Lester Apollo" (read, Charles Atlas) muscle-building gear -- mostly a bunch of 78 RPM records instructing Joe on how to do exercises.
Other than a chance to gaze upon Mr. America's form, this short is mostly an excuse to see how silly George O'Hanlon can be in front of a camera, and on that basis, the short is a riot. At least Joe/O'Hanlon has some screen charisma, which is more than one can say for Mr. Ross, whose only movie appearance this was. Even Willard Waterman (best known to radio and early-TV aficionados as "The Great Gildersleeve") has more screen presence as Lester Apollo.
Our rating: (C) 2012, Steve Bailey.
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