This is the first McDoakes short without Art Gilmore or anyone else offering behind-the-camera commentary. Sadly, that's not the movie's only loss.
Joe offers some half-baked political opinions at his office, prompting his blowhard co-worker Homer to observe that Joe should be running in local politics. What that turns out to be: Homer and some local politicos are looking for a no-namer whom they can run for Dog-Catcher, making everyone think local politics is squeaky-clean while the politicos "grease the machine" for their benefit.
One wonders if the writers for TV's "The Honeymooners" saw this short, because one of the live "Lost Episodes," "The People's Choice" (Oct. 23, 1954), had nearly the same scenario, with Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) in place of Joe McDoakes. In the end, though, the "Honeymooners" episode is far more satisfying, with Ralph soon realizing he's a pawn and then standing up to the politicos. Here [spoiler alert], Joe is forced to cave to the bigwigs, lest he wind up as some product in a dog-food can.
I'd have rated this one lower, if it hadn't been so funny up to the climax. George O'Hanlon's hamming it up as various kinds of politicians is quite good. The best scene of all is Homer and Joe addressing a disinterested ladies' luncheon. It's a terrific reprise of Joe's terrible-speech routine from So You Think You're a Nervous Wreck, with the additional side-joke of Homer telling Joe to nix it every time Joe mentions anything vaguely Communistic.
Our rating: (C) 2012, Steve Bailey.
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