Marie Dressler is the star, but hers is really only a supporting role to J. Farrell MacDonald who plays Jiggs, a henpecked husband who finally takes offence when his wife and daughter fail to acknowledge him while entertaining her upper-class beau and his parents. Polly Moran, another big female comic of the silent era, plays his wife. There's a few scattered laughs, but it soon outstays its welcome.
3 Reviews
The Comic Strip On The Big Screen
boblipton19 February 2020
Polly Moran and J. Farrell MacDonald are Maggie and Jiggs. They fight in matters lifted from the comic strip, while their daughter, played by Gertrude Olmstead, captivates visiting nobleman Grant Withers. Marie Dressler, playing MacDonald's sister Annie Moore, steals the movie every time she's on screen.
George McManus created the comic strip this was based on in 1913. In it, Jiggs won the Irish Sweepstake and was now wealthy; Maggie wanted to move into society, but Jiggs preferred his old pleasures and companions... even when Maggie would comment with a rolling pin on his rolling home drunk in the wee hours. It was a constant battle of cultural assimilation, with McManus changing the background from from panel to panel, and once having a character from the topper strip climb down impnto the proceedings.
McManus died in 1954, but King Features kept the strip going until 2000.
Despite top MGM talent behind the camera - Francis Marion did the writing, Jack Conway directed and William Daniels was the cinematographer - the movie doesn't hold together, despite some very funny comedy set-ups and the irrepressible Miss Dressler.
George McManus created the comic strip this was based on in 1913. In it, Jiggs won the Irish Sweepstake and was now wealthy; Maggie wanted to move into society, but Jiggs preferred his old pleasures and companions... even when Maggie would comment with a rolling pin on his rolling home drunk in the wee hours. It was a constant battle of cultural assimilation, with McManus changing the background from from panel to panel, and once having a character from the topper strip climb down impnto the proceedings.
McManus died in 1954, but King Features kept the strip going until 2000.
Despite top MGM talent behind the camera - Francis Marion did the writing, Jack Conway directed and William Daniels was the cinematographer - the movie doesn't hold together, despite some very funny comedy set-ups and the irrepressible Miss Dressler.
Rolling-pin humor.
Clark J Holloway18 April 2003
Warning: Spoilers
*** SPOILERS ***
The Duke of Mantell, who prefers to be known as Dennis, meets and is smitten with Jiggs' and Maggie's daughter, Ellen, at a society swimming party. This inflames Maggie's social pretensions, so when Dennis sends Ellen flowers with a note saying that he and his society friends will visit the next day for tea, Maggie complains to Jiggs about the shabby apartment they're living in. To impress the visitors, Maggie rents expensive furniture and convinces Dinty and Annie Moore to pose as servants. While out walking Maggie's dog, Fifi, Jiggs gets dirty helping a man who has fallen into an open manhole (only to throw the guy back in upon learning that he is a rolling pin manufacturer).
Jiggs returns to the apartment while the tea party is underway. Maggie and Ellen are embarrassed by his dishevelled appearance, and dismiss him as another servant. As Dennis is leaving, Ellen denies his good-natured guess that Jiggs is really her father, and Jiggs overhears. Dennis sees through Ellen's denial, but Jiggs backs up her story. To save Maggie and Ellen from future embarrassment, Jiggs buys a Long Island mansion.
In their new home, Maggie receives etiquette lessons from her effeminate social secretary, Oswald. While Maggie, Ellen and Oswald entertain Dennis at dinner, Jiggs, Dinty, and Annie enjoy an evening watching showgirls at the Blackbird Cafe. That night, Jiggs dreams of one of the showgirls, but is horrified that he may have committed an indiscretion when he awakens in his room the next morning to find Oswald in the bed next to his.
Later, Jiggs hopes to throw a party for Ellen's birthday, but is disappointed when Ellen, fearing embarrassment, asks him not to attend. At the party, Annie Moore shows up and scandalizes Maggie with her coarse ways, and Oswald convinces her to do something about it. Maggie storms up to Jiggs's room and tells him that she's had enough, they'll have to separate. Jiggs is despondent, and contemplates suicide. Meanwhile, Ellen confesses to Dennis that Jiggs is really her father, and Dennis, pleased that she has overcome her pretensions, places an engagement ring on her finger.
Kicked out of the party by Maggie, Annie comes upon Jiggs preparing to shoot himself. She convinces him to fake his death and teach Maggie a lesson. Notified by the maid that Jiggs is going to kill himself, Maggie rushes to his prostrate body, overcome with despair. When Jiggs reveals that he is still alive, Maggie beans him with a hammer.
Although the film is a pleasant enough adaptation of McManus's comic strip, and has some hilarious comedy set-pieces, it wasn't particularly successful at the box office, and was dismissed by Photoplay magazine's reviewer as "rolling-pin humor."
The Duke of Mantell, who prefers to be known as Dennis, meets and is smitten with Jiggs' and Maggie's daughter, Ellen, at a society swimming party. This inflames Maggie's social pretensions, so when Dennis sends Ellen flowers with a note saying that he and his society friends will visit the next day for tea, Maggie complains to Jiggs about the shabby apartment they're living in. To impress the visitors, Maggie rents expensive furniture and convinces Dinty and Annie Moore to pose as servants. While out walking Maggie's dog, Fifi, Jiggs gets dirty helping a man who has fallen into an open manhole (only to throw the guy back in upon learning that he is a rolling pin manufacturer).
Jiggs returns to the apartment while the tea party is underway. Maggie and Ellen are embarrassed by his dishevelled appearance, and dismiss him as another servant. As Dennis is leaving, Ellen denies his good-natured guess that Jiggs is really her father, and Jiggs overhears. Dennis sees through Ellen's denial, but Jiggs backs up her story. To save Maggie and Ellen from future embarrassment, Jiggs buys a Long Island mansion.
In their new home, Maggie receives etiquette lessons from her effeminate social secretary, Oswald. While Maggie, Ellen and Oswald entertain Dennis at dinner, Jiggs, Dinty, and Annie enjoy an evening watching showgirls at the Blackbird Cafe. That night, Jiggs dreams of one of the showgirls, but is horrified that he may have committed an indiscretion when he awakens in his room the next morning to find Oswald in the bed next to his.
Later, Jiggs hopes to throw a party for Ellen's birthday, but is disappointed when Ellen, fearing embarrassment, asks him not to attend. At the party, Annie Moore shows up and scandalizes Maggie with her coarse ways, and Oswald convinces her to do something about it. Maggie storms up to Jiggs's room and tells him that she's had enough, they'll have to separate. Jiggs is despondent, and contemplates suicide. Meanwhile, Ellen confesses to Dennis that Jiggs is really her father, and Dennis, pleased that she has overcome her pretensions, places an engagement ring on her finger.
Kicked out of the party by Maggie, Annie comes upon Jiggs preparing to shoot himself. She convinces him to fake his death and teach Maggie a lesson. Notified by the maid that Jiggs is going to kill himself, Maggie rushes to his prostrate body, overcome with despair. When Jiggs reveals that he is still alive, Maggie beans him with a hammer.
Although the film is a pleasant enough adaptation of McManus's comic strip, and has some hilarious comedy set-pieces, it wasn't particularly successful at the box office, and was dismissed by Photoplay magazine's reviewer as "rolling-pin humor."
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