In post-war Britain, there was an extremely popular radio show called "Educating Archie", starring ventriloquist Peter Brrough (drop one 'r': IMDb's spell-check won't let me spell this name properly) and his "figure" (ventriloquist's dummy): a smart-aleck schoolboy named Archie Andrews. When Brrough and his dummy made the transition from radio to television, the act became less popular. Brrough's ventiloquistic skills weren't very good, and once the audience could SEE Brrough and Archie doing their cross-talk routines, it was obvious that Brrough was doing all the talking for his dummy.
For exactly the same reason, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy were superstars on American radio, but never quite made it in films or television. Their dialogue is often quite funny, but there's usually nothing interesting happening visually ... except that we can see Bergen's lips moving whenever Charlie speaks. "Office Scandal" is a very early Bergen-McCarthy short, and it's not funny. The sound recording is primitive (this is especially fatal for a "vent" act), and the camera is nailed to the floor.
Bergen plays some sort of executive (on a very shoddy soundstage representing an office), and Charlie is supposed to be his new office boy. Charlie usually wore top hat and tails: here, he's wearing a ridiculous Dead End Kid outfit with a flat cap. Bergen and McCarthy sit at opposite ends of a desk and talk at each other, and Bergen looks like he's been carved out of the same block of wood that gave birth to Charlie. Some poor stagehand is crouched under the desk, working Charlie's jaw while Bergen keeps both of his hands free.
Christina Graver, an untalented but nice-looking blonde, plays Bergen's secretary. Of course Charlie McCarthy makes a pass at her. I kept expecting a joke about Charlie "getting wood" for her, but this movie isn't funny enough to reach that level.
Edgar Bergen's best film work was his straightforward dramatic performance in "Letter of Introduction". Skip "Office Scandal" and rent that movie instead. Charlie McCarthy ended up in the Smithsonian, but this movie doesn't deserve to be in there with him. I give it one point out of a possible 10.
For exactly the same reason, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy were superstars on American radio, but never quite made it in films or television. Their dialogue is often quite funny, but there's usually nothing interesting happening visually ... except that we can see Bergen's lips moving whenever Charlie speaks. "Office Scandal" is a very early Bergen-McCarthy short, and it's not funny. The sound recording is primitive (this is especially fatal for a "vent" act), and the camera is nailed to the floor.
Bergen plays some sort of executive (on a very shoddy soundstage representing an office), and Charlie is supposed to be his new office boy. Charlie usually wore top hat and tails: here, he's wearing a ridiculous Dead End Kid outfit with a flat cap. Bergen and McCarthy sit at opposite ends of a desk and talk at each other, and Bergen looks like he's been carved out of the same block of wood that gave birth to Charlie. Some poor stagehand is crouched under the desk, working Charlie's jaw while Bergen keeps both of his hands free.
Christina Graver, an untalented but nice-looking blonde, plays Bergen's secretary. Of course Charlie McCarthy makes a pass at her. I kept expecting a joke about Charlie "getting wood" for her, but this movie isn't funny enough to reach that level.
Edgar Bergen's best film work was his straightforward dramatic performance in "Letter of Introduction". Skip "Office Scandal" and rent that movie instead. Charlie McCarthy ended up in the Smithsonian, but this movie doesn't deserve to be in there with him. I give it one point out of a possible 10.
