User Reviews

WHEN THIS ONE reel comedy hit the theater screens, Mr. Robert Benchley's screen persona was well known to its audience. Super-square, somewhat timid and oft smitten with a touch of the self importance bug, Benchley invariably underplayed his way through a series of how-to's, lectures and (as in this case) decidedly o-v-e-r-l-o-n-g speeches.

PLACING THIS STUIFFED shirt in the position of having to give a brief address at Spring's first game to an over-anxious and Winter-weary gentry was an immediate success as a comedic situation. The shorts comedic level on the laugh meter was greatly elevated due to Benchley's position as town treasurer and substitute for the absentee Mayor. For, after all, what could be worse than a boring and self important politician; but a substitute demagogue?

THE SEEMINGLY ENDLESS parade of verbal imagery being monotonously and slovenly meted out to an ever more impatient baseball crowd. The crowd, both collectively and through various individuals, serves as a sort of "straight man" to Benchley's stooge. The on-field hometown team also served to amplify the feelings of impatience and exasperation at the prolonged agony foisted on the rank and file folks.

FINALLY, AND TRUTHFULLY, not unexpectedly, the old, traditional "First Pitch" turns out to be a monumental, record shattering heave.

END OF STORY! Guffaw, guffaw, guffaw!!!!!

The city treasurer is to toss out the ceremonial first pitch of the baseball game, but decidedes to start with a rambling speech about local government activities and history. This is well done dry comedy.

Robert Benchley had been a critic for the old Life Magazine (not the one published by Henry Luce, but an earlier humor magazine) of the New York Theatre scene. He was a good critic, sometimes showing his real dismay with a play by giving capsule descriptions (of the long running comedy "ABIE'S IRISH ROSE", Benchley, who hated the play, wrote "Closing soon (Only Foolin')"). He gradually began writing essays about his various thoughts concerning life or literature or whatever, and his humorous pieces soon were being published in magazines as well as in books like MY TEN YEARS IN A QUANDARY.

Somewhere about 1928 Benchley was at a meeting of a club, and had to deliver a report on the treasury of the club. However he was ill prepared, and he gradually tried to cover up about it. The result was a moment of comic discovery - the people in the room were so taken in with his double-talk that they were amused, and advised him to write up what he had just done and use it for some up-coming evening of entertainment. Hence was born his first acting piece, "The Treasurer's Report". He would return to it on several occasions, including an early talkie short.

This 1938 short is about how the town of Sneeverport has just built a new baseball park, and it is to be dedicated on opening day. The Mayor was supposed to throw out the first baseball, but he is on a trip abroad (he's gone to Paris, not Italy as on the blurb on this thread*). So the ball is to be thrown out by town treasurer Benchley.

*I keep suspecting this is a dig at one particular Mayor of that period, James J. Walker ("Beau James") of New York City, who frequently took vacation trips to Europe, particularly Paris, while he was Mayor.

The problem is that, like most Benchley figures, they are embarrassed at sudden notoriety or importance. Treasurer Benchley would be able to handle a town meeting on finance, but he is not into throwing baseballs on opening day. He proceeds to try to tell an anecdote of his youth involved in sports, and manages to show that he thinks "touchdowns" are part of baseball. He is handed the ball by the long suffering head of the festivities (Harlan Briggs) who is shown every now and then wishing Benchley would shut up and throw the ball. Instead Benchley insists on talking about the history of the town, and the Indians in it (one of whom was as short as a doctor sitting near Benchley). He also starts delving into fiscal matters involving what benefits accrue to townspeople from their taxes. In the meantime we see the bored baseball players exercising in the field (two are playing a hand game that is still played by students in Junior High School cafeterias). All of this is quite amusing.

Finally, after Briggs persistent prodding Benchley throws the ball - and leaves the part in a moment of astonishment at how his simple act was so unexpected in outcome.