Series: Charley Chase Director: James Parrott Producer: Hal Roach Titles: Photography: Len Powers Editor: Stars: Charley Chase, Lorraine Eason, Will Walling, Kate Bruce, Charles A. Post, Polly Moran Company: Pathé Exchange Released: 06 February 1927 Length: 2 reels Production No.: B-16 Filming dates: October 25 - November 4, 1926 Rating: 7/10

Are Brunettes Safe?

Available on BLU-RAY & DVD:

Charley is the editor of the 'Helping Hands' section of a newspaper and is answering a series of letters that have been sent in to his office. One letter is from a man named Bud Gordon who asks for advice when he cannot visit his elderly mother and encloses a photograph of himself which is a dead-ringer for the editor! Charley decides to visit the woman himself, given that he looks identical to her son. When he arrives in Oakdale he is recognised as (or rather, mistaken for) Bud Gordon, a bank robber with a reputation and word is sent around town to warn people that he has returned. As Charley walks through town everybody makes a mad dash to get out of his way. An armed man fires a gun at him and Charley quickly jumps into the back of a young lady's car. She drives him to back her home where she picks flowers and apples from the garden. Their obvious attraction for each of them is confirmed when they both agree to accompany one another to their respectives engagements later on. Charley leaves and heads to the house of Bud Gordon's mother, whilst still pretending to be him. The mother is glad to see 'Bud' and notes how grown up he looks now. She reassures him that she still believes him to be innocent of all the crimes he is accused of committing, much to Charley's confusion! To make things more complicated, the mother encourages him to reconnect with his sister who is also at the house. Turns out to be the young lady he met earlier. The disappointment Charley feels knowing that the woman he has fallen in love with is actually his sister. Well, sort of.

Charley escorts his 'mother' and 'sister' along the street when he is recognised by an old friend who calls him Charley. Not wishing to have his identity blown in front of the ladies Charley pretends to not know the man and berates him. A little while later Charley returns to explain his situation to his friend when the women aren't around. Charley arrives at the charity dance and again is recognised as Bud by the 'village beauty' (POLLY MORAN) who drags him away for a dance. Afterwards Charley's buddy tells him that the girl behind the counter (his 'sister') is looking upset but Charley shrugs it off. The mother asks Charley to sing but Charley tries to get out of it by making an excuse that he has a sore throat, so a young boy is sent to get some rocky candy for him. Unfortunately, the confectioner mixes up the candy with alum and Charley gets a mouthful of it and spends the next few minutes trying to sing whilst pulling outrageous faces! The sheriff and a few of his men storm into the dancehall and point out Charley as being the man who robbed a bank. Charley confesses to his 'mum' that he is not her son but when the sheriff asks him to prove it Charley attempts to show them ID. The sheriff mistakes it as him trying to reach for a gun and all hell breaks loose. Charley is approached by a man who tells him that Charley (or rather, Bud) is innocent and that he was framed and that it was the banker himself who stole the money. Charley uses a clever trick on a carousel to break bottles over the heads of everybody in the room as it rotates. Buddy shows up, now with his name cleared, and Charley gets his girl.

Favourite bit It's the comical way Charley jumps over the fence.

Trivia • Copyrighted January 14, 1927. • The film made its DVD/Blu-Ray debut in late 2024. It has recreated credits and intertitle cards. It is also my opinion that two of the opening credits' cards are the wrong way around: on the DVD, the Superving Director/Titles card comes last before the film begins, but usually it should be the Director's credit that comes last. This is the way I have constructed them in my credits image. • Charley is the editor of the 'Helping Hand' section for the Evening Herald. • The song that Charley sings is Kiss Me Again. • There is a clever scene at the end where Charley plays both himself and Buddy and they are seen together in the same frame. My opinion • Very interesting idea to have Charley fall in love with a girl that turns out to be his sister! Well, sort of.... Anyway, this long-unseen silent comedy is decent enough. Lorraine Eason has a wonderful smile and is rather pretty too. Shame she didn't do more movies. Charley is on his top game here and even the supporting cast are watchable. The high definition version of the film now available on Blu-Ray does look very good. Recommended.

	Charley Chase Charley Chase/Bud Gordon
	Lorraine Eason Bud's sister
	Will Walling Tony Hardscrapple, banker
	Kate Bruce Mother
	Charles A. Post Jimmy, taxi driver
	Polly Moran Village beauty
	Flora Finch School teacher
	Broderick O'Farrell City editor
	Madge Hunt Villager at train station
	Charlie Hall Villager at train station
	Charles Lloyd Villager at train station
	Al Hallett Oakdale telegraph officer
	Chet Brandenburg Oakdale busboy
	Clara Guiol Switchboard operator
	Ham Kinsey Storekeeper
	Sammy Brooks Short storekeeper/Dancehall patron
	Harry Tenbrook Armed man in town
	Wilkie C. Mahoney Banker's assistant
	Hope Harper Dancehall patron
	Sheila Hayward Dancehall patron
	Buddy McNeal Boy
	Chris Lynton Confectioner
	Violet Seton Dancehall patron
	Clarence Morehouse Sheriff's man who knocks switch
	Ed Brandenburg Sheriff's man
	UNIDENTIFIED Train porter
	UNIDENTIFIED Man with soda bottle
	UNIDENTIFIED Drinks waitress

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)

STILLS (click any image to enlarge)

SHOT ON LOCATION (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: Smile When The Raindrops Fall by Brian Anthony & Andy Edmonds (book) Kit Parker (stills, taken from Blu-Ray release) Jesse Brisson (identification of Broderick O'Farrell, Madge Hunt, Harry Tenbrook, Wilkie C. Mahoney, Sheila Hayward, Buddy McNeal, Clarence Morehouse) I personally identified Charles Lloyd, Clara Guiol, Chet & Ed Brandenburg, Ham Kinsey, Hope Harper, Chris Lynton This page was last updated on: 26 December 2024