Series: Charley Chase Director: Charley Chase Producer: Hal Roach Photography: Francis Corby Editor: William H. Terhune Sound: Harry Baker Stars: Charley Chase, Betty Mack, Jimmie Adams, Frank Gage, Marvin Hatley Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Released: 21 October 1933 Length: 2 reels Production No.: C-18 Filming dates: Rating: -/10

Midsummer Mush

Available on DVD:

Charley is a scout leader who is out with eight young boys marching along the sidewalk in town when he suddenly finds himself lost. He seeks directions from a policeman (EDDIE BAKER) who is directing traffic in the middle of an intersection. The cop gives Charley some confusing answers when Betty (MACK) drives past in a car with her father. She holds an ice cream cone in her hand which Charley bites as she extends her arm out of the car to signal. In a fit of anger she launches the rest of the ice cream in Charley's direction but it ends up hitting the cop in the face. The cop storms over to the car to give the woman a citation but Charley explains that it was in fact his fault and demonstrates with one of the women passengers in the car who also happens to be holding an ice cream cone in her hand. Well, not for long she isn't. Charley takes a bite and the lady launches what is left and once again it hits the unimpressed cop. Chaos ensues in the middle of the street when the cop uses his whistle to restore order with the traffic as Charley sees it as his opportune moment to whistle for his scouts to resume their marching. Charley jumps on board Betty's car and they ride to a side street where she stops in front of a bicycle-for-hire store. Charley takes one of the bikes and rides off down the street (with a push from Betty) before crashing into a heap on the ground. He tries a second time but with the same result. A third attempt sees Charley crashing into the back of an open-roof car with three of his friends inside it. After some talk, they all decide to head off to a camping ground, with the scouts - and all the women close behind. When they get there Jimmie (ADAMS) threads an apple onto a fishing line and declares he is going fishing.

Charley turns his attention to one of the boys who is having trouble flying his kite. Charley takes over and shows the boy how its done before falling into a lake. Betty laughs at him and tries to take a photograph of the wet Charley and asks him to stand on the edge of the car and pose. But the handbrake slips and the car - with Charley rides down the embankment and Charley gets a second soaking for his troubles. One of the scouts then gets into the submerged car and reverses it out onto the grass. Betty takes to the lake in a rowing boat and calls to Charley, who grabs his binoculars in order to see her. He puts them on the wrong way round and it makes it appears Betty is out in the middle of the lake. Charley ends up getting wet again when he tries to walk out to see her. A scout threatens to kill a bumblebee on shore but Charley talks the boy out of it until the bee stings him and once again Charley takes another soaking! [see favourite bit]

Favourite bit Charley Chase isn't afraid of getting a little bit wet for the sake of comedy, and here he shows his dedication when he is stung by a bee and acrobatically throws himself backwards into the lake.

Trivia • Copyrighted October 10, 1933. • This was the first of 9 appearances by Betty Mack as Charley Chase's leading lady.

	Charley Chase Charley
	Betty Mack Betty
	Jimmie Adams Camping trio
	Frank Gage Camping trio
	Marvin Hatley Camping trio
	Eddie Baker Traffic cop
	Sammy Brooks Pedestrian in opening scene
	Sydney Jarvis Pedestrian outside corner store
	Lyle Tayo Angry motorist
	Marvin Stephens Boy

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)

POSTER (click any image to enlarge)

TITLE CARD - BLACKHAWK FILMS (click any image to enlarge)

SHOT ON THE BACK LOT (click any image to enlarge)

SHOT ON LOCATION (click any image to enlarge) Chris Bungo's "Then & Now" video presentation

Acknowledgements: Smile When The Raindrops Fall by Brian Anthony & Andy Edmonds (book) The Charley Chase Talkies 1929-1940 by James L. Neibaur (book) Stan Taffel (poster) Chris Bungo (Then & Now video) Matthew Lydick (identification of Marvin Stephens) This page was last updated on: 09 March 2023