Series: All Stars Director: James W. Horne Producer: Hal Roach Titles: H.M. Walker Photography: Art Lloyd Editor: William H. Terhune Stars: Anita Garvin, Marion Byron, Max Davidson Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Released: 05 January 1929 Length: 2 reels Production No.: S-15 Filming dates: August 8-21, 1928; retakes October 1-4, 1928 Rating: 6/10

Going Ga-Ga

Available on DVD:

Anita (GARVIN) and Marion (BYRON) are fired from their bakery jobs after Marion falls on a cake (the word "GREETINGS" is etched in cream across her rear end as they walk off down the street). Further along the street, a couple (EDGAR KENNEDY and his wife) confide in a private detective (MAX DAVIDSON) that their baby has been stolen and offer a handsome reward for his return. A middle-aged woman is then seen walking down the street carrying a baby girl. She spots the police following her and quickly hands her child to Anita and Marion and flees the scene. Max spots the ladies with the baby, as does policeman HARRY BERNARD, but nobody says a word. The girls decide to try and get rid of the child by attempting to leave it on a doorstep, but when they knock on the door a man's hand holding a glass of beer suddenly appears from it. The girls then try to put the baby into a taxi but it runs back to them so the girls then try to dump the kid into a line of young children who are walking to an orphanage. Two of the youngsters break away from the line to follow the girls, who the quickly return them to the back with the others before they march into the orphanage. Relieved at finally having gotten rid of their burden, a newspaper boy sells them a newspaper with the headline of a large reward being offered for the stolen baby (so it was stolen - and made the newspaper front page all in the space of an hour?) The girls run back to the orphanage but are met with the detective. When he tries to demand answers from them Anita gives him a verbal bashing and the two girls walk off quickly again.

Under the cover of night and now wearing false beards, the girls plot to reclaim the baby from the orphanage so that they can claim the large reward for him. Anita gives Marion a lift up to a window and pokes her through it using a plank of wood. When inside, Marion then lowers down a fire hose for Anita to climb up as the detective continues to stalk them. The girls find the ward with all the sleeping kids and set about trying to find Oscar, the stolen baby. After causing a bit of commotion on the ward, the nursemaids enter the room to check on the disturbance and then leave as the girls hide under some cots. When the nurses leave Anita manages to get her head stuck between the bars of one of the cot's side rails. The staff rush back into the ward when they hear the noise. The head nurse (HELEN GILMORE) looks bemused as all the cots appear scattered around the room and with Marion inside one of them posing as a baby! They finally escape from the orphanage with the baby after breaking all the glass bottles on the cabinet and are met by the detective outside in the street. Anita is wearing her disguise whilst Marion poses as the bottom half of a giant human being with the baby's head on top. The detective can't believe what he is witnessing so hides behind a shop doorway in order to make his move when the girls get close but he gets nothing for his troubles. A drunk stumbles out into the street and sees the giant human being and immediately throws his bottle away! The baby's parents arrive in a taxi and reclaim their child. Father Edgar pays out to the two girls and snubs the incompetent detective. The film ends with Marion being arrested for being drunk and waving at Anita through her cell bars as the police car leaves.

Favourite bit Marion (though probably not actually Marion) spinning around on the fire hose holder.

Trivia • Copyrighted December 27, 1928. • The title of the film has a certain irony. Anita's grandchildren affectionately addressed her as Ga-Ga! • For three knocks on the door, a man hands a glass of beer through the hole. I don't want to think about what he would stuck through the same hole for 4 knocks! • A reward of $10,000 is offered for the safe return of the baby. That was an enormous amount of money for 1929! • This was the first film released by Hal Roach in 1929. • Am I the only one thinking that Marion Byron is doing her Harry Langdon expression in this scene? • Hope Harper certainly does the rounds in this film, first seen walking past Anita and Marion and giving them a glance - then is later seen on the street corner standing with Sammy Brooks - and later as a nursemaid. • The scene where the girls are trying to get into into the orphanage was filmed on the back lot. The distinctive block-pattered brick wall opposite is the biggest clue. • There is a scene where Marion attaches teets to both ends of a bottle of milk so that two babies can drink from it at the same time. That is just disgusting. • One of the rare occasions when the back lot was used in a film at night. My opinion • A decent film.

	Anita Garvin Anita
	Marion Byron Marion
	Max Davidson Detective Davidson
	Harry Bernard Policeman
	Edgar Kennedy Husband
	Sam Lufkin Employer
	Charley Rogers Pedestrian with newspaper
	Charles Lloyd Pedestrian/Grocer
	Grace Woods Pedestrian with pram
	Chet Brandenburg Pedestrian/Stunts
	Bob Sanders Guy with beer behind door
	Pete Gordon Nosey bastard/ Pedestrian crossing street/ Stunt for Max Davidson
	C.L. Sherwood Drunk
	Sammy Brooks Pedestrian
	Hope Harper Pedestrian/Nursemaid
	Wally Albright Orphanage kid
	Kay Deslys Nursemaid
	Warren Mills Little Oscar, the baby
	Leo Sulky Orderly
	Helen Gilmore Head nurse
	Jack Hill Crowd extra
	Chris Lynton Crowd extra
	Bill Dill Crowd extra
	Charles McMurphy Policeman
	Dick Gilbert Arrested drunk
	UNIDENTIFIED Pedestrian leaning on car
	UNIDENTIFIED Pedestrian
	UNIDENTIFIED Frantic mother
	UNIDENTIFIED First shopkeeper who throws sack
	UNIDENTIFIED Second shopkeeper who throws sack
	UNIDENTIFIED Child thief
	UNIDENTIFIED First policeman
	UNIDENTIFIED Second policeman
	UNIDENTIFIED Orphanage kid #1
	UNIDENTIFIED Orphanage kid #2
	UNIDENTIFIED Orphanage kid #3
	UNIDENTIFIED Orphanage gate keeper
	UNIDENTIFIED Newspaper boy
	UNIDENTIFIED Nursemaid #1
	UNIDENTIFIED Nursemaid #1
	UNIDENTIFIED Nursemaid #1
	UNIDENTIFIED Taxi driver
	UNIDENTIFIED Bystander

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)	INTERTITLES (click image to enlarge)

GLASS SLIDE (click any image to enlarge)

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

SHOT ON LOCATION (click any image to enlarge)

SHOOTING SCRIPT (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: Steve Randisi (information) John Benson (11 pages of shooting script) Jesse Brisson (identification of Bob Sanders, Sammy Brooks, Hope Harper, CL Sherwood, Pete Gordon, Chet Brandenburg stunts, Jack Hill, Charles McMurphy, Chris Lynton, Charley Rogers, Dick Gilbert, Bill Dill) This page was last updated on: 29 August 2024