Series: Thelma Todd & Patsy Kelly Director: Gus Meins Producer: Hal Roach Dialogue: Photography: Francis Corby Editor: Louis McManus Sound: Harry Baker Stars: Thelma Todd, Patsy Kelly, Constance Bergen, Don Barclay, Eddie Foy Jr, Billy Gilbert, Jack Barty, Alphone Martell Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Released: 19 May 1934 Length: 2 reels Production No.: A-22 Filming dates: Rating: -/10

Maid In Hollywood

Available on DVD:

Our story unfolds on a sad note (beautifully underscored with a familiar LeRoy Shield ditty)... Thelma is in tears for the fact that she has been in Hollywood for quite some time, but still had no promising offers to speak of. Patsy doesn't help any by reading the newspaper headline declaring "Joplin Girl Makes It Big In Hollywood"... referring to Thelma. In a rare moment of sympathy, Patsy realizes that Thelma is truly upset. Facing reality, Thelma and Patsy pack up and get ready to move on, for Hollywood isn't as promising as it was thought to be. Just to rub things in and make matters worse, a young woman enters the girls room and brags about her upcoming screen test that afternoon. Patsy follows her out the door, locks her in a broom closet, and telephones the studio telling the assistant director that the blonde they hired couldn't make it... and suggests they try out Thelma instead. Returning to the room, Patsy continues to console Thelma when the telephone rings. Thelma has a most curious and humorous conversation on the phone... it's the studio calling and they want to try her out for a screen test. In helping Thelma get changed, Patsy gets Thelma's dress caught in the suitcase and oodles of slapstick situations take places (mostly caused by Patsy). Patsy helps Thelma get her coat on for she is sneezing profusely from the opened window. However, her coat is ruined because Patsy put it on her, hanger and all! Thelma takes Patsy's overcoat instead. Patsy inquires what she is going to wear, to which Thelma retorts nothing, because she isn't going with Thelma to the studio.

Thelma promptly leaves. Patsy, realizing that Thelma had forgotten her make-up kit, goes to the studio to find Thelma and give it to her in person. The sound stage: Thelma can now be found meeting the director in preparation for her screen test with Jack Barty. The camera man is Charlie Hall, the sound man is Don Barclay. The prop man is Charley Rogers. The caterer is Billy Gilbert who demonstrates the fine art of sneezing to Thelma. Patsy arrives on the sound stage, swaps the script and sits in the director's chair. The prop gun cannot be found because Patsy has it and is shooting her mouth off, driving sound man Don Barclay up the wall. Thelma is so upset with Patsy ruining her screen test. But when Thelma has difficulty sneezing, Patsy comes through by turning on a huge fan... recalling the opened window back at the apartment when Thelma was truly sneezing. Lots of slapstick ensues (mostly caused by Patsy)... with everyone sneezing along with Thelma, including set carpenter James C. Morton. Thelma gets the part!  Back at the rooming house, Thelma wonders whatever happened to the girl who was supposed to make the screen test... when Patsy unlocks the broom closet, Patsy gets her just deserts.

Trivia • Copyrighted March 21, 1934. • The 6th film in the series. • Thelma and Patsy are in room 12. • When Patsy returns to their room after making the phone call in the corridor, she hangs the lucky horseshoe back on the door. The camera is slightly out of focus at this point. • The gown that Thelma is wearing is the identical one she had worn in The Devil's Brother the previous year (modified, of course). • The horn Patsy blows from the sound department props is very much like the one Stan Laurel blows in Towed In A Hole - don't you think? • The assistant director refers to the property man by his real first name, Charley (Rogers). • When Patsy twice knocks Don Barclay off his sound system, it is Ed Brandenburg who doubles for him. • At least one source lists Pat West as being a member of the film crew. This is an obvious mistaken identity with Dick Gilbert.

	Thelma Todd Thelma
	Patsy Kelly Patsy
	Constance Bergen Would-be actress
	Don Barclay Sound man
	Eddie Foy Jr. Assistant director
	Billy Gilbert Sneezing man
	Dick Gilbert Set grip
	Jack Barty Actor in test
	Alphonse Martell Director
	Harry Bernard Man Patsy bumps into
	Billy Bletcher Information clerk
	Carlton Griffin Man with false teeth
	Charlie Hall Cameraman
	James C. Morton Grip
	Billy Nelson Burglar in test
	Charley Rogers Charley, property man
	Ted Stroback Actor at information desk
	Betty Danko Script girl
	Ed Brandenburg Crew member
	Lyle Tayo Woman in waiting room
	Cy Slocum Crew member

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)

STILLS (click any image to enlarge)

FILM CLASSICS TITLE CARD (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: http://www.choses-vues.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/patsy-kellythelma-todd.jpg (still) Max Lanzisera (review) Jesse Brisson (identification of Betty Danko, Ed Brandenburg, Lyle Tayo, Cy Slocum) This page was last updated on: 19 May 2023