Series: Charley Chase Director: Charley Chase, Eddie Dunn Producer: Hal Roach Dialogue: H.M. Walker Photography: Francis Corby Editor: William Terhune Sound: Warren B. Delaplain Stars: Charley Chase, Netty Mack, Billy Gilbert, Harry Bowen, George McFarland Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Released: 27 January 1934 Length: 2 reels Production No.: C-20 Filming dates: 1933 Rating: -/10

The Cracked Ice Man

Available on DVD:

The ice man (Harry Bowen) arrives with his delivery whilst Charley is about to take a bath.  He begins rambling on about current affairs whilst emptying Charley's ice box. Charley, not wanting to engage in the conversation, abruptly instructs the man to leave. Charley then walks along the street to find a distressed woman who has lost her canary. Charley spots the bird up on a telegraph pole and calls it down successfully. But the distressed woman (Betty Mack) sees her mother approaching and tells Charley to conceal the bird quickly. Charley stuffs the canary in his trouser pocket and is introduced to the mother, who invites him inside. All the while, Charley continues to chat with the mother (Florence Roberts) whilst the bird is flapping and chirping in his trousers. Unable to get the bird out, Charley decides to shove some bird seed down there to keep the canary quiet whilst the mother rambles on about her siblings in the Spanish-American war. Finally, Charley is able to deliver the bird back into its cage without the mother realising, and makes an excuse to leave. Charley arrives at his school and meets Professor (Billy) Gilbert, who tells him that he will be taking charge of the kindergarten class. REVIEW IS INCOMPLETE; SCREENSHOTS TAKEN FROM INFERIOR NON-DVD PRINT AND WILL BE UPDATED SOON...

Trivia • Copyrighted December 13, 1933. • The canary is called Milson. • Cuba is mentioned on a number of occasions throughout the film; firstly in the conversation with the ice man recalling the news headlines, then later with the elderly mother talking about her brother, and then with Billy Gilbert in his office. • When Billy Gilbert is talking to Charley outside his office, he refers to him as "Mister Chase". If Chase was a professor, then surely he should be referred to as "Professor Chase"?

	Charley Chase Professor Charley Chase
	Betty Mack Betty
	Billy Gilbert Professor William Gilbert LLD.FSD.
	Harry Bowen The cracked ice man
	George McFarland Boy in classroom
	Florence Roberts Betty's mother
	Harry Bernard Ice man's partner
	Gordon Douglas Mr. Douglas
	Tommy Bond Boy in classroom
	Matthew Beard Boy in classroom
	Tommy McFarland Boy in classroom

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)

POSTER (click any image to enlarge)

ALTERNATE TITLE CARD (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: Smile When The Raindrops Fall by Brian Anthony & Andy Edmons (book) Jim Dallape (help and assistance) Stan Taffel (poster) Matthew Lydick (identification of Tommy McFarland) This page was last updated on: 27 January 2023