Get Busy

Series: Snub Pollard

Director: Ward Hayes

Producer: Hal Roach

Titles: H.M. Walker

Photography:

Editor:

Stars: Snub Pollard, Beth Darlington, James Parrott, Eddie Baker

Company: Pathé Exchange

Released: 27 April 1924

Length: 1 reel

Production No.: D-26

Filming dates: July 30 - August 7, 1923;
retakes August 22-23 and September 18, 1923

Rating: 5/10

Get Busy

Available on DVD:

James Parrott and Snub Pollard in Get Busy (1924)

Two friends (Snub Pollard and James Parrott) have concealed themselves in a sheet on the back of a taxi. The cab stops to let a couple out and as it speeds away the sheet becomes unfolded, spilling them out into the road, landing at the feet of a policeman. The two men run off down the street and think they have lost the cop but they bump into him when he appears around the corner. He tells them if they don't get a job - within 30 minutes - they will spend the day in jail (not sure he would actually have the authority to do that?) Snub and Paul see a couple of guys struggling trying to hoist up a safe to a second storey window. They walk over and pretend to help. The cop observes this but gets his foot entangled in the rope and ends up being hoisted up with the two men.
Cut to the beach and we see the life guard (Eddie Baker) showing off in a lifeboat with a young lady. Paul and Snub run onto the beach to evade the cop but he catches them and instructs the cashier of a lifeguard station to put the men to work. Snub changes into his new lifeguard suit in the back of a car before rejoining Paul on the dock where he comes up with the idea of having Paul push people into the sea just so that Snub can rescue them. The plan backfires when Paul falls into the sea. Snub jumps in after him and rescues him, whilst the real life guard (Baker) rescues a man who has slipped on a banana skin and gone into the water. Snub then notices a woman in distress and jumps in to save her, before carrying her safety on the beach. As he and Paul go to fetch her some water the real life guard comes over to comfort her. She sees him, thinks he has rescued her and gives him all the praise. Snub and Paul are so offended by this they go and jump off the pier - head first... and land upside-down in the sand.

Favourite bit
When the guys are trying to hoist the safe up into the air.

Trivia
• Copyrighted April 18, 1924.
• At least one source lists Marie Mosquini as being in the film. This is false. The girl who plays the cashier at the beach looks a little bit like her but it isn't Marie.
• When Snub rescues the drowning woman, and after dumping her onto the beach, you can clearly see through her swimsuit. see here for screenshot.
• Given that James Parrott is one of the leading stars of the film, it is surprising that Beth Darlington, who has a very minor role is billed above him in the credits.

My opinion
• Harmless comedy with little plot and rushed ending.