Series: Paul Parrott Director: Raymond Grey Producer: Hal Roach Titles: Photography: Editor: Stars: James Parrott, Ethel Broadhurst, Mark Jones Company: Pathé Exchange Released: 14 February 1926 Length: 1 reel Production No.: C-35 Filming dates: October 19-25, 1921 Rating: -/10

Pay The Cashier

The penniless ourist, "Appetite Andy" (JAMES PARROTT) stops by the Hollywood Cafateria (sic) where the gullible boss (MARK JONES) welcomes him in to sample many of the soups and delicacies available to customers. After savoring many of the dishes, Andy refuses them all and attempts to leave, never intending to pay. The boss is having none of it and drags him back inside and puts him to work in the kitchen. The head chef (CHARLES STEVENSON) is chopping food when the order comes in for chicken to be prepared. He instructs the new employee to grab a chicken (from a crate in the corner) and "prepare" it. Despite several attempts to capture the bird, it manages to elude Andy, first by playing dead and then flying around the kitchen before landing on a flour barrel. Andy grabs a rifle (why would you have a rifle in a kitchen?) and shoots at the chicken, sending the flour all over the place. Andy mistakes the flour for snow (of course) and begins ski-ing around the kitchen, pretending to be cold. The chicken is spared when the order is cancelled on account of the customer dying whilst waiting for his food. The boss contemplates defeat when his daughter (the cashier, ETHEL BROADHURST) suggests the new man be promoted to the shop floor, where he witnesses several customers buying a minimal amount of food just so they can eat there with meals they have smuggled in. Andy puts into effect a scheme where all bags are checked at the counter before customers are allowed to eat on the premises. His successful intervention wins over the boss and he gives his blessing for Andy to marry his daughter.

Favourite bit How on earth the effects people managed to pursuade the chicken to land on James Parrott's head, but it's a pretty decent visual, isn't it? Anyone else think it resembles the Pathé screen credit logo?

Trivia • Copyrighted December 16, 1922. • Made in 1921 but not released until 1926. • Previewed November 1921. • This was the last Hal Roach film starring Ethel Broadhurst, Mark Jones, Gaylord Lloyd AND Charles Stevenson to be released by Hal Roach. • I was able to review the first 9 minutes 30 seconds of the film, which abruptly ends with the sound of the fire alarm and the three main actors running out into the street. • Mark Jones is seen smoking a cigar whilst serving food in the café. How things have changed now. • A publicity still shows George Rowe as one of the kitchen staff, though he doesn't appear in the footage I have seen.

	James Parrott Appetite Andy
	Ethel Broadhurst Cashier
	Mark Jones The boss
	Sammy Brooks Short customer
	Charles Stevenson Head chef
	Vera White Waitress
	Roy Brooks Customer with tray on his head
	Gaylord Lloyd Customer with baby
	Wallace Howe Customer with pickle

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

STILLS (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: Dave Glass (review print) Steve Massa (identification of still) This page was last updated on: 14 February 2023