The Blonde Bomber: When Lunch Costs You a Fight

Is this worth a watch?

If you like old, scrappy comedies where people shout a lot and everything is settled with a quick punch, you will probably have a decent time. It is short, it is loud, and it does not try to be anything more than a filler flick. If you need complex character arcs or, I don't know, a plot that makes sense, skip it.

There is something inherently funny about the stakes here. They stiff a guy for lunch and suddenly everyone is in the ring. It is the kind of escalation that only happens in movies from this era, where a diner bill becomes a matter of life or death—or at least a bruised ego.

Shemp Howard is doing his usual thing, which is honestly the main reason to pay attention. He has this way of reacting to being hit that makes you feel like his bones are made of rubber. It is classic, but it never really gets old.

I found myself staring at the diner set for a bit too long. It looks like it was made of cardboard and wishful thinking. There is a weird scratch on the wall behind the counter that stays in the frame for at least three scenes. I wonder if the crew just forgot to paint over it. Or maybe they just didn't care. It’s charming in a 'we are filming this on a Tuesday' sort of way.

The boxing match at the end is exactly what you’d expect. The choreography is less about skill and more about who can fall down the funniest. It’s not Four Square Steve, that is for sure. It lacks that weird, specific tension you get in better-produced shorts.

There is this one moment where the diner owner just loses his mind over a few cents. You can almost see the actor trying to figure out how to make his anger look reasonable. He fails, but he really tries. It’s a very human kind of failure.

Don't look for depth here. You won't find it. But if you’re looking for something to watch while eating a sandwich—ironically, given the plot—it fits the bill. Just don't expect to remember much about it by tomorrow morning.

• Shemp's face is a special effect all on its own.
• The theater audience looks like they were told to cheer at gunpoint.
• The lunch bill dispute lasts longer than the actual boxing match.

It’s not trying to change the world. It’s just trying to get a few laughs and move on. It succeeds at the second part, mostly because it doesn't give you time to realize how thin the story really is.