Great Gobs Review: Charley Chase and Edgar Kennedy being idiots in Mexico

You should probably watch this today if you have twenty minutes to kill and you like seeing grown men act like total children. It is perfect for anyone who misses the days when comedy was just about falling over and looking confused.

If you hate old movies where the sound is a bit scratchy and the jokes are simple, you will definitely want to skip it. It is not trying to be deep.

Charley Chase has this weird, frantic energy that I always find kind of charming. He is so confident even when everything is clearly going wrong around him.

Then you have Edgar Kennedy. His "slow burn" where he just stares at the camera while his blood pressure rises is basically cinematic gold. 😆

The plot is basically nothing. They are sailors, or "gobs," on leave in Mexico, and they both want the same girl.

The Mexico in this movie looks like it was filmed on a very dusty backlot in California. I am pretty sure I saw the same building in three different shots.

There is a moment early on where Charley tries to look cool and it just fails immediately. It felt very relatable to be honest.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Great Gobs (1929) through its definitive frames.

The way they fight over the girl, played by Linda Loredo, is just... a lot of running. My legs hurt just watching them go back and forth across that dirt street.

Actually, Linda Loredo does a lot with very little here. She mostly has to look pretty and confused while these two idiots ruin everything.

I noticed a guy in the background of one scene who looked like he had no idea why he was there. He just stares at the actors for a second before remembering to walk away.

The physical comedy is hit or miss. Some of the falls look like they actually hurt, which makes me feel a bit bad for the stunt guys.

It reminds me a bit of Pass the Dumplings in how it just focuses on one annoying situation and stretches it out. Sometimes it works and sometimes it feels like they are just killing time.

There is this one gag with a hat that goes on about thirty seconds too long. I started looking at the wallpaper in my room while waiting for them to finish the bit.

But when it hits, it is actually funny. Edgar Kennedy getting hit with stuff never gets old for me.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Great Gobs (1929) through its definitive frames.

Things I wrote down while watching:

• The sailors' uniforms are surprisingly clean for how much they roll around in the dirt.
• Charley's mustache looks like it might fall off if he sneezes too hard.
• I really want one of those giant Mexican hats now.
• The sound of the punches is that weird, hollow thud they used back then.

It is definitely better than The Blizzard, which I found way too slow. This at least keeps moving even if it doesn't always know where it is going.

I think the best part is just the chemistry between the leads. They feel like they have been annoying each other for years.

If you have seen My Girl Suzanne, you know the vibe. It is that specific brand of 1920s chaos where no one really gets hurt but everyone is exhausted.

The ending is kind of abrupt. Like they just ran out of film and decided to stop right there.

It is not a masterpiece. It is just a silly little thing that exists to make you smile for a bit.

I watched this on a Tuesday morning while drinking cold coffee. It was probably the best way to see it.

One reaction shot of Edgar Kennedy lingers so long it becomes funny, then boring, then funny again. It is a real journey of a face.

Anyway, go watch it if you want to see some classic slapstick. Just don't expect it to change your life or anything. 🌮