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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. In the Dough remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you're a fan of old-school slapstick and need a quick twenty-minute fix, sure. If you’re looking for a plot that makes sense, keep walking. People who hate messy kitchen antics or predictable gangster tropes are going to have a bad time here. Honestly, it’s just a loud, flour-filled mess, but in that specific, charming way that these older shorts usually are.
Shemp Howard shows up and, well, he’s Shemp. He’s always doing that thing with his face that makes you wonder if he’s trying to swallow his own nose. It works, though. He brings a frantic energy that the rest of the cast sometimes lacks.
The whole premise is just a classic setup: innocent guy gets a job, gangsters show up, and suddenly everyone is throwing bread. It reminds me a bit of the vibe in Bargain Day where everything that could possibly go wrong, definitely does. The pacing is absolutely relentless. There’s no room to breathe because someone is always getting hit with a tray or tripping over a sack of sugar.
There’s this one bit where they try to execute a "master plan" to destroy the shop. It’s so poorly thought out it’s almost endearing. You can basically see the gears grinding in the writers' heads. Why would they try that? It doesn't matter. It’s just an excuse for a pile-up.
It’s not as polished as The Early Bird, but it has that same desperate need to make you laugh at someone falling down. Sometimes that’s enough. Just don't expect it to change your life or anything. It’s flour, it’s shouting, it’s Shemp. 🍞
