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5.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Mr. W's Little Game remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old movies where people talk fast and act like they're in a play, then yes. If you need things to actually happen, you will probably hate this with a passion. 🙄
It's barely a movie, honestly. It feels more like a filmed skit that someone forgot to edit down.
Alexander Woollcott is the main draw here. He was this famous critic back in the day who everyone was apparently terrified of.
In this short, he's just sitting in a restaurant booth. He looks like a very grumpy, very intelligent owl. 🦉
He’s trying to eat or think or whatever, and people keep bothering him. But the way he handles it is just... it's a lot of words.
The waiter is played by Leo G. Carroll. You might know him from some Hitchcock stuff later on, but here he’s just a guy trying to do his job while Woollcott makes him feel like an idiot.
There is this moment where Woollcott does a trick with some matches on the table. It’s actually the best part.
He sets up this little puzzle and you can tell he’s genuinely enjoying being smarter than everyone else. It’s smug, but sort of charming?
Then Marion Martin walks in. She’s the "gorgeous blonde" the credits talk about.
She tries to join the game, but Woollcott just kind of bats her away with words. It’s a very 1930s kind of humor that feels a bit dusty now.
The lighting in the restaurant is weirdly dark. Like they only had two light bulbs and one was flickering the whole time. 💡
I noticed that the background noise of the restaurant sounds fake. It’s like a loop of three people clinking forks that someone played on a phonograph in the corner.
It reminds me a bit of the pacing in Married Neighbors, where the dialogue just never stops for air.
Sometimes Woollcott mumbles. I had to rewind a couple of times to catch the joke, and even then, I’m pretty sure I missed the punchline.
If you’ve seen Her Night of Romance, you know how these old comedies can feel a bit staged. This is that, but turned up to eleven because it’s just one room.
I wonder if people actually talked like this in 1934. Everyone is so urbane and fast. It’s exhausting to imagine having lunch with these people.
There’s a weirdly long shot of a menu at one point. I tried to read the prices but the film quality is too grainy.
It’s definitely better than some of the other shorts from that era, like A Harem Hero, which is just bizarre. At least this has a clever script, even if it feels a bit full of itself.
"I'm not being difficult, I'm being precise." (I think that’s what he said, the audio is pretty rough in the middle part).
The movie is basically a flex for Woollcott’s ego. He’s showing off how he can win any argument without leaving his seat.
It’s not quite as intense as something like Over the Top, but it has its own kind of quiet energy.
One thing that bugged me was the waiter's jacket. It looked two sizes too big for him. It kept bunching up around his neck whenever he leaned in.
I also kept waiting for something to happen to the blonde character. She just kind of exists to be talked at.
It’s a tiny slice of a time that doesn't exist anymore. When being a "wit" was a full-time job.
You can find this on some old collections of Vitaphone shorts. It's worth a look if you’re bored and want to see a guy be extremely condescending for ten minutes.
Actually, its kind of funny how much he hates the waiter. Its very relatable if you've ever had a bad day at a cafe. ☕
Don't expect a plot. Just expect a mood. A very pompous, slightly funny mood.
I'm glad it was short. If it was twenty minutes longer, I think I would have started rooting for the waiter to spill soup on him.
Anyway, its a neat little artifact. Not a masterpiece, just a guy and his little game.
IMDb 6
1932
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