Wig-Wag: A weird little relic of a comedy

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you're a completist for 1930s shorts or you just really, really love seeing guys in wigs. It’s light, it’s fluffy, and it definitely feels like it was written in an afternoon between lunch and a nap.

If you're looking for something that actually pushes the envelope, well, keep looking. This is pure, low-stakes comfort food for people who find Cave Man a bit too intense.

The Setup

So, the guy gets jilted. Naturally, he doesn't just move on with his life. He decides to rope a friend into a dress to make Dorothy jealous. It's a trope that was already getting tired by the time this came out, but there’s a certain charm to the sheer laziness of it.

Watching Grady Sutton try to play the 'dame' is exactly as awkward as you'd imagine. It's not high art. It's just a guy squinting in a bonnet and hoping nobody notices the shoes. 👠

The pacing is a bit weird, too. It jumps around like it’s trying to catch a train. One minute they're plotting, the next we're deep into the inevitable reveal, and then it’s over before you can even finish your popcorn.

• Bud Jamison is doing his usual thing, which is always worth a chuckle.
• Hattie McDaniel shows up and, of course, she’s the only person in the room who seems to know what movie she’s in.
• The wig. Just look at the wig. It looks like it was bought at a discount store in 1928.

It’s not trying to be Remember Last Night? or anything with a massive budget. It’s just a bit of silliness.

I caught myself looking at the background extras more than the main actors at one point. There’s this one guy in the corner of a scene who looks like he’s waiting for a bus that never comes. Classic. 🚌

Maybe it’s not meant to be analyzed. It's a short, it’s silly, and it exists. That’s probably enough for a Tuesday afternoon.