With Max Davidson, Spec O’Donnell, Martha Sleeper. Unlike most silent clowns, Max Davidson’s comic focus was on his face and shoulders, where he had developed a repertoire of shrugs, lifted eyebrows, and tilts of the head. McCarey laid the groundwork for the series by directing the initial entries and surrounding the comedian with a dysfunctional screen family so he could portray the mounting frustrations of a put-upon papa. Davidson transcends the stage Yiddish stereotypes to create a richly nuanced character—and Pass the Gravy could be the funniest two-reeler ever made.
Introduced by Rob Stone, The Library of Congress
Program approx. 80 min.
Jewish Prudence. 1927. USA. Directed by Leo McCarey
Don’t Tell Everything. 1927. USA. Directed by Leo McCarey
Should Second Husbands Come First? 1927. USA. Directed by Leo McCarey
Pass the Gravy. 1928. USA. Directed by Fred Guiol