Babe Ruth is in this movie only in a clip from a game -- no, I can't tell you which one -- hitting the long ball. Except for a brief prologue and epilogue, it's a full reel of Cook performing one of his nonsendical monologues about baseball. He had a lot of them to spout, about any subject or none, as the situation called for. He tells it in a steady drone, which I found a bit offputting in its old-fashioned oratorical style, but I have to admire his ability to memorize or perhaps make up on the spot, about seven minutes of silliness.
3 Reviews
Funny Joe Cook Bit, With the Babe in Footage
verbusen5 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This Joe Cook short is entertaining to watch in 2023. I saw it online, thankfully it's probably in the public domain and available to the masses (like me). I laughed out loud on a couple of occasions so for that reason I'm giving it a high score of 7. Add to it that it's a very early talkie and a comedian that mostly worked in theater (Joe's bio says he hated Hollywood) so his film catalogue is small and in that regard more desirable to watch. And yes, there is footage of Babe Ruth hitting a home run! A comment online for this short asked "Was Joe Cook ever funny?" That comment is in itself funny, at least about the person who would go out of their way to watch a Joe Cook short and then get angry about it, lol. 7 of 10, I really enjoyed it, it was for me a surprising comedy that had me laughing (listen closely because the dialog is fast), a "rare" Joe Cook" film and it's got Babe Ruth in it from 1929!
Historically speaking, this one might be a must see for baseball buffs...not for fans of comedy.
planktonrules24 April 2021
IMDB lists Joe Cook and Babe Ruth as the stars in this one. Well, Babe Ruth is only BRIEFLY seen in a clip of his playing ball...otherwise, it's all Joe Cook.
The story is set on opening day of the 1929 season and Joe wants to see the Yankees play. So, he manages to sneak inside. Once there, instead of sitting and watching the game, he stands up and does a standup comedy bit. Most of what he says is nonsense and not all that funny...but he does manage to speak very rapidly and you wonder if he'll pass out because he doesn't seem to take time to even breathe!
Overall, this isn't Joe Cook at his finest but it is his first film. Not terrible...just not terribly funny either.
The story is set on opening day of the 1929 season and Joe wants to see the Yankees play. So, he manages to sneak inside. Once there, instead of sitting and watching the game, he stands up and does a standup comedy bit. Most of what he says is nonsense and not all that funny...but he does manage to speak very rapidly and you wonder if he'll pass out because he doesn't seem to take time to even breathe!
Overall, this isn't Joe Cook at his finest but it is his first film. Not terrible...just not terribly funny either.
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