The Heckler (film)

Last updated
The Heckler
Directed by Del Lord
Written byJohn Grey
Produced by Charley Chase
Del Lord
Hugh McCollum
Starring Charley Chase
Bruce Bennett
Richard Fiske
Cinematography Henry Freulich
Edited byArthur Seid
Release date
1940
Running time
20 mins
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Heckler (1940) is an American short film produced by Columbia Pictures Corporation directed by Del Lord and starring Charley Chase.

Contents

Plot

At a baseball game, an irritating heckler (Charley Chase) annoys the crowd and the players with his obnoxious taunts.

Reception

The Heckler has received positive reviews. Hal Erickson wrote that, "The Heckler is without question one of the most consistently funny shorts ever assembled at Columbia, not to mention one of Charley Chase's most hilarious performances." [1] In his book The Great Baseball Films, Rob Edelman described The Heckler as "one of the best-ever baseball-related talkie shorts." [2] Film critic Leonard Maltin wrote that The Heckler was one of Charley Chase's "best starring comedies" [3] and included it in his book "The Great Movie Shorts." [4]

It was remade with minimal stock footage as "Mr. Noisy" starring Shemp Howard in 1946. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charley Chase</span> Actor, comedian, director, writer (1893–1940)

Charles Joseph Parrott, known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with producer Hal Roach. Chase was the elder brother of comedian/director James Parrott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard Maltin</span> American film critic and film historian (born 1950)

Leonard Michael Maltin is the go-to American film critic and film historian for the major film industry studios in Hollywood, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of film capsule reviews, Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, published annually from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film critic on Entertainment Tonight from 1982 to 2010. He currently teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and has appeared regularly on Turner Classic Movies, and hosts the weekly podcast Maltin on Movies. He has written articles for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Variety, Playboy and TV Guide. He served two terms as President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and votes for films to be selected for the National Film Registry.

The following is a complete list of the 220 Our Gang short films produced by Hal Roach Studios and/or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer between 1922 and 1944, numbered by order of release along with production order.

<i>Our Gang</i> American series of comedy short films

Our Gang is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the producer of the Laurel and Hardy films, Our Gang shorts were produced from 1922 to 1944, spanning the silent film and early sound film periods of American cinema. Our Gang is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively natural way; Roach and original director Robert F. McGowan worked to film the unaffected, raw nuances apparent in regular children, rather than have them imitate adult acting styles. The series also broke new ground by portraying white and black children interacting as equals during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation in the United States.

<i>Bluebeard</i> (1944 film) 1944 film by Edgar George Ulmer

Bluebeard is a 1944 film noir directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, starring John Carradine in the title role. The film also stars Jean Parker. The film is based on the famous French tale Barbe bleue that tells the story of a violent nobleman in the habit of murdering his wives and the attempts of one wife to avoid the fate of her predecessors. The film is registered in the public domain.

<i>The Terror of Tiny Town</i> 1938 American Western film

The Terror of Tiny Town is a 1938 American musical Western film produced by Jed Buell, directed by Sam Newfield and starring Billy Curtis. The film was shot at a sound studio in Hollywood and partly at Placeritos Ranch in Placerita Canyon, California. The inspiration came when Buell overheard an employee jokingly say "If this economic dive keeps going, we'll be using midgets as actors".

<i>The Babe Ruth Story</i> 1948 film by Roy Del Ruth

The Babe Ruth Story is a 1948 American biographical film about professional baseball player Babe Ruth (1895–1948), who achieved fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Directed by Roy Del Ruth, the film stars William Bendix as the ballplayer and Claire Trevor as his wife Claire Merritt Hodgson. Critics faulted the film's heavy-handedness and direction, and it is said by many to be one of the worst films ever made.

<i>Cujo</i> (film) 1983 film by Lewis Teague

Cujo is a 1983 American horror film based on Stephen King's 1981 novel of the same name and directed by Lewis Teague. It was written by Don Carlos Dunaway and Barbara Turner, and starring Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh Kelly and Danny Pintauro.

<i>Mighty Like a Moose</i> 1926 film

Mighty Like a Moose is a 1926 American silent comedy short film written by Charley Chase that was directed by Leo McCarey. It was released by Pathé Exchange on July 18, 1926.

<i>The Dead Eyes of London</i> 1961 film

The Dead Eyes of London is a 1961 West German black and white crime film directed by Alfred Vohrer and starring Joachim Fuchsberger, Karin Baal and Dieter Borsche.

<i>Too Young to Kiss</i> 1951 film

Too Young to Kiss is a 1951 American comedy film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Van Johnson and June Allyson. The film, in which the 34-year-old Allyson's Cynthia Potter masquerades as a 14-year-old child prodigy, was directed by Robert Z. Leonard.

<i>Eddie Macons Run</i> 1983 film by Jeff Kanew

Eddie Macon's Run is a 1983 American action thriller drama film written and directed by Jeff Kanew, based on the 1980 novel of the same name by James McLendon. It stars Kirk Douglas and John Schneider, and also includes John Goodman in his feature film debut.

<i>House Calls</i> (1978 film) 1978 film by Howard Zieff

House Calls is a 1978 American comedy-drama film directed by Howard Zieff and starring Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Art Carney, and Richard Benjamin.

<i>Sailors Luck</i> 1933 film by Raoul Walsh

Sailor's Luck is a 1933 American pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by Raoul Walsh for Fox Film Corporation. It stars James Dunn, Sally Eilers, Victor Jory, and Frank Moran.

<i>Long Gone</i> (film) 1987 television film directed by Martin Davidson

Long Gone is a 1987 baseball film by HBO that is based on Paul Hemphill's 1979 book of the same name. The television film was directed by Martin Davidson and starred William Petersen, Virginia Madsen, and Dermot Mulroney. Historic McKechnie Field, located in Bradenton, Florida, was the location for many of the film's scenes. Outside North America, the film was released as Stogies.

<i>The Lone Wolf and His Lady</i> 1949 film by John Hoffman

The Lone Wolf and His Lady is a 1949 American mystery film directed by John Hoffman and starring Ron Randell, June Vincent and Alan Mowbray. It is the 15th and final Lone Wolf film produced by Columbia Pictures, and was written by Edward Dein and Michael Stuart Boylan.

<i>The Mad Doctor of Market Street</i> 1942 film by Joseph H. Lewis

The Mad Doctor of Market Street is a 1942 American horror film produced by Universal Pictures starring Lionel Atwill. The film was a low-budget project that utilized the studio's contract players and gave rising director Joseph H. Lewis an opportunity to demonstrate his versatility with little production money.

<i>The Mysterious Doctor</i> 1943 film by Benjamin Stoloff

The Mysterious Doctor is a 1943 American horror film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and written by Richard Weil. The film stars John Loder, Eleanor Parker, Bruce Lester, Lester Matthews and Forrester Harvey. The film was released by Warner Bros. on March 3, 1943.

Chasing Dreams is a 1982 American sports drama film co-directed by Therese Conte and Sean Roche, starring David G. Brown. Its plot revolves around a teenage boy, growing up on a farm, who discovers he has a knack for baseball. The film is mainly remembered for a small role by Kevin Costner as the hero's older brother.

Trading Hearts is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Neil Leifer and starring Raul Julia and Beverly D'Angelo.

References

  1. Erickson, Hal (2002). The baseball filmography, 1915 through 2001. McFarland. p. 494. ISBN   0786412720.
  2. Edelman, Rob (1994). The Great Baseball Films . Carol Pub. Group. p.  104.
  3. Maltin, Leonard (1994). Leonard Maltin's movie encyclopedia . Dutton.
  4. Maltin, Leonard (1972). The Great Movie Shorts. ISBN   9780517504550.
  5. Davidson, Robert. "ThreeStooges.net :: MR. NOISY". threestooges.net. Retrieved 2016-08-04.