This review originally appeared on the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation’s “Roll Film” movie review site (http://www.biketraffic.org/content.php?id=219_0_6_0). Each film was also reviewed by my CBF colleague, Greg Borzo, who focused more on the bike content.
6 DAY BIKE RIDER
2 Wheels
The first question you're asking as you peruse this review of 6 Day Bike Rider is, "Who is Joe E. Brown?" If you're over seventy, you may remember him as one of the biggest comedy stars of the 1930s.
It's more likely that, if you've heard of him at all, you know him from Billy Wilder's 1959 classic, Some Like It Hot. In that film, he played the old millionaire who was so enamored by Jack Lemmon in drag that he uttered the film's famous closing line.
So what kind of comedian was Joe E. Brown? His main asset was his very odd-looking face. With beady eyes and a huge grin, he looked like a cross between Jar Jar Binks and the Joker. If I were to compare him to a better known comedian, I'd have to say his persona most resembles Don Knotts in his Deputy Barney mode on "The Andy Griffith Show." Let's be clear though. Despite the funny face, Brown is nowhere near as funny as Knotts.
In fact, Joe E. Brown's shtick is horribly dated and he's not very likeable. I do believe the man actually says "golly gee wilikers" at some point in the film. His voice is his downfall. It's a gruff, hillbilly voice that doesn't match the rubber face. The only gags in 6 Day Bike Rider that work are the visual ones, especially in the racing scenes at the end. This may have worked better as a silent film.
The plot—the hero must prove himself to earn the love of a girl—would have been right at home in a Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton film. The difference is that Brown never convinces us that he is actually in love. He just keeps claiming that he and Phyllis (Maxine Doyle) are engaged, but he hasn't told her yet. Either Chaplin or Keaton, the silent greats, would have brought more heart and more laughs than Brown is able to provide.
These opinions of Brown are based solely on my viewing of 6 Day Bike Rider. It was convention, at the time, for comics to continually play the same persona in film after film. I'm assuming that this is the case with Brown and that 6 Day Bike Rider is a fair example of him in his prime.
As for the bike race itself, it was surprisingly well done for a 1934 film. Although the Depression is never mentioned, it's clear that it was the backdrop for a race that literally lasts six days (partners tag team). These endurance tests for money were a staple of the Depression era. For a much more somber look at that aspect of the era, check out Sydney Pollack's They Shoot Horses, Don't They.
It's easy to see why Brown did not last in the cultural consciousness with his contemporaries like Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, Abbot and Costello and especially, the unparalleled genius of the Marx Brothers. It's probably no coincidence that these are all teams. Maybe if Joe E. Brown had a partner, we'd still know him. Oh well. Nobody's perfect.
6 DAY BIKE RIDER
2 Wheels
The first question you're asking as you peruse this review of 6 Day Bike Rider is, "Who is Joe E. Brown?" If you're over seventy, you may remember him as one of the biggest comedy stars of the 1930s.
It's more likely that, if you've heard of him at all, you know him from Billy Wilder's 1959 classic, Some Like It Hot. In that film, he played the old millionaire who was so enamored by Jack Lemmon in drag that he uttered the film's famous closing line.
So what kind of comedian was Joe E. Brown? His main asset was his very odd-looking face. With beady eyes and a huge grin, he looked like a cross between Jar Jar Binks and the Joker. If I were to compare him to a better known comedian, I'd have to say his persona most resembles Don Knotts in his Deputy Barney mode on "The Andy Griffith Show." Let's be clear though. Despite the funny face, Brown is nowhere near as funny as Knotts.
In fact, Joe E. Brown's shtick is horribly dated and he's not very likeable. I do believe the man actually says "golly gee wilikers" at some point in the film. His voice is his downfall. It's a gruff, hillbilly voice that doesn't match the rubber face. The only gags in 6 Day Bike Rider that work are the visual ones, especially in the racing scenes at the end. This may have worked better as a silent film.
The plot—the hero must prove himself to earn the love of a girl—would have been right at home in a Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton film. The difference is that Brown never convinces us that he is actually in love. He just keeps claiming that he and Phyllis (Maxine Doyle) are engaged, but he hasn't told her yet. Either Chaplin or Keaton, the silent greats, would have brought more heart and more laughs than Brown is able to provide.
These opinions of Brown are based solely on my viewing of 6 Day Bike Rider. It was convention, at the time, for comics to continually play the same persona in film after film. I'm assuming that this is the case with Brown and that 6 Day Bike Rider is a fair example of him in his prime.
As for the bike race itself, it was surprisingly well done for a 1934 film. Although the Depression is never mentioned, it's clear that it was the backdrop for a race that literally lasts six days (partners tag team). These endurance tests for money were a staple of the Depression era. For a much more somber look at that aspect of the era, check out Sydney Pollack's They Shoot Horses, Don't They.
It's easy to see why Brown did not last in the cultural consciousness with his contemporaries like Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, Abbot and Costello and especially, the unparalleled genius of the Marx Brothers. It's probably no coincidence that these are all teams. Maybe if Joe E. Brown had a partner, we'd still know him. Oh well. Nobody's perfect.
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