The Better ‘Ole (1926)

The Better 'Ole poster

Warner Bros.
Starring:
 Syd Chaplin, Doris Hill
Directed by: Charles Reisner

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis:  Based on the comics of Bruce Bairnsfather, British soldiers Old Bill (Syd Chaplin) and his friends Bert (Harold Goodwin) and Alf (Jack Ackroyd) experience misadventures in France during World War I.

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): In one scene Bill enters a café and sits down with a pretty waitress (Doris Hill) who gets him some cream for his tea.  A cat then appears, climbing up to the table to sniff at the cream.

The Better 'Ole - tabby cat looking into cream container on table

The waitress yelps and tries to shoo the cat away, but they only manage to knock the cream over.  The cat beats a hasty retreat.

The Better 'Ole - tabby cat looking into cream container on table animated gif

As Bill and the waitress watch with amusement, the cat backs away and then ducks down behind a sleeping dog.  This funny piece of business was achieved by simply running the film of the cat backwards.

The Better 'Ole - tabby cat walking backwards and hiding behind dog animated gif

A bit later the waitress is outside when Bill approaches with a baby chick.  Next to her is a basket of kittens and Bill sets the chick down beside them.

The Better 'Ole - Old Bill Syd Chaplin and Doris Hill next to basket of kittens

The waitress is trying to spoon-feed the tiny kittens some milk.

The Better 'Ole - black kitten being spoon fed with other kittens in basket animated gif

Bill indicates he knows a better way and goes inside the barn to milk a cow into a rubber glove and then cut the tips like an udder.  During this scene the waitress picks up a tuxedo kitten from the basket and holds it gently.  The kittens are not seen again.

The Better 'Ole - Doris Hill holding tuxedo kitten

Final Mewsings: Cats and kittens never say no to dairy products.


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