Bert Lahr is a butler with a phony English accent that fools his employers. Cook Aileen Cook -- that's Aileen Cook, who's a cook in this short -- is upset with him because he took $2.50 out of the money they were saving to get married on to buy a sweepstake ticket. She gives it to chauffeur Russ Brown to cover $2 Lahr owes him. Then Lahr discovers the ticket is a winner. His employers need $50,000 for a mining deal, so they ask him in on it. But Brown wants his $2 before he'll give Lahr the ticket, while the employers want to see the ticket before they give him $2.

Lahr's early shorts always look like burlesque sketches cleaned up, and this definitely looks like one. Now I love Lahr...in small doses. His random noises are very funny, but while most of the short subjects he made have him at full throttle, and way over the top, this one has him under control, and is all the funnier for that.

The slapstick comedy subgenre, a term that originates from a type of wooden paddle with a hinged flap that was used in early comedic performances to create slapping noises during comedic actions, is a form of physical comedy characterized by exaggerated, boisterous, and often absurd actions, situations, and physical interactions. Slapstick humor relies on visual gags, physical stunts, and exaggerated movements to create laughs.

Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Lahr is the butler who holds a winning sweepstakes ticket. His fiancee, the cook, gets it and gives it to the chauffeur as security for money Lahr owes him. The people who employ the trio try to sell them a share in a gold mine scheme.

Bert Lahr and Marion Martin in Boy, Oh Boy (1936)

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Boy, Oh Boy

Photos2

Top Cast7

User reviews1

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed