The Real McCoy (1930)

City boy Charley Chase is smitten with Thelma Todd, who he thinks is a country girl. Edgar Kennedy, in his typical role of the period, Kennedy the Cop, tries to help him out. But what kind of help can anyone get from the bumbling Edgar? This was a Charley Chase vehicle meant to show Charley as a full service entertainer. He had been known as a silent, slapstick comedian, but it was really the way that Chase controlled his body that made him funny. Here, he gets to sing, dance, play musical instruments, deliver snappy dialogue and act as the leading man. He is terrific. Thelma Todd is lovely and charming as his sassy leading lady and Edgar Kennedy is always helpful in these early Hal Roach talkies.

"Clap Hands, Here Comes Charley", a pop song from the 1920s is used as the opening theme music. The rest of the background music is canned Vitaphone scoring. This is the same music Roach used for his late silent with synchronized music and sound effects films. It is bland and unobtrusive. The music which LeRoy Shield wrote in the coming months for subsequent comedies is much richer and memorable.