. . . which is the main reason why Italy's government has banned the Practice of Exorcism, SO YOU THINK YOU NEED GLASSES informs its audience on Line One of an Opthalmologist's eye chart. "Practice makes perfect" if you're Dona Nobising off-key, but you'll never find Pacem in the end when you're trafficking with the Devil, reads the next line on this chart. With Red State speed limits rapidly reaching Terminal Velocity, U.S. Imperial Grand Wizard Sessions won't even miss Robert E.'s statue as it retreats from Lee's Circle shortly, says Line Three of NEED GLASSES' Matrix. When Alice Doakes Cooper sang "School's out Forever!" he had Trump University in mind, we learn from Line Four. After your Dodge Rams a Minicooper tooling along at the 85 MPH speed limit in an Open Carry State, is it really anything more that just another gnat in your grill? asks Line Five. Or did your Christian Brothers Public Charter School get it right when teaching you that you don't need no education, as long as you're square enough to serve as another brick in Trump's Wall, Line Six concludes.
Add a Review
-
redryan644 February 2016BEING THE SECOND short from Warner Brothers/Vitaphone Corporation, it still was part of the "Hollywood Novelties" grouping; which was an umbrella title covering an anthology of comedy and musical shorts,. It wouldn't be for several more installments that the JOE Mc DOAKES series would show its worth and gain independent under the "behind the old 6 ball" opening.
MUCH AS IS the case with the Mc DOAKES shorts immediate ancestor on the evolutionary tree, the PETE SMITH SPECIALTIES, the movie is done in strict pantomime by Mr. George O'Hanlon and his cohorts. This was complemented by the voice over narration by dependable Art Gilmore.*
ONCE AGAIN WE are reminded of the great similarities to the MGM PETE SMITH Series with the treatment of subject matter. At this stage of the game, about half of Mr. Gilmore's off screen "lecture" was divided into equal parts of serious and comic send-up. It was a 50/50 deal.
AS FOR THE "Star", Mr. George O'Hanlon, he did a great job in expressing his anguish, difficulties and occasional triumphs in the silence. George could likely have been a success in the prior World of the Silent Screen. But he was able to skillfully develop his character and, much like Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy, bring even greater and most appropriate a voice to future outings.
NOTE: * Art Gilmore had a long and multi-faceted career. He did radio acting and announcing, provided the voice for scores a film trailer (that's "Previews of Coming Attractions" to you, Schultz) and did TV acting. He did provide the voice impersonation for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at least twice; being in YANKEE DOODLE DANDY and ACTION IN THE NORTH Atlantic. We of the "Baby Boomer" generation remember him as the longtime announcer for THE RRED SKELTON SHOW. -
Michael_Elliott24 February 2009So You Think You Need Glasses (1942)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Middle-ground entry in the "So..." series has Joe McDoakes (George O'Hanlon) having trouble seeing and finally his wife is able to nag him enough into going to the doctor to see what's wrong. We then get a documentary-style explanation as to various eye problems, which might be facing the viewers watching the movie. These early entries in the series feature Art Gilmore narrating all the action, which leaves O'Hanlon without any dialogue. It seems fans are split on this but I prefer the later episodes where the actor gets to use that great voice to play off some of the comedy. WIth that said, this here isn't too bad as we get some nice jokes aimed at not being able to see including one very funny sequence where Joe is trying to play cards without much luck. There's another sequence inside a doctor's office where Joe can't see anything other that the nurse's legs. -
While I do fondly recall the Pete Smith shorts I do not recall ever having seen a Joe McDoakes at a movie nor later on television. I have now seen several on DVD and they are, on the whole, fun. This one is a "Joe McDoakes" with narration but no spoken dialog. The style is that of an educational film with humor where various types of eye problems are reviewed. The scenes where Joe (George O'Hanlon) struggles to avoid acknowledging his vision problems while playing bridge and his eye exam are actually pretty funny as was the snippet explaining far sightedness. The ending, however, was without a shred of humor when the narrator asserted that gazing into the sun long enough was a cure for most eye ailments. It was said so sincerely that one is almost tempted to think they really mean it. Ha ha – not.
-
Joe is having vision problems and eventually goes to an optometrist for glasses. That's really all there is to the plot in this one. George O'Hanlon is the star in this Joe McDoakes film, "So You Think You Need Glasses". While I have enjoyed some of the other entries into this series from Warner Brothers, this one is a huge bust. Why? Because the McDoakes films are intended as comedies--yet there really isn't anything funny about this one. It's dull and full of preachy information about Joe's supposed vision problems--and the advice at the end of the picture just seems insane (where they basically recommend you stare at the sun to improve your vision!). I have no idea how this one got made and wish it had some reason to recommend it. If you are possibly insane and WANT to see it, it's included as an extra on the DVD for "The Man Who Came to Dinner".
-
evanston_dad30 December 2009"So You Think You Need Glasses" is a "humorous" short that doubles as an informational film about vision problems and the different things people can do to correct them. Wonder what an astigmatism is, and how one impacts your vision? Or how nearsightedness differs from farsightedness and how each will affect your card game? Well, this film will tell you.
I put "humourous" in quotation marks because the film thinks it's funnier than it is.
What struck me most about it was how odd looking all of the women in it are.