Exposing Andy Clyde

It is a shame that the name Andy Clyde is often only recognized by the staunchest film buffs. His movie career spanned over 3 decades and after that he continued to work on TV. In the silent era, he had been comedy producer Mack Sennett's "Man of a Thousand Faces" often appearing in different costumes and make up that make him almost unrecognizable. Because of this he often appeared in multiple roles in the same film. He eventually found himself playing an old man character that he would continue playing well into the talkie era. Mostly playing this character Andy made 79 comedy shorts for Columbia Pictures. Fans of B-Westerns make best recognize him for playing the character California Carlson in the Hopalong Cassidy B movies. Vintage TV fans might recognize him for playing George MacMichael on The Real McCoys and Cully Wilson on the Lassie TV series. He would also make many guest appearances as one-off characters on many classic TV westerns. 

The following is a 1932 article from Modern Screen magazine about Andy Clyde. If you have any trouble reading, click on the pages and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here.

Now enjoy a short film that Andy Clyde made for Columbia, Hot Paprika (1935).

The following is a review of Hot Paprika from a 1936 issue of The Philadelphia Exhibitor (Note: the review and the reviews that follow include spoilers so watch the film before reading). 

"HOT PAPRIKA. Columbia. 18 m. This has few gags that aren't outrageously burlesqued. Result is silly, depending on Andy Clyde's ability to draw laughs by appearance and dumbness. Told by the doctor that he has three months to live, Andy determines to do so with zest. He travels; finds self in Republic of Paprika; is mistaken for 'ze rich Americano who finances ze revolution. From then on, Andy is caught between Federalists and Rebels; escapes government firing squad only through intervention through rebels; wins war accidentally with machine gun. Fair" 

The following is a review from The Film Daily.

"Snappy Andy Clyde goes on a trip for his health to the Latin American republic of Paprika, where he runs afoul of the revolution, he gets himself in Dutch with the government troops. Andy is lined up against the wall before a firing squad, and escapes by a fluke and saves the day for the revolutionists. Thus he becomes a national hero. Good Andy Clyde technique in a yarn that has plenty of action and excitement and a pippy senorita for the sex angle. Directed by Preston Black." 

The following is an exhibitor's review for the Motion Picture Herald. 

"Hat Paprika: Andy Clyde - The funniest comedy we've played in months. Audience simply howled with delight. Running time, 19 minutes. - A.N. Miles, Eminence Theater, Eminence, Ky. Small Town Patronage." 

 

Dunking Doughnuts with Shirely Temple

 

Probably no child actress has ever been better known than Shirley Temple. Like Marlyin Monroe, John Wayne or Charlie Chaplin, even those who have never seen one of her movies know of her. They can immediately bring to mind the image of a little girl with curls dancing and singing. Those who do watch her movies can easily understand why her popularity was so great during the heyday of her career. She is simply charming and cute without ever coming across as cloying, the way so many child actors can. Most of her films may not be great masterpieces of cinema but they are still quite entertaining and fun. If you get a chance to watch one of her classic films with an audience, you will discover how much they still delight audiences today.  Her career actually lasted beyond her being the little girl who sang about The Good Ship Lollypop and Animal Crackers. She appeared in some truly delightful films as a teenager, which showed her blossoming into a good actress. These later teenage films include The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), I'll Be Seeing You (1944) and the classic John Ford-John Wayne western Fort Apache (1948). 

The following is an article from a 1942 issue of Modern Screen magazine. If you can't read the pages below click on the pages and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here. 

After having talked about the later part of Shirley Temple's career, we turn our attention to an early film of Her's. I really enjoy the Andy Clyde short, Dora's Dunking Doughnuts (1933), which feature Shirley Temple in a prominent role. This film may not be one of Andy Clyde's funniest shorts. However, it is a really cute, sweet and charming little film that is still delightful today. 

The following are some exhibitors' reviews of Dora's Dunking Doughnuts from the Motion Picture Herald. "Dora's Dunking Doughnuts: Andy Clyde - The kids and their orchestra saved this for Andy. Whoever told that guy he was funny? - Mayme P. Mussleman, Princess Theatre, Lincoln, Kan. Small Town Patronage." "Dora's Dunking Doughnuts: Andy Clyde - A little odd and very good comedy. That got a few laughs. Running time, two reels. - J.A. Verchot, Opera House, Abbeville, S.C. Small Town Patronage." "Dora's Dunking Doughnuts: Andy Clyde - A funny comedy and the audience laughed. Running time 20 minutes. - A.H. Edwards Orpheum Theatre, Orwigsburg, PA, Small town and rural patronage." 

The following is from an issue of The Film Daily dated June 6, 1933. "Alfonse Corelli, musical director, wrote 'Dora's Dunking Doughnuts' for Andy Clyde's comedy, and the number has already shown signs of being in the hit class. Although the song has not been published and the picture is not ready for general release, requests have been received from several radio stations for permission to broadcast; a well-known stage producing organization has bid it for a new production, and an offer for electrical transcriptions and phonograph records has been made." 

The following is from an issue of The Film Daily dated June 3, 1933. "Andy Clyde ate so many doughnuts and drank so much coffee during the making of 'Dora's Dunking Doughnuts' that he is going to emulate Ghandi and go on a hunger strike. In one scene the Scotch comic had to eat four doughnuts. This does not sound like much but when it is figured the scene was shot from four angles - and then the retakes - figure it out for yourself."