"Parrott, a very kind and gentle man who went out of his way to help friends, gave Thelma a handful of diet pills believing they would help control her appetite. Unfortunately, they contained amphetamines, quite a common ingredient in early diet pills and not considered anything out of the ordinary at the time... It was the first time she had ever taken pills or drugs of any sort, and she quickly became hooked." In late 1929, the mounting pressure of her career, the physical strain of a busy production schedule, and the chemical imbalance caused by the diet pills caused Todd to suffer a minor collapse. This proved to be a blessing, as it allowed Todd time to rest, improve her diet and abandon the performance enhancers.
Directed by Parrott, The Pip from Pittsburg (1931) allowed Todd a significant amount of screen time. Chase stars as a working-class man who is, against his wishes, fixed up on a blind date by his co-worker Griff (Carlton Griffin). To forestall any romantic entanglement, Charley chews garlic, dresses like a slob and behaves like a boor -- until he gets an eyeful of the red hot pip he's paired with (Todd). Suddenly, Charley has to clean up his act (and his breath, and his clothes, and his face) while on the date, without attracting undue attention.
Producer: Hal Roach
Director: James Parrott
Cinematography: Art Lloyd
Music: Leroy Shield
Film Editing: Richard Currier
Cast: Charley Chase (Charley), Thelma Todd (Thelma), Dorothy Granger (Dot), Kay Deslys (Kay), Carlton Griffin (Griff), Harry Bernard (Cigar Stand Clerk (uncredited), Baldwin Cooke (Newspaper Reader (uncredited), Charles Dorety (Dancer (uncredited), Charlie Hall (Kay's Dancing Partner (uncredited), Frank Holliday (Dancer (uncredited).
BW-21m.
by Bret Wood
