The Cat's-Paw Page #9

Synopsis: A naive missionary brought up in China returns to America to seek a wife. Corrupt politicians enlist him to run for mayor as a dummy candidate with no chance of winning.
Genre: Comedy
Director(s): Sam Taylor, Harold Lloyd
Production: Fox Film Corporation
 
IMDB:
6.9
NOT RATED
Year:
1934
102 min
99 Views


All right.

Ned, phone the boys...

and tell 'em to meet us

at the bank.

Yeah. Ha ha ha!

City Press Association.

Well, what's the betting, boys?

District attorney in one round.

I'll take Cobb by a knockout.

They're in their corners!

Ah, here they are now.

Well, how are you, Mr. Mayor?

Good morning, gentlemen.

It seems a rather

unusual request, but...

Well, I have no objections

to your opening the box...

providing you touch nothing

of a personal nature.

We're interested in nothing...

except evidence

of political corruption.

Well, naturally,

you'll not find that in there.

Ha ha! You said it

or Old Man Mayo...

would never have

brought you here.

If you'll follow me, gentlemen.

Do these old nostrils

deceive me, boys...

or do I smell dynamite?

There you are, gentlemen,

if you care to examine it.

Put on your glasses, Neal,

you're going to need 'em.

2 to 1 it's full of rice.

Heh...

What's that?

A passport.

Ah, the mayor himself.

Well, that ought

to prove something.

That Chinese photography doesn't

do you justice, Mr. Cobb.

Grab again, Neal.

This is lots of fun.

What's that?

"Proverbs of Ling Po."

A first edition, too.

- Got any pictures in it?

- Read us a couple of proverbs.

Now, there's evidence

of corruption, Neal.

Just a minute, gentlemen,

just a minute.

What's this?

Now, that

I must forbid you to open.

May I ask why?

Well, it has nothing whatsoever

to do with my administration.

Well, what is it, son?

Well, I really don't know.

It was entrusted to my care.

Well, let's open it.

Certainly not!

I'm sure it contains papers

of a very personal nature.

I'll bet it does.

Say, son,

why didn't you tell me?

It certainly

arouses my curiosity.

Give me that envelope,

Mr. Neal.

Now, this is going too far.

Now, just a moment, Mr. Cobb.

Why are you afraid to open this?

I cannot.

It's a matter of honor.

Yes, I'll say it is...

and I'm going to find out

whose honor...

How dare you! Give me that!

Now, wait a minute, son.

He can get a court order

and do it anyway.

But I won't let him do this!

I can't let him do this!

Tell me,

what's in the envelope?

Papers of a very personal

nature, Mr. Mayo.

Would you like to see them?

Well, I'll be...

Can you beat it?

Gentlemen,

you'll recall that Mr. Cobb...

vetoed a bill giving

the street cleaning contract...

to the Great Excelsior

Company...

What has that got to do...

And then awarded the contract

to the Northeastern Company.

Were you in

any way interested...

in the Northeastern Company,

Mr. Cobb?

Not in the least.

Then how do you account for

these 1,500 shares of stock...

in that company

made out in your name?

What?

Say, what kind of

a cockeyed game is this?

You say there's stock

made out there in my name?!

Plenty. And shares in...

the Golden City

Bus Company as well.

Another of your vetoes,

Mr. Cobb.

And I thought he was a sap.

Gee, this story tops them all.

Well, boys, an open-and-shut

case if ever there was one.

Looks like curtains, Mr. Cobb.

Say, son, what does it mean?

Ain't you gonna say nothing?

If your enemy's jewels

be found in your pouch...

utter no word...

for silence is the friend

of the accused.

Ling Po.

What's the matter, China?

Been to a funeral?

Package of Nickels, please.

Last night, Miss Pet,

in a moment of stress...

I asked you to become my wife.

Stress?

What do you mean stress?

Well, if you don't mind...

I would like to withdraw

that request.

Oh. Changed your mind?

Yes.

Well, there weren't

any witnesses...

so I can't sue.

What's wrong with me?

Don't I match in daylight?

Oh, on the contrary.

You're more desirable now

than ever.

Well, that's something.

But l... Well,

if I ever was desirable...

I've ceased to be.

Oh, your beauty

almost drove me mad.

You're derisive.

Well, I hardly blame you.

I see now what a joke

it was when I was elected mayor.

I also realize

that I'm not equipped...

to fit into this civilization.

My place is in Sheng Tu

at my father's side.

In China,

I wasn't funny, Miss Pet.

I was even useful at times.

I should never have left.

Come on, Cobby,

the boys are up in your office.

They're waiting

for a conference.

What's happened, Jake?

Frame-up. He's sunk.

Say, if I told you the story

he told me...

you wouldn't believe

he could be so dumb.

I certainly would.

I'm a firm believer

in the gentleman's dumbness.

How'd they do it?

Morgan's dame.

Ooh, the old-fashioned girl.

Come on, Cobby. We better hurry.

Stay with him, China...

for the glory of old Ling Po!

Come on, son.

They're in the conference room.

If ever a crook

was caught red-handed...

Why, they've got

enough evidence...

to send him to jail

till Doomsday.

They'll rush

his conviction, too.

He hasn't a chance.

The main thing to do

is to protect the organization.

We've got to issue

a statement to the press...

publicly disavowing him.

That won't be necessary,

gentlemen.

Cobb!

Well, Cobb, after all,

we can't help...

No. To help me,

you would have to defy...

the racketeers

that control this town.

That'd endanger your property

or your lives.

You'd be afraid to do it.

Just a moment, Cobb!

You're not only cowardly,

you're selfish.

Your only thought

is to save yourselves.

Well, you needn't worry about

your reputation, gentlemen.

You need not disavow me.

I'm going to disavow you.

Now, hold on, Cobb...

It is I who shall issue

a statement to the press...

repudiating you

and your whole party.

From this moment, I'm my own

political organization.

A party of one.

I shall stand alone

or fall alone.

I bid you good morning.

Holy cats!

Now what are you gonna do?

I think

I'll buy some cigarettes.

Extra paper!

Governor to remove Mayor Cobb!

Thanks for the lunch, China.

Extra!

Governor to remove Mayor Cobb!

Uh-oh. Won't be long now.

No. Mr. Mayo has told me...

that my removal

by the governor is certain.

By tomorrow,

I shall no longer be mayor.

Well, how about today?

One day?

Why, in weeks as mayor

I've accomplished nothing.

The men who could have

helped me...

they've hampered me.

And you've thrown them all out,

haven't you?

Yes.

I've no obligations to anyone.

I stand as

head of the city alone.

Sort of a dictator, huh?

Why not?

Say...

24 hours.

Dictator.

But, Cobby, you can't do that!

You couldn't get away with it.

I've never had to pull a job

like that before.

Now, you don't know

what you're saying!

Why, it's lawless!

Lawless? It's loony!

It can't be done!

Say, what are you reading?

Oh. Mr. Shigley...

I appointed you

chief of police...

because Mr. Mayo told me

that I could depend upon you.

You can, Mr. Cobb...

Pat'll stand by you, son.

He's for you.

But this is impossible!

Why?

Why is it impossible

to arrest...

every known gangster

and racketeer in the city?

We gotta have evidence!

Why?

Because it's the law,

that's why!

- Disregard the law.

- What?!

Now, listen, Cobby...

I know you're all upset,

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Clarence Budington Kelland

Clarence Budington "Bud" Kelland (July 11, 1881 – February 18, 1964) was an American writer. He once described himself as "the best second-rate writer in America".Although largely forgotten now, Kelland had a long career as a writer of fiction and short stories, stretching from 1913 to 1960. He was published in many magazines, including The Saturday Evening Post and The American Magazine. A prolific writer, his output included sixty novels and some two hundred short stories. His best known juvenile works were the Mark Tidd series and the Catty Atkins series, while his best known adult work was the Scattergood Baines series. Other notable adult books by Kelland include Conflict (1920), Rhoda Fair (1925), Hard Money (1930), Arizona (1939), and Dangerous Angel (1953). Kelland was the "literary idol" of the teenaged John O'Hara. He was referred to in a 1995 installment of Harlan Ellison's television commentary, Harlan Ellison's Watching for the program Sci-Fi Buzz, wherein Ellison laments what he perceives as a prevailing cultural illiteracyKelland's work resulted in some thirty Hollywood movies, including Speak Easily (1932) starring Buster Keaton. Opera Hat, a serial from The American Magazine, was the basis for the film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) starring Gary Cooper. Opera Hat later was turned into the short-lived television series Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1969–70), and the movie Mr. Deeds (2002). One of Kelland's best-known characters was featured in the Scattergood Baines series of six films from 1941 to 1943, starring Guy Kibbee. more…

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