Mama Loves Papa (1945) Reviews

A loose remake of the 1935 Charlie Ruggles-Mary Boland comedy of the same name, Mama Loves Papa stars Elisabeth Risdon in the title role. Thanks to the efforts of his social-climbing wife Jessie (Risdon), furniture store employee Wilbur Todd (Leon Errol) is tossed headfirst into the world of small-town politics. Sized up as a patsy by crooked politician Kirkwood (Edwin Maxwell), poor Wilbur is plied with champagne as part of Kirkwood's scheme to land a sweetheart playground-equipment contract. Awakening with a huge hangover and minus his trousers, Wilbur finds that he has inadvertently brought disgrace to everyone concerned, including his wife. Everything turns out all right, of course, but only when Jessie agrees to allow Wilbur to stay in his own backyard. The film is highlighted by Leon Errol's classic "rubber legs" routine, which was already familiar to aficionados of Errol's two-reel comedy escapades. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi