Warner Archive Press Release: Kentucky Kernels (1934) (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[Colin Jacobson]

Semi-surprised WB released this without any kind of disclaimer due to the presence of "Sleep 'n' Eat".

There are some racist images in one of the cartoons as well...

 

[jayembee]

It hasn't been released yet. It's not due out until Sep 8, so there may well be an advisory on it.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Semi-surprised WB released this without any kind of disclaimer due to the presence of "Sleep 'n' Eat".

There are some racist images in one of the cartoons as well...

I see your point but that was a self chosen name. So the actor must have only viewed it in a humorous way.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Seemed left-field until I saw it was directed by George Stevens. I haven’t seen any W&W, so this will change that.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I see your point but that was a self chosen name. So the actor must have only viewed it in a humorous way.

Disagree on that - suspect it was more giving into the stereotypes to help get work.

Even if he went by his real name, his character in the movie is insulting and demeaning...

 

[Colin Jacobson]

It hasn't been released yet. It's not due out until Sep 8, so there may well be an advisory on it.

I already watched the BD. No disclaimers...

 

[Robert Harris]

I already watched the BD. No disclaimers...

I thought I saw a disclaimer.

 

[Robert Harris]

Seemed left-field until I saw it was directed by George Stevens. I haven’t seen any W&W, so this will change that.

Mr. Sevens spent years as Roach as a cinematographer, inclusive of Battle of the Century.

 

[ahollis]

I see your point but that was a self chosen name. So the actor must have only viewed it in a humorous way.

His real name was Willie Best, which he started using in credits in 1935 in The Nitwits, another Wheeler and Woolsey film. I don’t know if it was him or perhaps his agent at the time that suggested Sleep ‘n’ Eat for his credits, but I don’t think he particularly liked it.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I thought I saw a disclaimer.

Just looked, and you're right in that there is a disclaimer that only addresses the cartoons.

It appears when the disc starts - it comes up after the "Warner Home Entertainment" screen.

That's why I missed it - I probably put the BD in the player and left the room briefly while it went to the main menu.

I'm surprised there's no disclaimer about "Kernels" itself, as it mentions problematic cartoons and that's it.

Also surprised it doesn't attach more directly to the cartoons themselves!

 

[Colin Jacobson]

His real name was Willie Best, which he started using in credits in 1935 in The Nitwits, another Wheeler and Woolsey film. I don’t know if it was him or perhaps his agent at the time that suggested Sleep ‘n’ Eat for his credits, but I don’t think he particularly liked it.

While I recognize that sensitivity to racism was different in 1934 than it is in 2020, I still have to believe Best wasn't happy to be billed by such an awful name.

Unless maybe he recognized that his "Kernels" character was a sad stereotype and he wanted to keep his real name off of the film!

 

[Bert Greene]

Pretty amazing how nice the print looks. I was noticing during the train-station sequence, you can make out the titles of the pulp magazines on the newsstand racks. All real titles and issues of the day, including "Doc Savage," "Pete Rice Western," "Top-Notch," "Thrilling Love Stories," "Ace-High," "Thrilling Detective," "War Birds," "Sky Fighters," "G-8 and his Battle Aces," "Nick Carter," "Street and Smith Western Story Magazine," "Black Mask Detective," and a few others. No phony mock-ups.

Little things like this are why I love hi-def blu-rays of this kind of vintage fare.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I picked this up during the latest sale - I had been curious about it since it was announced. I grew up on a steady diet of Marx Brothers and W.C. Fields but hadn’t heard of W&W.

I liked it about as much as I expected - the scenes with the duo together are the best in the film, while the rest of the plotting going on around them often felt like filler - again, all as expected. I’d check out another film or two of theirs given the chance.

Disc quality itself was outstanding. It’s always a surprise to see something from RKO looking this good.

 

[rdf8585]

I picked this up during the latest sale - I had been curious about it since it was announced. I grew up on a steady diet of Marx Brothers and W.C. Fields but hadn’t heard of W&W.

I liked it about as much as I expected - the scenes with the duo together are the best in the film, while the rest of the plotting going on around them often felt like filler - again, all as expected. I’d check out another film or two of theirs given the chance.

Disc quality itself was outstanding. It’s always a surprise to see something from RKO looking this good.

It was great to see some Wheeler & Woolsey on Blu-ray but unfortunately, Kentucky Kernels is not one of their best movies in my estimation. It rates as just okay for me, a passable time killer.

For any newcomer to the duo, I'd suggest Peach O'Reno, Diplomaniacs, Hips, Hips Hooray, and Hold Em Jail. They all rate comfortably above Kentucky Kernels for me, and it's no coincidence those other four titles are pre-code.

Some people are partial to Cockeyed Cavaliers too.

Fun clips from those other films:

Hips Hips Hooray (1934) - YouTube

Diplomaniacs (Preview Clip) - YouTube

Podcast on W&W

Wheeler and Woolsey: The Pre-Code Funnymen by The Online Movie Show with Phil Hall | Free Listening on SoundCloud

 

[jayembee]

It was great to see some Wheeler & Woolsey on Blu-ray but unfortunately, Kentucky Kernels is not one of their best movies in my estimation. It rates as just okay for me, a passable time killer.

For any newcomer to the duo, I'd suggest Peach O'Reno, Diplomaniacs, Hips, Hips Hooray, and Hold Em Jail. They all rate comfortably above Kentucky Kernels for me, and it's no coincidence those other four titles are pre-code.

Some people are partial to Cockeyed Cavaliers too.

What he said. Diplomaniacs is my favorite of their films. It has some decidedly un-PC elements, but at the same time, it works in a little subversion of some stereotypes. Plus, Louis Calhern (one of my favorite classic character actors). I'm also partial to Hips, Hips, Hooray as I'm a Ruth Etting fan, but it's fun even aside from her.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I’ll definitely keep an eye out for some additional W&W titles once I finish watching the rest of my WBShop order. Thank you for the suggestions.

To be honest, I found that the character played by “Sleep ‘n Eat” took me out of the picture. I’m usually able to place films in the context in which they were made and to save my modern observations until the end but that stereotyping was a bit much. It didn’t add anything to the film in its own context and certainly didn’t age well. Are the “un-PC elements” in the other films similar racial stereotyping or something else?

 

[jayembee]

In Diplomaniacs there are three general elements, all of which are subverted in some way.

(1) Early in the film, there's an Indian tribe that at first appears to be an of-the-time stereotypical view of Indians. Pretty much in the same vein as Disney's Peter Pan.

(2) Louis Calhern plays the bad guy, and he has a Chinese sidekick. There is some stereotyping in the latter's presentation, but because he is just a sidekick, he's not a Fu Manchu-style "yellow peril" figure.

(3) At the very end, there's a big musical number, done in blackface. The thing, though, is that it's so completely over the top, that it's hard to take seriously. It comes off as satirical more than anything else.

If you want, I'll explain the subversions behind spoiler tags. I can't do it now, though, as I have to dash off to an appointment.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

That’s enough for me to go on as is - sounds less random and more in service of the story than what was in Kentucky Kernels if I’m reading you right.