The Cat’s Paw
The Cat's-Paw
United States • 1934
Director
Synopsis
Silent-comedy legend Harold Lloyd’s fourth sound film is an outlandish, Capraesque political satire in which he plays Ezekiel Cobb, a naive young man raised by missionaries in China, who is brought to America to help a corrupt political boss by running for mayor of a California town as a dummy candidate. Things don’t go according to plan, however, when the idealistic Cobb wins the election and sets out to reform the city—enlisting the help of the local Chinese American community in his quest. Please be advised: this film contains offensive racial stereotypes, slurs, and yellowface.
Synopsis
Silent-comedy legend Harold Lloyd’s fourth sound film is an outlandish, Capraesque political satire in which he plays Ezekiel Cobb, a naive young man raised by missionaries in China, who is brought to America to help a corrupt political boss by running for mayor of a California town as a dummy candidate. Things don’t go according to plan, however, when the idealistic Cobb wins the election and sets out to reform the city—enlisting the help of the local Chinese American community in his quest. Please be advised: this film contains offensive racial stereotypes, slurs, and yellowface.
Credits
Crew
DirectorSam Taylor
WriterSam Taylor
Cast
Harold Lloydas Ezekiel Cobb
Una Merkelas Petunia Pratt / Cobb
George Barbieras Jake Mayo
Nat Pendletonas Strozzi
Grace Bradleyas Dolores Doce
Alan Dinehartas Mayor Ed Morgan
Grant Mitchellas Silk Hot McGee
John Georgeas Gangster (uncredited)