Better Behave

Physical comedy drives this vehicle for then-famous clown Poodles Hanneford, part of a legendary British circus family. Already pushing forty but impeccably nimble, he plays suitor to beauteous, heavily daddy-guarded Betty (Betty Walsh) and the duo try their hardest to elope. This is an essentially plotless series of gags but they're good ones, well above the producing Weiss Brothers' average at the time. While "Poodles" never quite parlayed his big-top celebrity into screen stardom, he occasionally appeared in movies as late as circus-themed Hollywood spectacular BILLY ROSE'S JUMBO. He passed away five years later in the Catskills, no doubt surrounded by a diehard old-school showbiz community to the end.

Directed by Leslie Goodwins, Better Behave leans on a strong ensemble — Poodles Hanneford, Betty Walsh, Harry Martell — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1928.