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Hattie: "Woman, you better run for your life cause I'm rowed!"

EVERYBODY'S BABY (1939). Director: Malcolm St. Clair.

Jones Family daughter Bonnie (Shirley Deane) has a baby girl and makes the mistake of ascribing to the dopey child-rearing theories of one Dr. Pilcoff (Reginald Denny of Strange Justice), who believes the baby should have little contact with the parents for the first year. This doesn't sit well with Bonnie's husband, Herbert (Russell Gleason), nor with any  member of the Jones family, especially Granny (Florence Roberts). Pilcoff hires a hatchet-faced nurse (Claire Du Brey of Jane Eyre) who comes into conflict with the family, and especially with Bonnie's wise old housekeeper, Hattie (Hattie McDaniel of The Great Lie), in the movie's best and funniest scene. In this installment of the popular Twentieth Century-Fox series, Bonnie is pretty much an idiot, at one point suggesting that Hattie, who has eight children (including the adorable Triola), "doesn't know anything about children." She also objects strenuously and in almost racist fashion when she finds Triola in her daughter's crib. On the other hand, there's a great scene when the gang finds Bonnie's "missing" baby at a meeting of black families where Triola wins a prize and the Jones baby sits happily with the other infants. Granny is again revealed as the smartest member of the Jones family, cooking up a clever scheme to get rid of Pilcoff and his notions once and for all. The rest of the family is in tow, all giving fine performances, and McDaniel is as terrific as ever. Fun!

Verdict: One of the cutest entries in the series. ***.

Wise Women: Spring Byington and Florence Roberts

LOVE ON A BUDGET (1938). Director: Herbert I. Leeds.

"Somewhere in that deep, dark breast of yours lies the spirit of Carnivale."

Bonnie Jones (Shirley Deane) and her new husband Herbert (Russell Gleason) are having trouble making ends meet and have little furniture in their attractive new home. Along comes Bonnie's free-loading Uncle Charlie (Alan Dinehart), who has Herbert cashing in his bonds not to buy furniture but to invest in a scheme that ultimately leaves him deeper in debt. Shirley wants to move back in with her parents, or file for divorce, and things aren't helped when Herbert and Charlie go out dancing with the former's employee, Millie (Joyce Compton of Dark Alibi), who looks sensational without her glasses. Love on a Budget is an amusing trifle with Granny Jones (Florence Roberts), in particular, in top form, dispensing wisdom and put-downs to Uncle Charlie in equal measure. The scene when Bonnie prepares her first dinner for the whole family is also quite funny. Mayor Jones (Jed Prouty), Mrs. Jones (Spring Byington), Jack (Kenneth Howell), Roger (George Ernest) and sister Lucy (June Carlson) are also along for the ride, as is a much more subdued Dixie Dunbar as Jack's date, apparently a different character from the crazy gal she played in previous Jones Family movies. Leeds also directed Bunco Squad. Shirley Deane was Princess Aura in Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. Florence Roberts was the Widow Peep in Babes in Toyland. This is the eighth movie in the series.

Verdict: Pleasant minor comedy. **1/2.

Tommy (Marvin Stephens) and Roger (George Ernest) make plans

BORROWING TROUBLE (aka The Jones Family in Borrowing Trouble/1937). Director: Frank R. Strayer.

As Bonnie Jones (Shirley Deane) nervously prepares for her wedding to florist Herbert (Russell Gleason), her father, now Mayor Jones (Jed Prouty), becomes a "Big Brother" to a troubled boy from the wrong side of the tracks named Tommy (Marvin Stephens). Mayor Jones is none too thrilled to have the boy among his household, but his wife (Spring Byington) and mother (Florence Roberts) importune him to give Tommy a chance. Part of Tommy's problem is that his older brother, Lester (George Walcott), who works in a pool room, has fallen in with a bad crowd. And then the safe in Mayor Jone's drug store is robbed ... Borrowing Trouble, in which Papa Jones learns not to judge people by their appearance (although his wife's "no bad boys" attitude is quite unrealistic), the seventh entry in the Jones Family series, is, as usual, well-acted with its sentimental aspects never becoming too cloying. Bonnie and Herbert finally get married even if the ceremony is interrupted in riotous fashion. The Jones get a new addition in this installment -- a dog. Oldest son Jack (Kenneth Howell) has little to do in Borrowing Trouble, as he only shows up for the wedding at the end. Roger (George Ernest) gets the lion's share of the footage and gives a very ingratiating performance; Stephens is also notable. His character of Tommy McGuire was carried over to future Jones films, such as The Jones Family in Hollywood, becoming Lucy Jones' (June Carlson) boyfriend. The ever-mediocre Cy Kendall, who plays Chief Kelly in this and other Jones' films, was in a number of serials [Jungle Queen] and "B" movies [The Shadow Strikes].

Verdict: Another amiable evening with the Joneses. **1/2.

Jed Prouty and Spring Byington as Mr. and Mrs. Jones

HOT WATER (1937). Director: Frank R. Strayer.

Mr. Jones (Jed Prouty) is up in arms over a place called the Red Mill, which has illegal gambling in its back parlor and sells liquor to the under-aged. But will the mayor shut it down, or does he have an interest in the place himself? Jones is importuned to run for mayor himself, with son Ralph (George Ernest) both helping and hindering him by putting out his own newspaper and promoting his dad. Oldest son Jack (Kenneth Howell) is waylaid by a pretty singer who works at the Red Mill in a frame up which has him accused of paralyzing a pedestrian, but Ralph comes to the rescue with a bunch of bees. Bonnie (Shirley Deane) and Herbert (Russell Gleason), who seemed to get engaged at the end of the last Jones Family film, Big Business, still aren't married. The acting is as good as ever. Spring Byington and Florence Roberts play Jones' wife and mother respectively.

Verdict: Amiable and entertaining if minor. **1/2. 

Granny Jones reads her horror stories

EDUCATING FATHER (1936). Director: James Tinling.

The first sequel to Every Saturday Night, in which the Evers Family became the Jones Family, was rushed out the same year, becoming a sort of theatrical hour-long sitcom for fifteen more installments. In this entry Mr. Jones (Jed Prouty) wants his son, Jack (Kenneth Howell) to follow him into the pharmacy business, but Jack is more interested in the field of aviation and has been taking flying lessons on the sly. There's a hair-raising bit when a silly gal named Millicent (Dixie Dunbar) climbs into the back seat of a plane without his knowledge and nearly causes a crack-up. In another sub-plot Mr. Jones goes fishing in a place miles away from anywhere just when his lease is coming up on his pharmacy, and Jack has to fly into the wilderness to get him back to town in time or he'll lose his store. Granny Jones (Florence Roberts) reads horror stories, and Mrs. Jones (Spring Byington) wrings her hands and offers sage advice. In this entry oldest daughter Bonnie is played by Shirley Deane.

Verdict: Passable comedy with likable players. **.