So You Think You're a Nervous Wreck

Starring: George O'Hanlon, Art Gilmore (narrator), Colin Kenny, Jack Kenny, Howard M. Mitchell, Ted Stanhope (uncredited), Clifton Young (uncredited)
Directed by: Richard L. Bare
Rating: Approved
Genre: Short, Comedy
Length: 10 minutes
1946

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A working man (George O'Hanlon) struggles with anxiety about work and his life.

Review:

Tim: This is the second Joe McDoakes short film I've seen (only 60 to go). I seem to remember liking So You Think You Can't Sleep a bit better, but this is certainly a solid short film. In the 10 minute run time, we see Joe struggle with relatable anxieties about work and life. This is perhaps the film's greatest strength- that it laughs and jokes about those quirks of life that we've all experienced. It's a film worth seeing.

The short focuses on those anxiety-producing events that most of humanity has experienced at some point- trying to work up the courage to ask someone out, or to ask your boss for a raise. Or, to confront an annoying coworker. The brilliance of this short is that it addresses each of these in a humorous way that acknowledges the fear, but allows you to laugh about it.

The key here really is the performance of George O'Hanlon. The script is solid, but it's his performance as Joe McDoakes that really makes this come to life. It's him playing this likable everyman that helps us relate to the character. His comedic timing is impressive and while the short isn't laugh-out-loud funny, it's humorous and entertaining.

I'm sure if I sought out all 63 Joe McDoakes shorts, at some point, they'd start to feel redundant. However, for this being only the second one I've seen, I really enjoyed it. It was fun to see the similarities between both films to better understand the formula. It was entertaining and a good use of 10 minutes. It makes me look forward to seeing more of these short films!

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- N/A



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: So You Think You Can't Sleep