Seventh Column (1943)
*** (out of 4)
This Pete Smith short isn't the greatest in his series but it has enough laughs to make it worth sitting through. What we've basically got is Smith explaining the various ways people can hurt themselves and Dave O'Brien is the actor who gets to abuse him body showing us. These includes countless jokes about too much wax on the floor which can make you fall and we have several gags about no lights on stairs, which of course also leads to falls. Being 1943 we even get some jokes that might not go over too well today including drunk driving and people who smoke in beds only to catch fire. These Smith/O'Brien shorts never really get the credit they deserve but with Smith's great, fun voice and O'Brien's perfect comic timing they just made some real magic. The best joke here is actually the one dealing with drunk driving but I'm sure many will either be offended by it or not see any humor in it. The stuff dealing with the stairs is also funny as is another bit with a man on a ladder.