The Patsy is a 1928 silent comedy film directed by King Vidor and starring Marion Davies.
Davies is Pat Harrington, the younger daughter of the wealthy Harrington family. Her father loves her, but her domineering mother strongly favors her self-centered sister Grace, leaving Pat in a semi-Cinderella situation of having to routinely hand over her nicest clothes to Grace and do the chores for both sisters.
The rivalry between the sisters has grown even more pitched, as they both are attracted to rich, handsome Tony Anderson. Tony and Grace are dating, with Tony completely unaware of Pat being head-over-heels in love with him. Ma Harrington is aware, however, and is determined to keep Pat away from Tony. The situation is complicated when charming playboy Billy Caldwell meets Grace and is instantly attracted to her.
This film is probably best remembered today for the sequence in which Davies, who had a talent for mimicry, does killer impressions of silent film stars Mae Murray, Lillian Gish, and Pola Negri in rapid succession. Future Academy Award winner Marie Dressler appears as Ma Harrington.
Not to be confused with the 1964 Jerry Lewis movie of the same name.
Tropes:
- Big "SHUT UP!": At the climax, Ma Harrington's constant screaming about Pat leads Pa Harrington to shout "SHUT UP!" He then states in no uncertain terms that Ma will stop picking on Pat.
- Bilingual Bonus: Billy, pretending to be a fancy waiter, asks Ma "Viens-tu de la campangne, grande vache?"note Immediately subverted when Pat starts cackling and says "He said something about a big cow!"
- Establishing Character Moment: Billy Caldwell comes zipping up to the yacht club in his own yacht. He enters the Yacht Club dinner and sees Grace. Instantly enchanted, he grabs a waiter's jacket and pretends to be a waiter, charming Grace while mocking and insulting her mother. Billy is established as a madcap playboy.
- Fainting: Ma does this at the end of the big confrontation after Pa storms out of the house.
- Gosh Dang It to Heck!: When Ma and Grace are badgering her, Grace busts out with "I don't give a whoopin' darn!". Her mother and sister are shocked.
- Grammar Nazi: Part of Ma Harrington's harassment of Pa Harrington manifests itself with her repeatedly criticizing his use of "ain't".
- Henpecked Husband: Pa Harrington is constantly criticized and browbeaten by Ma."I've had a pain in the neck ever since we married.
- Hypocritical Humor:Ma Harrington: Don't say ain't.
Pa Harrington: I've said ain't for twenty-five years.
Ma Harrington: That ain't so! - Longing Look: Pat has a habit of staring at Tony with her big blue eyes in an obvious look of love. Tony never notices, but Ma does, and berates Pat for "mooning" at Tony.
- Love Doodles: Pat keeps scribbling Tony's name. She writes it in the condensation on a bathroom mirror. She carves it on a bar of soap!
- Oblivious to Love: Poor Tony has no clue that Pat is besotted with him. When she tells him "I'm in love with a man who hardly knows I exist," he cluelessly offers her advice on how to attract the mystery man.
- Second-Face Smoke: Pat does this simply to get a reaction out of Billy, who is drunk and depressed to the point of near catatonia. Billy just flops over onto his couch.
- Shout-Out: One of the jokes Pat tells when she's trying to make herself over as more outgoing in order to attract Tony."All the world's a stage but most of us are only stagehands."
- Sibling Triangle: Grace and Pat, both after Tony. While Tony only has eyes for Grace, Pat loves him from afar.
- Single Malt Vision: A drunk Billy sees two Pats while she's doing her Lillian Gish impersonation.
- The Unfavorite: For no clear reason, Ma Harrington greatly favors Grace over Pat. She makes Pat do the chores. She makes Pat give Grace her fine coat when it's time for dinner at the Yacht Club. She makes Pat walk behind the rest of the family when going to dinner. She is determined to not let Pat come between Grace and Tony.
