The Nickel-Hopper
About The Nickel-Hopper
Paddy, a taxi dancer, earns a nickel a dance and keeps a household that includes her loafing father. Dance-hall men, among them a masher, and her rich beau Jimmy Jessop pull her between the hall and home. The night turns into a chase involving a policeman, a landlord, and the neighbors.
Cast & crew
More about The Nickel-Hopper
Hal Roach presented the three-reel short and Pathé Exchange released it on December 5, 1926, after a copyright registration on November 11. Frank Butler, Stan Laurel, and Roach are credited with the writing, H. M. Walker with the titles, and Richard C. Currier with the editing. F. Richard Jones and Hal Yates directed.
Themes
Background
Taxi-dance halls charged ten cents a dance and paid the woman a nickel, which is the slang the title uses.
Making
The short was a Hal Roach vehicle for Normand after her earlier features. Laurel, not yet a screen partner of Hardy, is credited as one of the writers.
Look
Floyd Jackman is the cinematographer named by Silent Era; Wikipedia also lists Len Powers and William Wessling.
Preservation
Silent Era reports that 35mm prints exist and that 16mm reduction prints are in private collections. The film is in the public domain in the United States.
Notes
- The title is the dancer's share of a dime ticket at a taxi-dance hall.
- Oliver Hardy, uncredited, plays the jazz-band drummer.
- Boris Karloff, uncredited, plays a dance-hall masher.
- James Finlayson appears as Rupert, a resident of 625 Park Street.
- Mabel Normand's father is played by Michael Visaroff; Theodore von Eltz plays Jimmy Jessop.
- Silent Era lists costume design by Lambert.
Scenes
- Paddy works the floor of the dance hall for a nickel a turn.
- Hardy's drummer and Karloff's masher sit at the edge of the same hall.
Also available
- Internet Archive (TheNickel-hopper1926)
