El's back

The new computer has arrived and as I try to learn Windows Vista, I'll give you this one to welcome me back! From the snipe on the reverse:

"El Brendel, Fox Movietone Comedian, has to get right down to work to make her laugh. The younf lady is Cherie Lawes, daughter of Warden Lewis E. Lawes of Sing Sing prison."

I assume that this was shot in 1930 on the Fox lot while Cherie was working on the Spencer Tracy vehicle "Up The River" and El was probably working on the sci-fi classic, "Just Imagine".

Time Magazine in their Monday June 9th, 1930 issue reported about Ms. Lawes:

"Joan, seven-year-old daughter of Warden Lewis Edward Lawes of New York State Penitentiary at Ossining (Sing Sing) signed a three-year contract with Fox Film Co. to make motion pictures. Her first vehicle will be Up the River, a comedy of prison life." Joan was born at the institution; inmates call her "Cherie." Last month she managed to skip across some scenes which a cameraman was taking at the prison. Because she photographed well, she got the job."

Even thoughJoan signed a contract at Fox, it appears that "Up The River" was her only screen appearance.