Michael Doesn't Have Any Change

Michael Doesn't Have Any Change (Ο Μιχαήλ Δεν Έχει Ψιλά) is a 1926 Greek silent film created by Lykourgos Kalapothakis and starring Michael Michael. The cinematography was completed by Joseph Hepp. The film was a slapstick comedy along the lines of Villar at the Women's Baths in Faliro and Spyridion Baby which was filmed in 1911. The film influenced The Adventures of Villar and was part of a series of similar films created by Lykourgos Kalapothakis and starring Michael Michael. The other films were Michael's Dream, Concetta's Love Saves Michael and The Wedding of Concetta and Michael. Unfortunately, Michael's Dream is a lost film.

Michael Michael was a comedian of the Samartzi-Miliadis operetta troupe. In 1917, his greatest success was with the Elysia theater troupe in Piraeus. He participated in The Revival of 1917 a Greek revue written by Orfea Karavia along with Georgia Vassiliadou. Micheal appeared as a waiter in the Greek silent film Villar at the Women's Baths in Faliro. Between 1923 and 1925 Michael wrote and starred in the Michael tetralogy. Michael hired actors from the Samartzi-Miliadis troupe (θιάσου Σαμαρτζή-Μηλιάδη). His costar was Concetta Moschou and the films also featured appearances by Anna Roussou and Zaza Brillanti.

The films were not shown in large theaters but were given special screenings on some Sundays specifically in Athens or Piraeus if they were successful then the theater house continued to exhibit the films. On 2 May 1926 (Easter), the Argyllas cinema in Volos premiered the comedy Michael Doesn't Have Any Change. Luckily fragments exist from three of the four films giving historians an idea of the technique and method used at the time which can be viewed in the documentary narrated by Alekos Sakellarios entitled The Old Days (Τον Παλιό Έκεινο τον Καιρό) made in 1964.

Plot
The story begins at the Oikonomidou pharmacy, in Hauteia (Omonoia) in Athens. Michael is a clumsy employee on a ladder and drops different items on pedestrians. He is fired from his job and becomes penniless. He follows a couple into a taxi in Omonoia, Athens. The taxi driver is wearing a fur coat and brings the couple including Micheal to the Royal Garden of Athens. Micheal follows them into the park. The woman played by Concetta Moshou is sitting at the park with her boyfriend but they are being robbed. Micheal comes to the rescue and saves the woman and they exit the park together. Another woman and the man who was robbed go to the Thon Mansion (Έπαυλη Θων) at the end of the Royal Garden of Athens. Michael and his new girlfriend arrive. He continues exhibiting his kooky idiotic behavior a group of men attack him and chase him around and his pants come off. He reunites with his love interest at the end of the movie.

Cast

 * Micheal M. Michael (Mihail M. Mihail) as Michael
 * Concetta Moshou as love interest
 * Emmanouil Tzanetis
 * Anna Roussou
 * Zaza Brillanti