Max et la doctoresse - 1909

Country: France
Language: French
Director: Max Linder
Writer: Max Linder
Stars: Max Linder, Lucy d'Orbel and Georges Gorby
Also Known As: Max and the Fair M.D. USA (reissue title)
Max and the Lady Doctor USA
Production Co: S.C.A.G.L.
The film itself is adorable. Max visits a lady doctor for a chest cold and is alternately anxious and nervous and excited, in a romantic and sexual way, depicted by his clever pantomime. One can easily see his techniques were stolen by Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, etc. Max proposes to the doctor, she accepts, and the next scene you see them married. Max brings their baby to the office waiting room, where several good looking men are waiting to be seen by his wife. Max peeks in and sees his wife with her ear against a patient's back and he goes nuts, hands the baby to one of the men in the waiting room, and rushes into the examining room and kicks the patient out. Then each remaining patient gets the same treatment. Lastly we see Max in happy domestic contentment, at home with his wife and baby. It is obvious the message is that he will take care of her from now on and she won't have to work. Or at least, that's what I took from it. The film ends rather abruptly, but it is definitely a cute one.