Safe And Sane - 1924

Country: United States

Language: English

Director: Harold Beaudine

Stars: Jimmie Adams, Vera Steadman and Lincoln Plumer

Release Date: 6 April 1924 (USA)

Production Co: Christie Film Company

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Genres: Short | Comedy

The movie starts out with a publicity stunt at a local store. The owners promised $500 to anyone that can open their supposedly unbreakable safe. When Jimmie manages to do so, the owner then says there is a catch--the money is stored in yet another safe--at the owner's home. While Jimmie should have socked the guy for lying about the money, he takes this all pretty well and sets out to the man's house to crack the wall safe. However, a gang of thieves also arrive at the scene--intent to take the money once Jimmie gets it.

Along the way, Jimmie meets a cute lady and tells her a story about his having attended and gotten a degree at criminal college. This is one of the few places where there are some laughs in the film, but it also feels more like a separate film--especially since Jimmie turns out to be amazingly honest for a crook!

The Yokel - 1926

Country: United States

Language: English

Director: James D. Davis

Stars: 'Snub' Pollard, Thelma Daniels and Bob O'Connor

Release Date: 22 October 1926 (USA)

Also known as: El campesino (Argentina)

Production Co: Snub Pollard Comedies

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Genres: Comedy | Short 

After ten years of working for Hal Roach, first as a supporting comedian for Harold Lloyd and then in his own series of shorts, Snub Pollard was let go. His style of comedy had not kept up with the new, more realistic, character-based comedy that had emerged, first under Lloyd, then Eddie Boland and now with Charley Chase. Snub had remained a clown with a strange mustache whose sharply executed gags determined the story, rather than the other way around. So he went out on his own and, with a distribution deal from the Weiss Brothers, started his own series.

Unfortunately, while his gag construction remained sharp -- there's a very nicely executed, if standard split-screen gag that kicks off this short -- neither his story construction nor titles -- some of which are wince-inducing in their attempts to be funny -- had advanced. Snub would go back into vaudeville, make some more shorts for the Weiss Brothers and continue to fade: into B western comedy short -- where he could be spotted, looking rather bizarre in the same urban costumes he had worn in 1916 -- and finally into uncredited bits. He can be glimpsed briefly in 1961's TWIST AROUND THE CLOCK, still wearing his mustache, doing the twist on a mountain in the Alps.

The story is a standard one: Snub comes to town with his pet duck where people think that he has struck oil at home, and so is briefly pursued by the young women, before settling on Thelma Davis.

Italian Love - 1920

Country: United States

Language: English

Stars: Billy West, Ethelyn Gibson, Ted Lorch, Charley Chase.

Production Co: Bull's Eye

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Genres: Short | Comedy

Her Fame and Shame - 1917

Country: United States

Director: Frank Griffin

Stars: Charles Murray, Louise Fazenda and Harry Booker

Release Date: 25 March 1917 (USA)

Production Co: Keystone Film Company

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Genres: Comedy | Short

Howdy Duke - 1927

Country: United States

Director: Norman Taurog

Writer: Norman Taurog

Stars: Lupino Lane, Wallace Lupino and Kathryn McGuire

Release Date: 16 January 1927 (USA)

Production Co: Lupino Lane Comedy Corporation

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Genres: Short | Comedy

Lane plays two roles: Grand Duke Algy Horseradish De Ketchup of Worcestershire and Newsboy White. The newsboy is hired by Elmer Éclair (played by Lane's younger brother, Walter Lupino) to impersonate the Duke for unstated reasons, and to attend a house party at the Smalls (a last name that leads to several puns) in the Duke's stead. Éclair warns the newsboy to stay away from the girl, as she is his finance. The newsboy is somewhat at sea at the elaborate dinner being confused by the multitude of silverware. He begins to tell a story about lion hunting and there is further mayhem with flying food. Of course, he falls for the very girl he was warned to stay away from. Most of the physical comedy takes place in and around the indoor pool. What an elaborate and beautiful set it is. Soon the real Duke shows up and the next phase of the short is the villain getting the two characters confused (we can tell the real Duke from the newsboy because he wears a monocle). A lot of pratfalls and running around and of course, the newsboy gets the girl at the end. My favorite stunt was when Lane was in an automobile tire and rolling down a long street. It's a miracle he didn't break his neck – what an amazing athlete he was. Sometimes the title cards for these shorts are as funny as the physical routines. One of the best in this one was "Have an accident? No -you idiot-I just had one." Forget the storyline in the Lupino Lane shorts – just sit back and enjoy the fun.

Old Tin Sides - 1927

Country: United States

Director: Gilbert Pratt

Stars: Hilliard Karr, Frank Alexander and 'Kewpie' Ross

Release Date: 7 March 1927 (USA)

Production Co: Joe Rock Comedies (I), Standard Photoplay Company

Runtime: 20 min

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Plot Keywords: Slapstick

Genres: Short | Comedy

Connections

Spoofs - Old Ironsides (1926)

Mabel's Wilful Way - 1915

Country: United States

Language: English

Stars: Mabel Normand, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle and Joe Bordeaux

Release Date: 1 May 1915 (USA)

Filming Locations: Idora Park - Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, California, USA

Production Co: Keystone Film Company

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Plot Keywords: Character Name In Title

Genres: Short | Comedy

As Mabel is dining out with her parents, she begins to find the orchestra's music annoying, and she wanders off to the fairgrounds nearby. There Mabel meets two mischief-loving young men, and she joins them in some of their antics. Meanwhile, Mabel's parents have started to look for her, and they are most unprepared for what they will find.