This early sound comedy from Jack White's production unit gives every sign of the company's unease with sound. It's difficult to understand what the actors are saying; they seem to wait an inordinately long time after one actor has finished speaking for the next to begin; and the fighting looks clumsy and unrealistic, probably because they were used to undercranking these fights and having the faster projection speed cover up the gaps.
It is not until about ten minutes in that some sequences are shot without sound and the audience can see some of the unlikely grace that makes silent comedy so compelling.
Even so, it's a good chance to see Al St. John moving into the western comedy sidekick that would be his bread and butter role for the next twenty years. Also, it's a rare screen opportunity for Addie McPhail, Roscoe Arbuckle's second wife and therefore Al's aunt.
It is not until about ten minutes in that some sequences are shot without sound and the audience can see some of the unlikely grace that makes silent comedy so compelling.
Even so, it's a good chance to see Al St. John moving into the western comedy sidekick that would be his bread and butter role for the next twenty years. Also, it's a rare screen opportunity for Addie McPhail, Roscoe Arbuckle's second wife and therefore Al's aunt.
