If you are looking for a subtle or sophisticated silent comedy, then I suggest you skip this film. However, if you are able to just turn off your brain and enjoy, then this is a dandy little Charley Chase short.
The film begins at a mansion and you learn that the parents have arranged a marriage between their daughter and an old friend of the father's--even though the kids have never met. I know this is a contrived plot element for an American film, but bear with it. Both the daughter and fiancé (Charley) are convinced that they can't go through with the wedding though when they accidentally meet and have no idea who the other one is, they fall in love. Yes, this is impossible to believe (especially since they fell in love so quickly)--but, once again, turn off your brain and keep watching.
Charley thinks up a way out of the arranged marriage so he can marry the nice girl he met at the train station. He'll pretend to be crazy so her parents will insist on breaking the engagement. On the way to her mansion, he meets up with Oliver Hardy (in a small bit part) and tests out his crazy routine. He's so convincing that Hardy calls the local sanitarium and they dispatch men to catch "the madman". Well, this can't happen immediately, so Charley arrives at the home during an important party with the governor as the guest of honor. Charley attacks the man and acts totally insane. This might either put you off since it isn't very subtle or you might just have a few laughs--since it is awfully funny in a low-brow sort of way.
Later, when the attendants arrive to take away the madman, they accidentally take away the girl's father (though he was acting awfully strangely) and consider taking Charley. Though by now, he's realized that his intended IS the girl he loves and he's decided to act normally and go through with the wedding plans.
The film begins at a mansion and you learn that the parents have arranged a marriage between their daughter and an old friend of the father's--even though the kids have never met. I know this is a contrived plot element for an American film, but bear with it. Both the daughter and fiancé (Charley) are convinced that they can't go through with the wedding though when they accidentally meet and have no idea who the other one is, they fall in love. Yes, this is impossible to believe (especially since they fell in love so quickly)--but, once again, turn off your brain and keep watching.
Charley thinks up a way out of the arranged marriage so he can marry the nice girl he met at the train station. He'll pretend to be crazy so her parents will insist on breaking the engagement. On the way to her mansion, he meets up with Oliver Hardy (in a small bit part) and tests out his crazy routine. He's so convincing that Hardy calls the local sanitarium and they dispatch men to catch "the madman". Well, this can't happen immediately, so Charley arrives at the home during an important party with the governor as the guest of honor. Charley attacks the man and acts totally insane. This might either put you off since it isn't very subtle or you might just have a few laughs--since it is awfully funny in a low-brow sort of way.
Later, when the attendants arrive to take away the madman, they accidentally take away the girl's father (though he was acting awfully strangely) and consider taking Charley. Though by now, he's realized that his intended IS the girl he loves and he's decided to act normally and go through with the wedding plans.