First, a word about the title: in the 1920s "boob" was a slang term for a gullible simpleton, so modern viewers who tune in expecting a spicy tale of nubile back-packers will be disappointed. Harry Langdon is the star, and when this film was made he was emerging as the Mack Sennett Studio's biggest new attraction. Baby-faced Harry plays a most unlikely lumberjack in this tale of the great North woods, "where Nature makes any family tree look like a daffodil." (Something about Harry brought out the whimsy in Sennett's writing staff.) The star's odd casting was in keeping with the studio's approach to their other major player of the time, Ben Turpin, whose improbable roles were a big part of his shtick. Here, much of the opening sequence's humor lies in savoring the sight of Harry waddling around the forest in his baggy lumberjack get-up, and in noting the contrast between this dough-faced innocent and his tough colleagues. But with Turpin, the incongruity was practically the entire gag, whereas Langdon at his best was able to take his offbeat persona and his novel approach to comedy into realms other comedians couldn't reach.
For example, take the "flirtation dance" sequence between Harry and his girl early in this film. The leading lady is a French actress named Marie Astaire, a cute little brunette with an impish quality who paired beautifully with Harry but who, unfortunately, worked with him on only one other occasion. In Boobs in the Wood she's a "timber tomboy" named Hazel, unhappily hooked up with macho man Big Bill (Vernon Dent) but obviously interested in Harry. In their first scene together they enact a child-like courtship dance that is genuinely sweet without going overboard: Hazel boldly approaches Harry and attempts to kiss him, but he backs away confused, then teases her by rapidly running in place; she "tags" him and dashes away, then approaches him again, etc. At one point Harry strikes a defensive pose with his ax held high above his head! It may sound cloying but the scene doesn't outstay its welcome, and the performers are terrific. Miss Astaire—no relation to Fred & Adele—holds her own in this delightful little interlude.
Naturally, all this flirting provokes jealousy in Big Bill, and he treats poor Harry to a wild ride on a log down a steep slope, followed for good measure by a brisk beating. Later on, Harry, Big Bill and Hazel all meet up again in a nearby town, and this time, happily, the girl makes it clear that she prefers Harry. She helps him get a job in the saloon where she works as cashier, and Harry somehow manages to convince the hard-bitten gamblers and outlaws who patronize the place that he's a fearsome hombre, the "Crying Killer" no less. Now attired in Western-style gear, Harry becomes the saloon's bouncer.
The finale feels a bit rushed, and more than a little silly, but by that point we've been won over by the film's good humor and the leading players' charm. Harry and Marie make a winning couple, and even the more conventional gags we encounter along the way have a fresh quality as performed by the leads and their able supporting cast. Boobs in the Wood is an enjoyable two-reel comedy from Langdon's prime years, and, there's no getting around it, the title alone is good for a chuckle.
For example, take the "flirtation dance" sequence between Harry and his girl early in this film. The leading lady is a French actress named Marie Astaire, a cute little brunette with an impish quality who paired beautifully with Harry but who, unfortunately, worked with him on only one other occasion. In Boobs in the Wood she's a "timber tomboy" named Hazel, unhappily hooked up with macho man Big Bill (Vernon Dent) but obviously interested in Harry. In their first scene together they enact a child-like courtship dance that is genuinely sweet without going overboard: Hazel boldly approaches Harry and attempts to kiss him, but he backs away confused, then teases her by rapidly running in place; she "tags" him and dashes away, then approaches him again, etc. At one point Harry strikes a defensive pose with his ax held high above his head! It may sound cloying but the scene doesn't outstay its welcome, and the performers are terrific. Miss Astaire—no relation to Fred & Adele—holds her own in this delightful little interlude.
Naturally, all this flirting provokes jealousy in Big Bill, and he treats poor Harry to a wild ride on a log down a steep slope, followed for good measure by a brisk beating. Later on, Harry, Big Bill and Hazel all meet up again in a nearby town, and this time, happily, the girl makes it clear that she prefers Harry. She helps him get a job in the saloon where she works as cashier, and Harry somehow manages to convince the hard-bitten gamblers and outlaws who patronize the place that he's a fearsome hombre, the "Crying Killer" no less. Now attired in Western-style gear, Harry becomes the saloon's bouncer.
The finale feels a bit rushed, and more than a little silly, but by that point we've been won over by the film's good humor and the leading players' charm. Harry and Marie make a winning couple, and even the more conventional gags we encounter along the way have a fresh quality as performed by the leads and their able supporting cast. Boobs in the Wood is an enjoyable two-reel comedy from Langdon's prime years, and, there's no getting around it, the title alone is good for a chuckle.
