Billy Dooley -- sometimes it seems like half the silent comedians were named 'Billy' and about a tenth of them 'Sid Smith' -- was a stage hoofer who moved and looked like an exaggerated Ray Bolger. He spent a few years in the mid- and late twenties as a comedy lead for Christie. Dressed in a sailor suit, with a yen for Vera Steadman, his dim-witted character appeared in many workaday short subjects.
In this one, he is hired to fly in a rocket to the moon in return for Vera -- the rocket is quite beautiful, with a real Georges Melies look to it. Naturally it does not land on the moon, but in a Turkish Bath on Ladies' Day. Chaos, as they say, ensues. Hilarity is another matter.
Mr. Dooley moves well, but his acting is geared for the stage, the gags are elaborately but mechanically executed and the results, while by no means painful, are not outstanding. A decent addition to your collection of Billies, but I think Sid Smiths average out better.
In this one, he is hired to fly in a rocket to the moon in return for Vera -- the rocket is quite beautiful, with a real Georges Melies look to it. Naturally it does not land on the moon, but in a Turkish Bath on Ladies' Day. Chaos, as they say, ensues. Hilarity is another matter.
Mr. Dooley moves well, but his acting is geared for the stage, the gags are elaborately but mechanically executed and the results, while by no means painful, are not outstanding. A decent addition to your collection of Billies, but I think Sid Smiths average out better.
