Reviews

As with many pre-Triangle Keystone two-reelers, there's really not enough going on to justify the length. Well, there could've been, but the direction here is substandard. This is the kind of short that suffers from the lack of a sympathetic character; we're given no one to like. Still, I enjoyed it and it succeeds as a piece of old-fashioned, unchallenging entertainment.

Enjoyable as a cultural document, above all else, giving us an idea of how touring companies worked in the early 20th century. It's too confined and repetitive to be wholly successful.

And is Harold Lloyd really in this? I couldn't spot him...

One of the all-time best Keytones, with great pacing and an unusually intricate plot for 1915. The car chase is among the best I've seen.

Look for a barely recognizable Charley Chase in his first really good film. A documentary I saw on Harold Lloyd leads me to believe Lloyd has a bit part as the fruit vendor who keeps getting knocked over. Can anyone confirm this?

A fine example of the early Keystone formula: exaggerated performances, ethnic stereotypes, frenetic pacing, and a simple plot. Perhaps a bit offensive by today's standards, but a great short nonetheless, the cinematic primitivity completed perfectly by shots of a fascinatingly undeveloped southern California.