Slapstick Encyclopedia, Vol. 3 - Funny Girls: Genders and Their Benders

Slapstick Encyclopedia, Vol. 3 - Funny Girls: Genders and Their Benders
In this third volume of Slapstick Encyclopedia, Kino on Video celebrates the first ladies of screen comedy with six sensational shorts which dispel the myth that comedy was primarily a man's domain. While Keystone's "Bathing Beauties" were satisfied to pose and look pretty, these dauntless damsels flung themselves into the making of mirth with spirited abandon.

Highlighted by a bit of bawdy cross-dressing and smart innuendo that would never have gotten past the Hays Office in the mid-'30s, Hearts And Flowers (1919) is buoyed by the good-humored sensitivity of Louise Fazenda, backed by Phyllis Haver and Ford Sterling.

Fay Tincher challenges conventional notions of femininity in the titular role of Rowdy Ann (1919), produced by Al Christie), a raucous comedy in the untamed West. Equally determined is Gale Henry, who co-stars with Charley Chase and Vivian Oakland in Mighty Like A Moose (1926) and, in an earlier role, follows a mystery into the depths of Chinatown in The Detectress (1919).

When Stan Laurel was asked to name the ten greatest comediennes of all time, one of the first on the list was Alice Howell, who stars in One Wet Night (1924). Dorothy Devore downplayed the violent nature of slapstick in favor of more sophisticated laughs in such films as Know Thy Wife (1918, co-starring Earl Rodney). various directors. U.S. 1918-26. Total time: 117 mins. B&W. Music by Eric Beheim, Brian Benison, Robert Israel, Ken Rosen.

Contents:
Mighty Like A Moose (1926, w/Charley Chase)
The Detectress (1919, w/Gale Henry)
One Wet Night (1924, w/Alice Howell)
Know Thy Wife (1918, w/Dorothy Devore)
Rowdy Ann (1919, w/Fay Tincher, Harry Depp)
Hearts And Flowers (1919, w/Louise Fazenda and Ford Sterling)
Customer Review: First ladies of slapstick
Transfer quality of the shorts on Vol. 3 of SLAPSTICK ENCYCLOPEDIA is typically top notch. A matching stereo music track and SFX add to the fun. Some films lack opening credits, most are minus a standard "THE END" and a couple show their age slightly. SYNOPSES: MIGHTY LIKE A MOOSE-- A homely couple undergo secret cosmetic procedures: he fixes protruding teeth, she has her nose bobbed. Afterward, they meet by chance at an elevator, don't recognize each other and make a clandestine date. A photo is snapped at a party that gets raided and their new faces hit page one of the next newspaper. THE DETECTRESS-- Gail Henry, an actress with a most expressive face, wants to be a private eye. She goes to Dirty Alley in search of stolen papers and ends up at a Chop Suey house and adjacent building that are filled with ominous Chinaman stereotypes. ONE WET NIGHT-- Husband drives home after a heavy rain and gets badly splashed in his open Tin Lizzie. He and wife invite another couple for dinner. The other man accidentally discharges a supposedly empty shotgun into the ceiling and a flood of water comes down on them all. KNOW THY WIFE-- Newlywed Bob brings bride home to his parents disguised as "Steve," as he fears their disappointment at an elopement. The parents expect Bob to marry a wealthy girl, and the young couple must figure how to straighten everything out. ROWDY ANN-- A wild gunslinging cowpoke gal is sent by her cattleman father to college in an effort to civilize her. She creates havoc on the train and at school. HEARTS AND FLOWERS-- An elegant hotel band leader romances a bumpkinlike flower girl because he thinks she's inherited $2 million. Includes shoreside footage of frolicking Sennett bathing beauties, and a crossdressed woman who dances with and kisses the flower girl several times-- a scandalous scene that would've never made it past the Hayes Code in the 30s. The 4th edition of KINO's SLAPSTICK ENCYCLOPEDIA features shorts by Fatty Arbuckle, Buster Keaton and Al St. John. Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website. (4.8) The Detectress (1919) - Gail Henry/Milburn Morante/Hap Ward/Eddie Baker (5.2) Hearts and Flowers (1919) - Louise Fazenda/Ford Sterling/Phyllis Haver/Billy Armstrong/Jack Ackroyd (uncredited: Edgar Kennedy) (6.0) Know Thy Wife (1918) - Dorothy Devore/Leota Lorraine/Earle Rodney (7.2) Mighty Like a Moose (1926) - Charley Chase/Vivien Oakland/Ann Howe/Charles Clary/Gale Henry/Malcolm Denny (5.0) One Wet Night (1924) - Alice Howell/Neely Edwards/Bert Roach/Tiny Sandford (6.3) Rowdy Ann (1919) - Fay Tincher/Eddie Barry/Katherine Lewis/Harry Depp/Al Haynes/Blue Washington
Customer Review: Eat the Crust
Mighty Like A Moose is a comedy with clever humor, and not as much slapstick as might be expected from a short included in Kino's Slapstick Encyclopedia. Although this edition praises female comediennes, this short features unequal treatment of women when the man suspects infidelity of his wife in anger when he has attempted the same. This is also part of the comedy of the story, which is a good one. The Detectress is a short filled with Chinese stereotypes, several which are very funny, like the live dog inside of the chop suey. Already, by the second short, the score produced for this video becomes annoying; every stunt is emphasized with symbols or a drum beat. In slapstick, there are many gags, so the symbol crashing and drum beats happen far too often to be effective. One Wet Night is a funny short with an exaggerated butler character who steals the show. His antics and over-the-top acting make it hard to really pay attention to anyone else in the scenes. Know Thy Wife is an unremarkable story about a woman who disguises her gender. Rowdy Ann is perfect for the collection because it features a woman wearing pants and acting just like a man. It does feature a funny classical dancing scene reminiscent to the dream sequence in Chaplin's Sunnyside, but overall, this short is not very funny. Hearts and Flowers makes good use of sound effects and has a funny opening because of them. Ford Sterling plays the pompous orchestra director perfectly and is very funny. Phyllis Haver, who also starred opposite Sterling in D W Griffith's Battle of the Sexes, is cute in this film. She is strangely reminiscent of modern actress Kirsten Dunst, especially dressed as a man. In her cross-dressing scene, Haver kisses a woman which is shocking even for modern times. Also, an all girls' football game on the beach ensues and illustrates what must have been even then every man's fantasy. The scenario is crazy and unbelievable, but such is slapstick. This compilation began and ended on high notes, but the middle was unfortunately not of the same caliber.