Wednesday 11 April 2007

Love, Speed and Thrills (1915) Mack Sennett

Mr Walrus has the outstanding moustache that you'd expect given his name. He goes hunting but gets chased by the first cat he shoots at. Then he shoots his buddy Ambrose who knocks him off a cliff in retaliation. Like you do. Anyway, Mr Walrus doesn't die in what is obviously a horrendously fatal fall and amazingly enough doesn't even end up with any obvious cuts or scratches. However he is obviously dazed, so Ambrose kindly takes him home to recuperate. Unfortunately he also catches him relentlessly trying it on with his wife.

At this point it becomes apparent that Mr Walrus isn't Ambrose's buddy at all, he's some sort of serial villain who literally carries off Ambrose's wife while Ambrose gets to work through his stock of leaps and wild gesticulations. Soon he gives chase though: on horseback, chasing Mr Walrus's stolen motorbike and mail sidecar. Enter the Keystone Cops to add to the chase.

There are a few really good stunts here, especially by the female stuntwoman/stuntman in drag. She falls out of the sidecar at speed a few times and even gets picked up at speed once. She even gets lassooed halfway from a bridge to the water beneath: very impressive indeed.

Unfortunately nothing else is.

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