as the audience sees (or fails to see it)

Snub Pollard comedies are, to put it kindly, of somewhat variable quality (his independent productions in 1926-27 being sadly amongst the worst) but, given a well-written and coherent script, he was a very capable comic. After serving, along with Bebe Daniels, as support comic to Harold Lloyd in the early "glasses" shorts, he got his chance in 1916, following Lloyd's nasty studio accident of that year, to star in his own series with Marie Mosquini as his co-star. When Lloyd returned to work, he was eager to move onto feature films and uninterested in reviving the old partnership with Pollard and Daniels, so Snub continued his solo career and some of his best films belong to this period (1922-1923). It's Gift (1923) is fairly well known and Sold At Auction (1923) is also worth watching but my own personal favourite is The Old Sea Dog (1922, which like this film and like Sold At Auction, was directed (and presumably written)by Charley Chase.

It is a great shame that only a three-minute fragment appears to survive of this film because it has every sign of being a particularly good sample of Snub at this period. Films that regard cinema through the eyes of the contemporary cinema-audience are always fascinating and often make for distinctly superior comedies (Mack Swain, for instance, excels himself in the 1916 Keystone film A Movie Star) but this particularly one is a little unusual in that it concentrates on the sheer discomfort of the cinema and the impossibility of getting to watch the film comfortably. Even the surviving fragments contain some telling gags and the use of the on-screen footage (the film being watched or rather not watched)is very imaginative. I particularly like the trompe l'oeil moment when the screen-view switches to an overhead shot (still rarely enough used in 1922 even in the normal course of filming) to emphasise (falsely but wittily) the impossible angle-of-view from the balcony-seats.

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Snub writes a scenario and goes to the local theater to see the picture. After a good deal of trouble he and his wife succeed in getting into the house, but are unable to find two seats together. The center aisle is built very steep, and the ushers are dressed like Alpine climbers. This provides a great deal of action for those who must climb up, and those who slide into their seats. Then comes the film. The main title tells that the picture is made by the "Shameless Film Co." As Snub's seat is up against the screen he sees the picture greatly distorted. The picture shown on the screen satires the current melodrama, and will bring a laugh in itself. The comedy ends in a free-for-all fight.

Marie Mosquini, 'Snub' Pollard, and Noah Young in In the Movies (1922)

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

'Snub' Pollard and Hal Roach in In the Movies (1922)

In the Movies

Photos1

Top Cast6

User reviews1

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed