Thrill Comedians: Episode 18
Zoo-zoo's pedals!
Author: F Gwynplaine MacIntyre from Minffordd, North Wales
25 April 2006
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
After the scandal that drove him off the screen, Roscoe Arbuckle continued to work behind the camera as a director and gag constructor under the pseudonym William Goodrich. By coincidence, he directed two unrelated movies -- a short and a feature -- both called 'Special Delivery'.
This is the first, and it's hilarious. Al St John is a bicycle courier for the Swiftfoot Messenger Company. He is given an envelope containing a valuable postal order, to deliver to a fair damsel. Off he goes on his bicycle. But a gang of thieves are determined to steal the postal order, and they place every conceivable obstacle in his way.
SPOILING SOME GAGS. St John (a former Keystone Cop, and Arbuckle's nephew) had perfected his trick bicycle act in vaudeville. Here, he performs a dazzling repertory of tricks aboard his velocipede. Just occasionally in this short film, there is some camera trickery that enables St John to perform an impossible gag. When he whistles for his bike, it gets up and comes to him all by itself (courtesy of stop motion). Although this gag is well-photographed, I resented its presence: when camera tricks are inserted, the audience naturally begin to wonder if any of St John's daredevil stunts were faked too. (They weren't.) Later in the film, we get another camera trick that genuinely impressed me, when the leader of the thieves coshes St John. The rest of the screen image continues to move normally while St John and his bike remain stock-still in freeze-frame, heeled over at an angle that St John couldn't possibly maintain without trickery. The join between the freeze-frame and the moving image is seamless. There's also a clever streetcar sequence, anticipating the climax of Harold Lloyd's 'Girl Shy'.
Eventually, St John careens into a packing case outside a shopfront called the Lion Cleaners, which I assumed was a laundry. ('For cleaning lions', I muttered to myself.) Got it in one! There are three freshly-cleaned LIVE lions inside the case with St John, and his frenzied reaction is a sight to behold. There are several gags involving a lion's tail or a lion's paw: it's quite obvious that these are really props manipulated by a stagehand, but the gags are funny anyway.
This movie rates a 10 out of 10. Why can't modern comedians do this sort of thing?
This is the first, and it's hilarious. Al St John is a bicycle courier for the Swiftfoot Messenger Company. He is given an envelope containing a valuable postal order, to deliver to a fair damsel. Off he goes on his bicycle. But a gang of thieves are determined to steal the postal order, and they place every conceivable obstacle in his way.
SPOILING SOME GAGS. St John (a former Keystone Cop, and Arbuckle's nephew) had perfected his trick bicycle act in vaudeville. Here, he performs a dazzling repertory of tricks aboard his velocipede. Just occasionally in this short film, there is some camera trickery that enables St John to perform an impossible gag. When he whistles for his bike, it gets up and comes to him all by itself (courtesy of stop motion). Although this gag is well-photographed, I resented its presence: when camera tricks are inserted, the audience naturally begin to wonder if any of St John's daredevil stunts were faked too. (They weren't.) Later in the film, we get another camera trick that genuinely impressed me, when the leader of the thieves coshes St John. The rest of the screen image continues to move normally while St John and his bike remain stock-still in freeze-frame, heeled over at an angle that St John couldn't possibly maintain without trickery. The join between the freeze-frame and the moving image is seamless. There's also a clever streetcar sequence, anticipating the climax of Harold Lloyd's 'Girl Shy'.
Eventually, St John careens into a packing case outside a shopfront called the Lion Cleaners, which I assumed was a laundry. ('For cleaning lions', I muttered to myself.) Got it in one! There are three freshly-cleaned LIVE lions inside the case with St John, and his frenzied reaction is a sight to behold. There are several gags involving a lion's tail or a lion's paw: it's quite obvious that these are really props manipulated by a stagehand, but the gags are funny anyway.
This movie rates a 10 out of 10. Why can't modern comedians do this sort of thing?
The Butcher Boy (featuring Fatty Arbuckle & Buster Keaton)
ALSO IN Episodes 14 AND 26
The story involves Arbuckle working as the butcher boy in a country store. He falls in love with the cashier, who is the daughter of the store owner. He follows her, disguised as a female cousin, to an all-girl boarding school. This was the first in Arbuckle's series of films with the Comique Film Corporation, and Keaton's film debut.
A butterfly collector unwittingly wanders into an Indian encampment while chasing a butterfly. This tribe has resolved to kill the first white man who enters their encampment because white oil tycoons are trying to force them from their land. The Indian warriors give chase to Keaton, who ingeniously escapes their efforts to kill him. As a result, Keaton eventually becomes accepted by the tribe and given the title, "Little Chief Paleface". He subsequently leads the tribe's effort to stop the oil tycoons from displacing them from their land. (From Wikipedia)
Pay Or Move (1924) (featuring Monty Banks) ALSO IN Episode 24
and in the DVD collection The Films of Monty Banks
Play Safe (1927) (featuring Monty Banks) ALSO IN Episodes 03 and Movie
IN Slapstick Encyclopedia 9 AND Slapstick Masters as Chasing Choo-Choos
A gang of bad guys menace a feller's gal. She hides in a freight car and a misstep sends the otherwise-empty train out of the station with the lever pushed to full speed. As the train gains speed, the captive's boyfriend must board the runaway train, repel the pursing gang, get his girl out of the box car, and somehow get the two of them to safety. Tunnels, a water tower, a steep grade, and a frayed rope complicate the hero's task. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Lloyd is a serious young middle-class guy on the make, who wants to marry the boss’ daughter. The problem is getting in to see the boss so that he can ask for her hand in marriage; the office is guarded by a bunch of comic, clumsy flunkies who throw everyone out who tries to get in. When Lloyd gets into the boss’ office, the latter uses trap doors and conveyor belts to expel him; Lloyd then goes to the costume company next door, tries to get in wearing drag (no success), and then in medieval armor – that works, since he bangs everyone over the head with his club, but then he finds out that the daughter has eloped with another suitor. Lloyd decides to be sensible and he settles for the cute switchboard operator (Daniels) instead. The film includes a brief wall climbing sequence. Light-hearted, short, fast-paced. (From Wikipedia)
His Private Life (1926) (featuring Lupino Lane) ALSO IN World War I Comedies
Reggie Hemingway is a rich broker who continually bullies his valet. World War I breaks out and the valet enlists immediately. Reggie goes to the army later and arrives at the training camp to find that his valet is now a tough sergeant in charge of the recruits. Written by Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Slapstick Encyclopedia, Vol. – ON YOUTUBE
Big Ben has the largest store in the town of New Ralgia. His chief clerk is in love with the post mistress. The three of them get involved in a series of mishaps with their customers and with the town ladies' man, whose advances conceal a more sinister purpose. Written by Snow Leopard
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