My God, to go from that pair of Ambrose films to this. This is the story of Mr and Mrs Moose, a couple of 'homely people'- he is buck-toothed, she has a bulbous nose. Without consulting each other, they have their hideous deformities fixed- afterwards, not only do they not recognize each other but they fall in love all over again. That central conceit- that after such minor operations they no longer have a clue who the other one is- is so gloriously and knowingly absurd that you just cheer it on.
To all extents and purposes this is a pantomime two-hander- you expect Chase to be great because he always is, he's dependable, but so is Vivien Oakland. Not only does she look stunning with her fashionable blonde short hair, but she plays it superbly- they work together so well in this film. It's all put together brilliantly as well- enormously well crafted with some great directorial touches. The polka scene in particular is perhaps the greatest piece of ensemble leg acting in cinema history. (Gale Henry is the polka dancer, and she's very good in this one short scene.) Leo McCarey directed this, and you can tell from every shot that this is a guy who really knew what he was doing. Silent slapstick shorts need great directors just like everyone else does. Don't neglect them: they need your support.
The film's climax is an extended fight scene between Chase and... himself. With teeth and without, as it were, and he pulls it off fantastically- he really is one of the greats and I'm admiring him so much in the films of his I'm seeing. If there's another Charley Chase film out there somewhere as good as this, bring it on- this was wonderful, and if there's a hall of fame for silent comedy this needs to be in it.
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