The Knockout (1914)
Country: US
Technical: bw 27m
Director: Mack Sennett
Cast: Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Edgar Kennedy, Minta Durfee, Charlie Chaplin
Synopsis:
Pug', a gentle giant, is persuaded by layabouts to answer the challenge of 'Cyclone Flynn' to take 'all comers' down at the boxing stand. A punter arrives toting six-shooters and pandemonium ensues, with 'Pug' pursued by the Keystone Cops.
Review:
A rather messy first reel, with too many unnecessary characters and much brick throwing, segues into an entertaining boxing match with Charlie in a walk-on as the referee. Things really pick up, however, when Fatty begins discharging apparently limitless supplies of ammunition and the Cops give chase. Minta presumably dresses as a man in order to gain admittance to the match. The film suffers from the usual early cinema handicap of mismatched transitions between locations facilitated by a camera that doesn't pan, though there is a close-up of Mack Swain ringside with his pistols, and an upward tilt as Fatty removes his trousers, both showing the inventiveness that could manifest itself to make a gag work. Again, when Fatty has to drag the Cops on the end of the rope, the use of two separate shots is a convention that becomes a convenience.
Country: US
Technical: bw 27m
Director: Mack Sennett
Cast: Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Edgar Kennedy, Minta Durfee, Charlie Chaplin
Synopsis:
Pug', a gentle giant, is persuaded by layabouts to answer the challenge of 'Cyclone Flynn' to take 'all comers' down at the boxing stand. A punter arrives toting six-shooters and pandemonium ensues, with 'Pug' pursued by the Keystone Cops.
Review:
A rather messy first reel, with too many unnecessary characters and much brick throwing, segues into an entertaining boxing match with Charlie in a walk-on as the referee. Things really pick up, however, when Fatty begins discharging apparently limitless supplies of ammunition and the Cops give chase. Minta presumably dresses as a man in order to gain admittance to the match. The film suffers from the usual early cinema handicap of mismatched transitions between locations facilitated by a camera that doesn't pan, though there is a close-up of Mack Swain ringside with his pistols, and an upward tilt as Fatty removes his trousers, both showing the inventiveness that could manifest itself to make a gag work. Again, when Fatty has to drag the Cops on the end of the rope, the use of two separate shots is a convention that becomes a convenience.
Country: US
Technical: bw 27m
Director: Mack Sennett
Cast: Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Edgar Kennedy, Minta Durfee, Charlie Chaplin
Synopsis:
Pug', a gentle giant, is persuaded by layabouts to answer the challenge of 'Cyclone Flynn' to take 'all comers' down at the boxing stand. A punter arrives toting six-shooters and pandemonium ensues, with 'Pug' pursued by the Keystone Cops.
Review:
A rather messy first reel, with too many unnecessary characters and much brick throwing, segues into an entertaining boxing match with Charlie in a walk-on as the referee. Things really pick up, however, when Fatty begins discharging apparently limitless supplies of ammunition and the Cops give chase. Minta presumably dresses as a man in order to gain admittance to the match. The film suffers from the usual early cinema handicap of mismatched transitions between locations facilitated by a camera that doesn't pan, though there is a close-up of Mack Swain ringside with his pistols, and an upward tilt as Fatty removes his trousers, both showing the inventiveness that could manifest itself to make a gag work. Again, when Fatty has to drag the Cops on the end of the rope, the use of two separate shots is a convention that becomes a convenience.