"Tillie's Punctured Romance" is memorable for several reasons. Besides being the first feature length comedy ever produced, it also features Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand playing against type as two cons looking for a score. And while their greed hungry characters are a lot of fun, the real joy of this film is watching Marie Dressler upstage the two comedy giants in almost every frame.
Adapted from the Broadway hit of the time, "Tillie's Nightmare," Dressler reprises her stage role with seemingly no attempt whatsoever to tone down her theatrical performance to adapt for the screen. And oddly, it works. Her broad facial expressions, which were common on the stage back then, combined with the physical demands of the role, make this a movie watching experience hard to turn away from. Mugging for the screen, which can often be painful to watch, is a joy in this film.
All in all, "Tillie's Punctured Romance" is basically eighty minutes of pratfalls derived from thrown objects, slippery floors, two left feet, chairs being pulled out from underneath, punches missed and hit, and just sheer clumsiness. And while the constant mayhem may get old for some, this particular viewer finds this little gem of a comedy quite enjoyable.
One has to look fast, but a large collection of the early comic foils and players make appearances throughout this fast-paced farce. Although their talents are reduced in this film from bit player to extra, it's still fun to know that Mack Swain, Chester Conklin, Charley Chase, Minta Durfrey, Alice Howell, Alice Davenport, Edgar Kennedy, Slim Summerville, Billy Gilbert, Al St. John, and a slew of others briefly appear, adding an extra punch to the silliness that ensues throughout. Then again, what would you expect from a Mack Sennett production.
Adapted from the Broadway hit of the time, "Tillie's Nightmare," Dressler reprises her stage role with seemingly no attempt whatsoever to tone down her theatrical performance to adapt for the screen. And oddly, it works. Her broad facial expressions, which were common on the stage back then, combined with the physical demands of the role, make this a movie watching experience hard to turn away from. Mugging for the screen, which can often be painful to watch, is a joy in this film.
All in all, "Tillie's Punctured Romance" is basically eighty minutes of pratfalls derived from thrown objects, slippery floors, two left feet, chairs being pulled out from underneath, punches missed and hit, and just sheer clumsiness. And while the constant mayhem may get old for some, this particular viewer finds this little gem of a comedy quite enjoyable.
One has to look fast, but a large collection of the early comic foils and players make appearances throughout this fast-paced farce. Although their talents are reduced in this film from bit player to extra, it's still fun to know that Mack Swain, Chester Conklin, Charley Chase, Minta Durfrey, Alice Howell, Alice Davenport, Edgar Kennedy, Slim Summerville, Billy Gilbert, Al St. John, and a slew of others briefly appear, adding an extra punch to the silliness that ensues throughout. Then again, what would you expect from a Mack Sennett production.
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