There are three highlights in this film. The first involves bicycle tricks, the second an escalation of mishaps as Harry attempts but fails to kill his bride, and the third in which he tries to distract a policeman, without realising its a mannequin. Unfortunately they last for maybe 10 minutes of the 50 minutes runtime, and are overly long themselves. With a deadpan expression, Langdon is an inferior mimic of Keaton, often appearing lost and unsure what to do next. The true stone face master would have raced through those gags in half the time, and given us countless more to boot. Even the attempted murder of the bride doesn't sit very well, for who could find such a thing funny? It is only that he manages to screw it up that we can laugh.
All this is fitted into an unfathomable (even by comedy of the era standards) femme-fatale story. The dancing and gunfight finale are a poor attempt to prop up weak material with something racy. There is nothing remarkable about Capra's camera-work either. His best was clearly yet to come. It is all pretty misguided.
All this is fitted into an unfathomable (even by comedy of the era standards) femme-fatale story. The dancing and gunfight finale are a poor attempt to prop up weak material with something racy. There is nothing remarkable about Capra's camera-work either. His best was clearly yet to come. It is all pretty misguided.