A Flirt's Mistake (1914)
*** (out of 4)
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle plays a married man who is constantly flirting with women. He makes the mistake of his life when he flirts with one woman who happens to be a man who swears vengeance on any flirt. A FLIRT'S MISTAKE isn't going to be mistaken for a lost masterpiece but as far as Keystone shorts go, this one here is actually pretty good and at least has a good enough of a pace to where it never gets boring. The film is pretty much all action once Fatty flirts with the man because then we have one wild chase after another as Fatty tries to reach safety without getting shot. A lot of these scenes are quite funny and especially the look at Fatty's face when he sees that the woman is actually a man. Another very good sequence involves him trying to find safety inside his house, which just doesn't happen. The comedy star is in fine form here as he takes several falls and his comic timing is certainly right on the mark. Fans of the slapstick era will certainly enjoy this one, although those new to the genre should probably start with a different picture.