This Georges Méliès film features many things you just rarely ever see in any of his other films. First, instead of being filmed completely inside, some of this film was made outside. Second, the usual stop-action scenes are missing...replaced, instead, with a lot of slapstick. Slapstick was not something the filmmaker used...and it all seemed more lowbrow as a result of all this pointless slapping, falling down, and kicking.
The story is about an actor who realizes he's late for a stage performance and again and again, things seem to conspire to make him later. Ultimately, despite a broken down cab and more, he makes it...and there's lots of slapping and the like in the process.
This film has a very ordinary look to it with little in the way of innovation. It's just flat and somewhat unfunny....an unusual departure for Georges Méliès that surprised me.