Fatty Joins the Force (1913)

After rescuing the Police Commissioner's daughter from drowning, Fatty is rewarded with a position on the force, but soon finds that the job isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Stars:

Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Charles Avery, Lou Breslow

Cast

Uncredited cast:
Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle	...	Fatty (uncredited)
Charles Avery	...	Arresting Cop (uncredited)
Lou Breslow	...	Boy (uncredited)
Harry DeRoy	...	Bald Apprehending Cop (uncredited)
Minta Durfee	...	Nursemaid (uncredited)
Dot Farley	...	Fatty's Sweetheart (uncredited)
Billy Gilbert	...	Fighter (uncredited)
William Hauber	...	Cop at Station House (uncredited)
Bert Hunn	...	Cop at Station House (uncredited)
George Jeske	...	Arresting Cop (uncredited)
Edgar Kennedy	...	Jealous Cop in Park (uncredited)
Hank Mann	...	Cop at Station House (uncredited)
George Nichols	...	Police Commissioner (uncredited)
Mack Swain	...	Cop at Station House (uncredited)
Jack White	...	Pie Thrower (uncredited)

Storyline

When 'Fatty' rescues a young girl from drowning, she turns out to be the police commissioner's daughter. The grateful commissioner offers Fatty a position on the force, and at first Fatty is very pleased with his new position. But he soon runs into difficulties, as his attempt to break up a fistfight only brings him embarrassment. Then, when he confronts a group of mischievous young boys, his real problems begin.

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Plot Keywords:

police | police commissioner | lake | fistfight | rescue | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 1913 (USA)

Also Known As:

Freak Coward

Company Credits

Production Co:

Keystone Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

12 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle and supporting player Minta Durfee were married when this film was made.

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Goofs

When Roscoe chases the five boys after being hit in the face with a pie, the amount of pie on his face almost vanishes while he's chasing them, but then returns when he gets to the pond.

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Quotes

[last title card]
Title Card: "The House" goes into mourning.

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Connections

Featured in Silent Clowns: Charlie Chaplin (2006)

User Reviews

Uneven, But Has Some Good Moments Thanks To Arbuckle

While quite uneven overall, this has some good slapstick and other gags, and it is also of interest as one of the earliest starring roles for Roscoe Arbuckle. It has a rather odd collection of material that leaves you wondering whether it was all supposed to be funny or not, as it is only amusing if you decide not to take it very seriously. Arbuckle's character is not especially sympathetic, yet he is treated rather roughly by the plot.

The story starts with 'Fatty' being rewarded for an act of heroism by being appointed to the police force, only to find how little respect policemen are often shown. The story mostly pieces together a series of stock elements, and they do not always fit together seamlessly. The clothes-stealing gag and some of the other ideas fall rather flat, but at other times Arbuckle's skill and timing make some of the slapstick work better than it might have on its own.

The main reason to watch this now would be to see Arbuckle, who shows that he could carry the action and handle a starring role, even when the material was not all that good. With a more nondescript actor in the lead, this movie would have been completely forgettable. It's still nothing great, but at least Arbuckle provides some reason for watching it.