Pool Sharks (1915)

Two romantic rivals play a game of pool for the hand of their lady love.

Director:

Edwin Middleton

Stars:

W.C. Fields, Marian West, Larry Westford

Cast

Credited cast:
W.C. Fields	...	The Pool Shark
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marian West
Larry Westford	...	Pool Adversary

Storyline

Two ardent suitors for the hand a pretty young woman carry their fight from an picnic to a test of skill in an indoor pool hall. After a series of unbelievable trick shots, the fight degenerates into billiard throwing, which involves an innocent bystander.

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Plot Keywords:

pool | picnic | billiards | romantic rivalry | stop motion | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

19 September 1915 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

10 min 10 min (Raymond Rohauer print)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of 'W. C. Fields'.

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Goofs

On the fourth trick shot, the position of the balls on the close-up and master shots do not match.

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Connections

Edited into W.C. Fields: 6 Short Films (2000)

User Reviews

Not especially memorable or well made but still fun

This W. C. Fields film truly is representative of the time in which it was made. In 1915, most silent comedies were pure slapstick--with lots of punching, slapping and pratfalls and hardly any plot. The films were mostly acted "off the cuff" with no detailed script and as a result, the movies seem rough and not particularly memorable in most cases. This movie is about average for the time--but in no way does it appear like the character Mr. Fields played in his later films. It's really a shame, as the movie could have just as easily starred any silent comedian of the day.

Fields and another guy inexplicably dislike each other (you can tell due to all the slapping and hitting). They challenge each other to a pool competition and both men proceed to make some totally impossible shots. This part was awfully silly and COULD have been good, but the trick cinematography was done poorly and looks totally fake--even by 1915 standards. If they had just sped up the film, it would have come off perfectly. Other than that, nothing else stands out in my mind. It's just another silent slapstick comedy.