SHOP LEAP YEAR
IMDb >
Leap Year (1921)
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglinestrailers and videospostersphoto galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsLeap Year (1921)
Overview
Release Date:
27 April 1924 (Finland) morePlot:
A young man, heir to his misogynistic and millionaire uncle, and in love with a nurse, gets in trouble... more | add synopsisUser Comments:
Enjoyable Comedy, & Something Of A Change-Of-Pace From Arbuckle moreUS TV Schedule:
| Mon. July 21 | 12:00 AM | TCM |
Cast
(Credited cast)| Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle | ... | Stanley Piper | |
| Mary Thurman | ... | Nurse Phyllis Brown | |
| Lucien Littlefield | ... | Jeremiah Piper | |
| Clarence Geldart | ... | Scott Travis | |
| Harriet Hammond | ... | Loris Keene | |
| Allen Durnell | ... | Tommy Blaine | |
| Gertrude Short | ... | Molly Morris | |
| John McKinnon | ... | Mumford, the valet | |
| Maude Wayne | ... | Irene Rutherford | |
| Winifred Greenwood | ... | Mrs. Travis |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
60 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 moreSound Mix:
SilentMOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Until February 21, 2008, this film had never been shown to the American public because of Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle’s murder trial. moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more
Message Boards
Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for Leap Year (1921)Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
| Heaven Can Wait | Bend It Like Beckham | Father Takes a Wife | The Razor's Edge | Dizzy Dames |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | IMDb Comedy section |
| IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |






In itself, this is an enjoyable light comedy with a lot of energy. It also represented something of a change of pace from Roscoe Arbuckle, both in attempting to expand his style of comedy into a full-length feature, and in emphasizing comedy ideas involving relationships and situations over and above pure slapstick. It's quite unfortunate that his career was ruined even before this could be released, and in particular this shows the kinds of possibilities that could have been in his future.
The story premise is not a lot different in style from the setup to many of Arbuckle's one- and two-reel features, just a little more complex. Arbuckle plays nephew to Lucien Litttlefield's grouchy uncle character, and Arbuckle's character is involved in all kinds of romantic difficulties; he's unable to work things out with the woman he really loves, and he's pursued by a number of others whom he doesn't love. All of these entanglements are set up in a light, fluffy way, and this part makes for pleasant comedy in itself.
In a shorter movie, the setup would most likely have been followed by a lot of slapstick and then a quick resolution, and indeed Roscoe and the cast could have done this without difficulty, since Arbuckle was an expert in working with that kind of format. But here, the story takes it in a more complicated and interesting direction, with the main character's predicament getting more complicated all the time, even as he resorts to various ruses. The last portion features a pleasantly manic unraveling of the tangled web that has developed, and it includes some witty ideas along with the slapstick.
This may not seem all that impressive now, because in the mid- to late 1920s the other silent comedy greats learned to master the full-length format, leading to many movies that are still among the all-time best comedies. Given the chance, Arbuckle could well have created his own comic gems over time. "Leap Year" is only good, not great, but it would have been a solid first step.