Black Eyes (1915)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Willard Louis

Writer:

Lee Arthur (story)

Release Date:

6 October 1915 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Plot:

A husband and wife swear never again to sneak out on each other with their friends, and are both faced with complications when they go back on their word.

Cast

Raymond McKee	...	Frank Willard
Jean Dumar	...	Mrs. Willard
Guido Colucci	...	Mr. Foster
Yale Benner	...	Henry Rossiter
Julian Reed	...	Professor Scarab
T. Tamamoto	...	His assistant

Runtime:

15 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Edison Company

Movie Connections:

Featured in Edison: The Invention of the Movies (2005) (V)

Funny, Pleasant Domestic Comedy

This is a funny, pleasant domestic comedy that gets good mileage out of a series of simple domestic squabbles. It is all quite innocent, and the tone is very light, so that you can just enjoy the comedy - yet it is not without a little light commentary too, in highlighting how easily deception and dishonesty can create difficulties even for a loving couple. The movie mostly follows a then-familiar formula for short comedies, but it uses the pattern well.

The story follows a married couple who, after a bitter argument, promise each other never again to lie about what they are doing or where they are going. Naturally, this resolve is soon tested, with humorous consequences. The story is really rather imaginative in building up the original situation, creating complications, and then providing some comic twists as everything plays out. There is actually enough comedy material here for a much longer movie, and in fact many very enjoyable 1930s 'screwball comedies' are quite similar in nature, with a story much like this stretched out to its logical limits.

The cast consists entirely of little-known performers, but they do a creditable job. The acting is generally slightly exaggerated, to the degree that it makes everything seem funny without pushing it too far. Most of the characters are familiar types, with the outrageous Professor Scarab added in to play off of the other characters and create new possibilities.

This is the kind of non-serious story that can allow you to laugh a bit at common human foibles, without malice directed towards anyone. It allows you to care about the characters without worrying about them, letting them simply to entertain you a little.