tavm Review of Mabel, Fatty and the Law

Mabel, Fatty and the Law (1915)

Mabel, Fatty and the Law is a partly amusing silent comedy short

[4/10 · 27 July 2007]

Mabel Normand and Fatty Arbuckle play one married couple, Minta Durfee and Harry Gribbon play the other in which both husbands are caught "fooling" with the maid. The reason I put the word "fooling" in parentheses is because the husbands are basically just sitting close to their servants and talking and playing with each other though that's enough for the wives to get suspicious. As both couples later go to the park to relax on benches where "No Spooning" signs pop up, Fatty goes to Harry's wife and walks with her while Harry goes to Mabel where she's is sitting. Police up on trees with binoculars catch Arbuckle and Durfee and arrest them. Mabel and Harry later pick their spouses up and go their separate ways before any more trouble stirs up...There must have been some morals law if the police are arresting adulterous couples in this short film! Some amusing slapstick pieces and facial reactions abound but it's not that funny to me. Worth a look for silent comedy buffs who are fans of Arbuckle, Normand, or both.