Mack Sennett's Hash House Mashers is a remake of an earlier short of Sennett's by the name of Helen's Marriage, which was filmed back in 1912. Like that short, this one concerns a young man (Charley Chase), who attempts to marry another young woman (Virginia Chester) despite the disapproval of her domineering father (Frank Opperman). The way he goes about finally sealing the deal with the love of his life is probably one of the most elaborate and deceptive acts of trickery I've yet to see, and goes far beyond the classic cliché of eloping to Las Vegas.
Hash House Mashers continues to toy with relatable ideas such as marriage, eloping, and relationships, such as a great deal of these early Keystone/Mack Sennett-produced shorts do. They're blink-and-you-miss-it efforts that were churned out so quickly in their day it's the old equivalent of a Youtube sketch comedy show churning out several shows a week: some hit, some miss, some land comfortably in the middle, some go on to endure obscurity, and some go on to achieve success.
Hash House Mashers finds itself lodged into obscurity, but with an early performance of Charley Chase under its belt, on top of a wry premise, it claims more than several other silent films of the era could. It's a zippy little effort that capitalizes on the uniform talent of everyone involved, particularly Chase, who gives a taste of what he'd become throughout this film with his quick-witted comedy and zealous performing skills.
Starring: Charley Chase, Virginia Chester, and Frank Opperman. Directed by: Mack Sennett.
Hash House Mashers continues to toy with relatable ideas such as marriage, eloping, and relationships, such as a great deal of these early Keystone/Mack Sennett-produced shorts do. They're blink-and-you-miss-it efforts that were churned out so quickly in their day it's the old equivalent of a Youtube sketch comedy show churning out several shows a week: some hit, some miss, some land comfortably in the middle, some go on to endure obscurity, and some go on to achieve success.
Hash House Mashers finds itself lodged into obscurity, but with an early performance of Charley Chase under its belt, on top of a wry premise, it claims more than several other silent films of the era could. It's a zippy little effort that capitalizes on the uniform talent of everyone involved, particularly Chase, who gives a taste of what he'd become throughout this film with his quick-witted comedy and zealous performing skills.
Starring: Charley Chase, Virginia Chester, and Frank Opperman. Directed by: Mack Sennett.