"His Favorite Pastime" is a 13.5-minute short film from over 100 years ago. So it should be no surprise that this is still a silent black-and-white movie, especially as Charlie Chaplin is on board here. But this is not really among his most famous works. Chaplin is giving it his best to make a fool of himself during the entire movie, but in my opinion it turned out all very chaotic and not particularly entertaining. The slapstick routine is not working in here. This is especially a shame as this film also has Roscoe Arbuckle in the cast, who was without a doubt one of the finest actors of his generation, just like Chaplin. There was definitely potential for more, but the script was simply too weak. Also a major flaw here is the complete lack of intertitles. The audience has no idea what is going on. I give it a thumbs down. Don't watch, unless you are a Chaplin completionist.
Review of His Favorite Pastime
His Favorite Pastime
(1914)
His Favorite Pastime not my favorite pastime
30 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers