Ben Turpin steals the movie from ... Ben Turpin.
The science-fictiony aspects of this very clever motion picture make this a superlative Keystone production.
But there are also first-class production values along with a first-class cast of actors, most of whom are just unknown today.
For 1917, this is a fascinating look at imagined technology.
Mack Sennett gets writing credit, and there are three directors, very unusual.
Out of all the cast, today only Ben Turpin and Wallace Beery are known, and Beery, though listed third in the cast here, actually had a small part. Out of all the players, he is the only one who went on to big parts in the talkies.
"A Clever Dummy" is indeed very clever, and deserves your attention as some amazing Hollywood history, including its inventiveness and Wallace Beery's early work.
The science-fictiony aspects of this very clever motion picture make this a superlative Keystone production.
But there are also first-class production values along with a first-class cast of actors, most of whom are just unknown today.
For 1917, this is a fascinating look at imagined technology.
Mack Sennett gets writing credit, and there are three directors, very unusual.
Out of all the cast, today only Ben Turpin and Wallace Beery are known, and Beery, though listed third in the cast here, actually had a small part. Out of all the players, he is the only one who went on to big parts in the talkies.
"A Clever Dummy" is indeed very clever, and deserves your attention as some amazing Hollywood history, including its inventiveness and Wallace Beery's early work.