Malcolm Sebastian was a child actor who made a string of movies back in the 1920s. One of these, "Helter Skelter" exists today but only in a truncated form. Reel one is missing and only the second one remains. What we miss in reel one is that Malcolm and his mother are poor--so poor that they are forced to sell their dog! However, a crook makes off with the dog without paying. Reel two begins with Malcolm getting his dog back and then trying to find someone else to buy it. Unfortunately for a rich, snooty lady, the boy and dog arrive at her home....and the dog makes a huge mess. Again and again, the white dog ends up in one of the fireplaces and runs amok spreading soot everywhere! It's about the messiest film I can recall having seen and it's all very funny until the dog runs away and is hit by a car!! So, the film goes from being very funny to being rather depressing...though the ending remedies this a bit!
So is it any good? Yes....and it really makes you wish that reel #1 still exists, though you CAN see just the second and still enjoy yourself.
So is it any good? Yes....and it really makes you wish that reel #1 still exists, though you CAN see just the second and still enjoy yourself.