weezeralfalfa Review of The Knockout

The Knockout (1914)

There is no knockout in this knockabout comedy short from the Keystone studios

[6/10 · 29 August 2018]

Roscoe(Fatty) Arbuckle is the star in this 3 reel offering from the Keystone studios, directed by Mack Sennett. Although Charlie Chaplin is listed as being among the stars, he basically makes a few minute cameo appearance as the much knocked about referee in the short boxing match between Fatty and champion Edgar Kennedy(Cyclone Flynn). Nonetheless, his performance is hilarious.......After a first half, in which Fatty has to defend his girlfriend(actual wife) Minta from being manhandled by masher Al St. John, in the second half , she changes from her feminine outfit into man's clothes, with her long hair hidden by a cap. Apparently, she did this so that she could qualify for a ringside seat at the boxing match. Then, during the last portion, while Fatty is occupied dealing with a squad of Keystone cops, unexpectedly, she is holding hands with Fatty's boxing rival, as they follow Fatty's movements!......During the fight, Fatty grabs two pistols from a spectator, who got too close to the ring. With his boxing gloves still on!,he begins to shoot randomly in the crowd, which soon spills out of the arena, in panic. Fatty continues to shoot wildly(apparently, with an inexhaustible bullet supply)when he emerges from the arena. The arrival of a squad of Keystone cops adds to the chaos, as they chase Fatty and he chases them, going over rooftops. Fatty still has his boxing gloves on, as a cop lassos him, beginning an extended period in which Fatty engages in a tug of war with the cops, incredibly, dragging them along the road, toward a pier. There, he jumps into the ocean, dragging the cops in with him. Thus, the comedy is mostly of the mayhem sort, rather than gags, if you like that.