Mack Sennett, Dell Henderson and Charles West are three crooks. Over some drinks, they read of a house owned by two rich ladies. They live there, along with a ghost, which doesn't disturb them. The three crooks each comes up with the idea of dressing up as the ghost and robbing the house. If discovered, each reasons, he will pretend to be the ghost.
Well, that might work with one crook, but when all three dress up as spirits, the only people they scare is each other.
We're still at Biograph with Sennett, so he can't simply dive in, but must set up the situation, and each must have his moments of comic reactions. Speed was not an issue at Biograph. It would only be when Sennett set up on his own that the editing became much tighter.... and much funnier.
Well, that might work with one crook, but when all three dress up as spirits, the only people they scare is each other.
We're still at Biograph with Sennett, so he can't simply dive in, but must set up the situation, and each must have his moments of comic reactions. Speed was not an issue at Biograph. It would only be when Sennett set up on his own that the editing became much tighter.... and much funnier.