I viewed this silent one-reel comedy at a public screening along with several other shorts, all made for Keystone in 1915 and all featuring Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle. Many of the same supporting players turn up in film after film, and perhaps it goes without saying that some of the same plot elements and gags turn up repeatedly too, although in fairness it should be added that the filmmakers never expected or intended for these shorts to be shown back-to-back: each Keystone comedy was meant as a curtain-raiser for the main feature, along with short dramas, documentaries, newsreels, and, somewhat later, cartoons. Still, audiences of the time surely must have recognized certain story motifs, distinctive players, and favorite comic bits, even when seeing the films over an extended period, especially these "park" comedies.
Fatty's Chance Acquaintance is a typical example of a Keystone park comedy, set entirely outdoors and featuring all the key ingredients: flirtatious shenanigans, larceny, slapstick violence, and vigorous efforts by law officers to restore order. I wouldn't call this a great comedy or one that stands out from the pack, but it's amusing enough and provides a few laughs along the way. Perhaps the most notable aspect is that, in comparison with Chaplin, Roscoe Arbuckle (who both starred in and directed this film) did not entirely dominate his productions, but rather tended to work as part of an ensemble. He was certainly generous with his fellow actors in sharing screen time and gags: some of the funniest moments here belong to supporting players Frank Hayes, Harry McCoy, and Billie Bennett. Hayes, an older character actor with the face of a goblin, plays a cop and gets perhaps the biggest laugh of the picture simply peering through shrubbery in a tight close-up. This cop is watching thief Harry McCoy, who snatches a purse Chaplin-style with the hook of his cane, and is pursued doggedly thereafter. Roscoe's wife is portrayed by Billie Bennett in the typical Haughty Duchess manner (earning a hearty raspberry from Roscoe when her back is turned), but once she realizes she's been robbed she drops the Grande Dame act and shows surprising vigor in tackling and pummeling the person she believes responsible -- although as it happens, she's chosen the wrong guy.
For his part, Roscoe wastes no time in ditching his wife and taking up with a much more attractive and agreeable young lady who, as it turns out, is Harry's girlfriend and partner-in-crime. (This young woman is played by Minta Durfee, who, off-screen, was Mrs. Roscoe Arbuckle at the time.) When she announces she's hungry, Roscoe promises to treat her to a meal at the park's outdoor café, a meal he expects to pay for with his wife's money -- unaware that her pocket-book has already been cleaned out by Harry, who is busy getting chased all over the park by the goblin-faced cop. And so it goes!
Like I said, this film is not a particular stand-out, but it's pure Keystone stuff and fun while it lasts. It often appears that the plots of these movies were concocted just moments before the cameras were set up for the first shot, and that spontaneity a big part of their charm.
