One of the Family

"One of the Family" was the second one-reel comedy that Charley Chase made under the name of Jimmy Jump, and while it is not quite as funny as the first, "At First Sight," it does show Chase stable in the character that is already recognizable as the one that would be most associated with him in the future. It is almost two films connected by some humorous intercomplications, which is an achievement itself within in span on only ten minutes.

The scenarios deal with Charley being hired as a chauffeur and unwittingly being used to make an older woman's husband jealous, and, dressed for work, being invited to dinner at a poor family's house. The mounting complications are well-calculated and funny, but it doesn't all cohere as well as in some of his other films. The dinner scene, while excellently played, mainly revolves around the joke that the poor family is rustic and does not know table manners. A funny entry and worth watching, but not as unified or brilliant as other shorts in the series.