Review of Alas and Alack

. . . as they are as likely to win another NBA championship during the reign of King James in the Sunshine State as Lon Chaney is to finish this 1915 incomplete short (they ran out of film during the second week of the shoot, so director Joseph De Grasse reportedly threw up his hands and exclaimed "Alas and alack!"--a common expression in 1915, what with the Great War raging and all--hence the title of this sea shore sea shell of a tale. Which is a real shame if you look at the WHOLE script, since the mermaid round-up scene would have given Chaney an early opportunity to perfect his merman guise, and as film mermen historically survive into their early hundreds, this good luck charm of a role may well have prolonged the future screen hunchback and opera phantom's career to the point that he could have reprized his more watery foray in a Harry Potter film or two. The bit about the "fisher babe" (Mary Kearnen) rescuing Icarus from the sea also stacked up as a sight to behold, so true silent film fans are left with just two words to sum up their chagrin over the sad turn of events that befell this flick: ALAS & ALACK!