Fatty's Tintype Tangle (1915)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Originally shown in two parts, this Keystone comedy clocks in just under 30-minutes and is quite ambitious for its type. The film has Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle playing an abused man constantly being harassed by his mother-in-law. After getting some courage from alcohol, he finally manages to put her in her place but when he goes to walk it off he has an innocent encounter with a woman (Louise Fazenda) and this doesn't sit too well with her angry husband (Edgar Kennedy). FATTY'S TINTYPE TANGLE has a lot of scenes that just drag on and aren't all that funny but whenever the film does get a joke right it's usually pretty big. There are a few highlights scattered throughout the rather long running time but one of the best has to be the sequence where Fatty gets drunk and just starts destroying the house before ripping into the mother-in-law. I thought these scenes were rather hilarious and especially due to how animated Arbuckle gets in his anger. Another funny bit happens towards the end of the picture when Arbuckle is hiding out in a shower when the jealous husband turns on some hot water. Needless to say, Arbuckle really does a very good job here as do the supporting players. Fans of silent slapstick are certainly going to enjoy this film as there are plenty of laughs. One just wishes that some of the dryer moments had a few more comedy bits.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Originally shown in two parts, this Keystone comedy clocks in just under 30-minutes and is quite ambitious for its type. The film has Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle playing an abused man constantly being harassed by his mother-in-law. After getting some courage from alcohol, he finally manages to put her in her place but when he goes to walk it off he has an innocent encounter with a woman (Louise Fazenda) and this doesn't sit too well with her angry husband (Edgar Kennedy). FATTY'S TINTYPE TANGLE has a lot of scenes that just drag on and aren't all that funny but whenever the film does get a joke right it's usually pretty big. There are a few highlights scattered throughout the rather long running time but one of the best has to be the sequence where Fatty gets drunk and just starts destroying the house before ripping into the mother-in-law. I thought these scenes were rather hilarious and especially due to how animated Arbuckle gets in his anger. Another funny bit happens towards the end of the picture when Arbuckle is hiding out in a shower when the jealous husband turns on some hot water. Needless to say, Arbuckle really does a very good job here as do the supporting players. Fans of silent slapstick are certainly going to enjoy this film as there are plenty of laughs. One just wishes that some of the dryer moments had a few more comedy bits.