Although this is an early movie by D.W. Griffith, it has all the earmarks of a Mack Sennett comedy half a decade further down the road: people, dressed in ill-fitting costumes, gesticulating wildly; a frantic chase with plenty of comic spills; and Mack Sennett himself in a leading role.
Still, there are already typical Griffith touches that show his superior talents. During one spill, a hand belonging to one of the fallen cast members, waves frantically before the camera, and a final close-up of the old maid reading THE THREE AGES and laughing happily. Griffith's handling is more controlled than Sennett's ever would be, his direction is more sympathetic and realistic and the chaos that takes place in front of the screen never distracts from the story.
Still, there are already typical Griffith touches that show his superior talents. During one spill, a hand belonging to one of the fallen cast members, waves frantically before the camera, and a final close-up of the old maid reading THE THREE AGES and laughing happily. Griffith's handling is more controlled than Sennett's ever would be, his direction is more sympathetic and realistic and the chaos that takes place in front of the screen never distracts from the story.