User Reviews

A previous IMDb reviewer has stated that Jeanie Macpherson, who appears in this film, was Cecil B. DeMille's wife. That's not correct. Macpherson had a long and significant career as DeMille's favourite scenarist; she wrote or co-wrote the scripts for many of DeMille's most important films and quite a few of his obscure films. Macpherson (who appears in this movie as a young flirt) was quite attractive in her younger days, and there are rumours that she and DeMille had a long sexual relationship. But she was definitely never married to him.

'Father Gets in the Game' features Mack Sennett -- the future king of Keystone -- in unconvincing makeup and whitened hair as Wilkins, an ageing man who watches enviously as his adult son courts the pretty young ladies. Wilkins goes to a hairdresser for a dye job: the hairdresser is named Dyem, which tells you what sort of comedy this is. Conveniently youthened (and looking much more like Sennett's actual appearance at this time), Wilkins goes forth with lecherous intentions. He flirts with various young ladies (including Macpherson and Linda Arvidson), some of them more friendly than others. Slapstick complications ensue, with a few proto-Keystone pratfalls.

The most interesting aspect of this early comedy is the inclusion of some exterior sequences shot in Central Park, with some genuine pedestrians caught by the camera. I'll rate 'Father Gets in the Game' 5 out of 10, mostly for its historical significance.

Comedy was never Griffith's strong point, but a 28-year-old Mack Sennett gives it his all as a prematurely aged father who finds a new lease of life after having a make-over. Inconsequential and not very funny, this has the feel of a Friday afternoon job.

To weigh in on the controversy, according to Scott Eyman's biography of Demille, Jeanie Macpherson was one of Cecil's mistresses for many a year.

Anyway, as to this movie, we have Mack Sennett playing Father, a white-haired fellow whose wife, daughter and son tell him to remain home while they go out and have a good time. However, a barber with some hair dye and orders to stand up straight send Mack on his way to wreak havoc in his family's lives.

It's a fairly lively comedy from Griffith, who turned out quite a few every year. Within three years Sennett would have his own comedy unit at Biograph and then leave the fold for his own production company and wilder, rougher versions of movies like this.

The 33 year old Griffith uses his subjective camera to guide us through this film. The voice of the camera is as subjective as Robert Burks' camera (Vertigo) and allows the audience to participate in the film.

Cecil B. DeMille's future wife, Jeanie Macpherson, appears in this film.

Father Gets in the Game (1908)

** (out of 4)

D.W. Griffith film about an elderly father who grows tired of seeing his son bring home beautiful women so he gets a makeover and heads out on the prowl. The story seems like it would make for some good laughs but there aren't really any to be found here

Betrayed By a Handprint (1908)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A young woman loses a hand of cards and decides to get even by robbing the house. High moral drama from D.W. Griffith works in large part to the performance of Myrtle Vane who was considered the first female "movie star". She later committed suicide in 1936 so…..