I've seen a lot of Keystone shorts recently--nearly all of Chaplin's and all those that still exist of Arbuckle. And, it soon becomes apparent that the exact same park is the setting in about 1/3 of all the shorts! It must have been located right next to the studio. All I know is that after a while, all these films started to look the same and I got sick of the accursed park. Fortunately for the audiences and you, this isn't a problem unless you are like me and just sit around watching these films all day! In this case, a very innocent series of events make Fatty look bad in the eyes of his nosy mother-in-law. But, he's sick of her interfering and, when he has too much to drink, he tells her off and throws her out. Unfortunately, through all the odd misunderstandings in this film, he is also nearly shot by a man who has a pistol that can fire an infinite number of shots without reloading and the bullets only seem to hit you in the butt (another Keystone gimmick that was way overused). Funny, yes--but very, very, very derivative.
8 Reviews
A newspaper item gets "Fatty" Arbuckle into trouble?
cricket3016 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Why does THAT sound so familiar? The "tintype" in FATTY'S TINTYPE TANGLE refers to a classified ad that results eventually in the total trashing of Fatty's home--especially the bathroom, which is flooded, smashed, and mutilated during innumerable episodes of mayhem, though it all starts off innocently enough as Fatty surprises his mother-in-law in the tub. This 28-minute short relies on illustrating nearly every trick in the book of physical comedy--Fatty even slips on a banana peel! But isn't it ironic that the title uses a synonym for the news media of the day referring to "tin," the cheapest metal, putting one in mind of tawdry trash? William Randolph "Rosebud" Hearst's trash sheets rose to the top of the heap at Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle's considerable expense ($9,444,583 for lawyers' fees in today's money) during the infamous "Tummy Rub Trials" less than ten years after TINTYPE TANGLE was released. Hearst's Crucifixion of Hollywood's Gentle Giant--the kind of nice guy bullies always pick for patsies--not only ruined and shortened Fatty's life, but also put the system of American Censorship into place which still allows the Lowest Common Denominator in the most backwards superstitious boondocks the authority to control what you and I see on our screens!
Has Some Very Good Sequences Once It Gets Going
Snow Leopard29 November 2005
Once this Keystone comedy finishes with the setup and gets going, it has some very good sequences with some good laughs. Roscoe Arbuckle is good throughout, and once Louise Fazenda and Edgar Kennedy arrive on the scene, the three of them work well together in performing the comic routines and in keeping up a manic pace.
The first several minutes focus on the home life of Arbuckle's henpecked husband character, who is particularly tormented by his mother-in-law. It makes the point quickly, and probably then spends too much time driving the point home. For the most part, the only things that work well in this stretch of the movie are Arbuckle's occasional gags with his hat and other props. Otherwise, scaling this sequence down to just a minute or two would have been more than adequate to set up the rest of it.
Once Arbuckle storms out of the house and gets involved with another couple played by Fazenda and Kennedy, it picks up considerably. Things start with a chance photograph that puts Arbuckle and Fazenda in an apparently compromising position, and for the rest of the time the movie just keeps building onto this setup, getting quite a bit out of this plus a couple of added plot devices.
The three stars play their parts well, with Arbuckle as the harried and desperate man wrongly accused, Kennedy as the angry, jealous husband, and Fazenda as the panic-stricken wife trying desperately to help. Their escapades make use of a variety of settings and props. The last half of the movie is pretty good, and it's worth waiting for a few minutes to get to it.
The first several minutes focus on the home life of Arbuckle's henpecked husband character, who is particularly tormented by his mother-in-law. It makes the point quickly, and probably then spends too much time driving the point home. For the most part, the only things that work well in this stretch of the movie are Arbuckle's occasional gags with his hat and other props. Otherwise, scaling this sequence down to just a minute or two would have been more than adequate to set up the rest of it.
Once Arbuckle storms out of the house and gets involved with another couple played by Fazenda and Kennedy, it picks up considerably. Things start with a chance photograph that puts Arbuckle and Fazenda in an apparently compromising position, and for the rest of the time the movie just keeps building onto this setup, getting quite a bit out of this plus a couple of added plot devices.
The three stars play their parts well, with Arbuckle as the harried and desperate man wrongly accused, Kennedy as the angry, jealous husband, and Fazenda as the panic-stricken wife trying desperately to help. Their escapades make use of a variety of settings and props. The last half of the movie is pretty good, and it's worth waiting for a few minutes to get to it.
I had no idea what was going on
Horst_In_Translation12 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"Fatty's Tintype Tangle" is a 27-minute short film and as this one is already over a 100 years old, it is obviously a black-and-white movie. And it is a silent film too. And it suffers from the usual: lack of intertitles. It is so difficult to understand what is going on, especially if you have not read the plot before watching the film and nobody should have to do that in order to understand a movie. Apart from that, there was not even a website with a plot when this was made back in 1915, during the days of World War I. This is nonetheless a very unpolitical movie and at least that's a plus. Apart from that, Arbuckle is fun to watch as always and at least his presence makes one smile, if the story doesn't. He has great charisma, was obviously a very physical actor and also not too bad in terms of dramatic presentation. But all this cannot make up for the fact that it's almost impossible to understand what is going on. I wish I could recommend this movie, but I can't. Thumbs down. Also would have been nicer with Mabel in the cast.
Guaranteed to get laughs!
HAL-5716 April 1999
You know, I really like this film. It's got a great story, very good acting, and some genuinely funny moments. The story deals with a misunderstanding generated by an itinerant photographer in the park. He photographs Fatty and Louise together in a totally innocent embrace without their knowledge. When they (and their spouses) find out about this seemingly not so innocent tintype, all hell breaks loose! Edgar thinks Fatty is having an affair with his wife! Out come the guns! Can Fatty really outrun a speeding bullet? Arbuckle is also ably at the helm of this fine farce comedy. Good acting plus a fast-paced story add up to a highly amusing and enjoyable two-reeler that is still guaranteed to get laughs after all these years.
Fatty Tintype Tangle is another excellent Fatty Arbuckle comedy short
tavm30 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Fatty's Tintype Tangle is another bulls-eye comedy short starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle for Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios. In this one, he's at home with his wife and mother-in-law. He loves his wife but can't stand her mother but tolerates her. That is, until he drinks some alcohol and tells her off as he storms out. He comes to a park bench and converses with Louise Fazenda who saves him from her needlepoint that he sits on. He like wise does the same for her and as they stand up and smile at each other, a photographer takes their picture. Both Fatty and Louise try to take the picture from him but he refuses until the mother-in-law forces it from him. Louise's husband Edgar Kennedy then discovers her with Fatty and threatens to shoot him. I'll stop right there and say what a slapstick mêlée that results for one of the most hilarious climaxes ever. Loved the scene when Arbuckle flies from a window to a telephone pole! Didn't like the scene that follows when he's walking on pole's wires. Good thing he didn't get killed! Otherwise, another excellent comedy short that should please any silent movie fans out there.
Arbuckle is the funniest
TooShortforThatGesture4 April 2005
Y'know, usually silent movies drive me a little batty. Charlie Chaplin makes me crazy -- he had to do every joke twice and he's too busy making a social statement. Buster Keaton is more interested in showing off the stunt than making you laugh. Harold Lloyd's character always seems a little too sad to be really funny.
But there's something about Fatty Arbuckle that just works for me. He's just silly and he doesn't seem to go over the top just to show off. Most important, I think, is that his characters don't seem lonely the way Chaplin Lloyd and Keaton's do.
Whatever, the reason, Arbuckle meets the real test...he makes me laugh more than the others. Particularly in this film, which has a nice little narrative and, like most really good silents, needs almost no text cards between scenes.
But there's something about Fatty Arbuckle that just works for me. He's just silly and he doesn't seem to go over the top just to show off. Most important, I think, is that his characters don't seem lonely the way Chaplin Lloyd and Keaton's do.
Whatever, the reason, Arbuckle meets the real test...he makes me laugh more than the others. Particularly in this film, which has a nice little narrative and, like most really good silents, needs almost no text cards between scenes.
Nice Arbuckle Short
Michael_Elliott13 January 2014
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.
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