This is the most inventive that I have seen of Snub Pollard's solo films (he often appeared in early Harold Lloyd one and two reelers.) Snub plays an inventor who has discovered a gasoline substitute which he is called upon to demonstrate. The first part of the film consists of his awakening, breakfasting and dressing with the aid of many labour-saving inventions, reminiscent of some of Buster Keaton's work. He then travels by "Magnet Car", a bullet shaped single-seater powered by a huge hand-held horseshoe magnet which Snub uses to attract other cars going his way. A number of funny mishaps occur. Finally the gas substitute causes a number of automobiles to crash and explode and the inventor escapes by causing his magnet car to sprout wings and take to the air. Not a masterpiece, but an amusing and inventive comedy, well worth seeing.
6 Reviews
The Ultimate Eccentric Inventor of the Silent Film Age?
theowinthrop11 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
It would be nice to see a complete version of this particular silent film. I have seen enough of it to say it was a very amusing film - one of the ones that starred Snub Pollard (who usually supported Harold Lloyd in his early career - in films like "Bumping Into Broadway"). However the YOU TUBE clip (while quite welcome) is from one of those compilation films from the early 1960s that showed the best silent comedians and their work in anthology style. As a result there is a wonderful compilation - but you don't have the full effect of the films as originally shown.
Pollard is shown in his home, from the time he gets up until he leaves. There are ropes and strings all over the house and from the moment that his make-shift "alarm clock" wakes him up, he just pulls the ropes and the bed is made and vanishes, the table is set and breakfast cooked, and his clothes magically pop up him. He then goes in his "magneto" car or "bullet" car (for lack of an effective name for it. It is a bullet shaped tri-wheel car for one passenger that works when he points a powerful large magnet at passing automobiles. It also is advantageous at opening manhole covers to cause chasing policemen to fall down while chasing you.
Pollard has a new gasoline replacement he is selling - it is being demonstrated for some oil company directors that day. The result, when the cars are driven off with the concoction in them is inevitable. Let us just say that it has some bugs in it.
The film is quite amusing, but the cutting is evident - how much due to fitting it into the anthology film and how much to deteriorating film stock is anyone's guess. Still it is a great place to start appreciating Snubb's wonderful dead pan style (complete with my favorite silent film star's mustache), who never got artistically as high as Lloyd his partner, or Chaplin, or Keaton, or even Langdon, but could entertain as well.
Pollard is shown in his home, from the time he gets up until he leaves. There are ropes and strings all over the house and from the moment that his make-shift "alarm clock" wakes him up, he just pulls the ropes and the bed is made and vanishes, the table is set and breakfast cooked, and his clothes magically pop up him. He then goes in his "magneto" car or "bullet" car (for lack of an effective name for it. It is a bullet shaped tri-wheel car for one passenger that works when he points a powerful large magnet at passing automobiles. It also is advantageous at opening manhole covers to cause chasing policemen to fall down while chasing you.
Pollard has a new gasoline replacement he is selling - it is being demonstrated for some oil company directors that day. The result, when the cars are driven off with the concoction in them is inevitable. Let us just say that it has some bugs in it.
The film is quite amusing, but the cutting is evident - how much due to fitting it into the anthology film and how much to deteriorating film stock is anyone's guess. Still it is a great place to start appreciating Snubb's wonderful dead pan style (complete with my favorite silent film star's mustache), who never got artistically as high as Lloyd his partner, or Chaplin, or Keaton, or even Langdon, but could entertain as well.
Clever & Amusing
Snow Leopard14 October 2004
There are some pretty good gags in this Snub Pollard short comedy, and the first part is quite entertaining. After a while, it really runs out of ideas, and it gets to be just a little repetitive. Pollard himself is lively enough to keep it going most of the time, but it's fortunate that they did not try to draw it out any further than they did.
The story has Pollard as an inventor whose newest product is eagerly sought after by the oil industry. The best part of the film is towards the beginning, with the sequence of Pollard in his own gadget-filled home. There is a good variety of gags that would not have been out of place in a Buster Keaton movie, and indeed much of it recalls Keaton features such as "The Scarecrow".
The car gag is quite good at first, although eventually they simply tried to get too much out of it, and at that point the movie starts to lose some momentum. It's still a clever and amusing one-reeler, above average overall, and certainly worth seeing.
The story has Pollard as an inventor whose newest product is eagerly sought after by the oil industry. The best part of the film is towards the beginning, with the sequence of Pollard in his own gadget-filled home. There is a good variety of gags that would not have been out of place in a Buster Keaton movie, and indeed much of it recalls Keaton features such as "The Scarecrow".
The car gag is quite good at first, although eventually they simply tried to get too much out of it, and at that point the movie starts to lose some momentum. It's still a clever and amusing one-reeler, above average overall, and certainly worth seeing.
Influence on Rube Goldberg?
mikemoto26 June 1999
Snub Pollard's short "It's a Gift" is inventive in more ways than one. He plays an eccentric inventor who looks as if he could have influenced the cartoons of Rube Goldberg, who was famous for depicting simple inventions done by convoluted means. And thankfully this is a silent, because talking would have just gotten in the way of this very creative pantomime. And I would love to drive one of the those magnet cars for real one day!
wow--it's a real shame this man is just about completely forgotten
planktonrules27 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This is an exceptionally hard film to find, as is true all the Snub Pollard films. And that's a real shame, as it's better than almost any silent short film out there--full of great inventiveness and energy.
Snub is an inventor who lives in a Rube Goldberg-style house. It's great to see all the kooky inventions he's rigged up to make life a little easier--just pull a rope and watch the house make breakfast or slide on his pants, etc. ! It's highly reminiscent of the Buster Keaton short THE SCARECROW, but it goes far beyond Keaton's film in weirdness and inventiveness.
An oil company sends him a letter asking him to come and demonstrate his latest invention--a pill that turns water into gas! Well, out of this wacky home goes Snub and he gets into the oddest car imaginable--a bullet-shaped cart without an engine! Well, he gets inside and uses an enormous magnet to grab onto passing cars--thus saving the cost of gas! Along the way to the oil company, he gets in a variety of predicaments--all sure to please.
When he arrives, he puts in just a single drop of his fuel and the cars run at about 10 times normal speed! Ultimately, the cars all crash and explore--thus ending Snub's dreams of riches. Soon afterward, he's chased by the police and makes the oddest getaway I've ever seen!
For shear cleverness of gags and non-stop fun, this is a great film not to be missed--it's just brilliant. Plus, I think Pollard with his walrus-like mustache is cute and very likable--though he generally played "second bananas" in film--rarely being the star. Please note though, that he's almost the spitting-image of Chester Conklin--and it's easy to mix the two up when watching old comedies.
NOTE--despite having the exact same title, this movie should not be confused with W. C. Fields' film. BUT, both are deserving of a 10, so see either or even both if possible!
Snub is an inventor who lives in a Rube Goldberg-style house. It's great to see all the kooky inventions he's rigged up to make life a little easier--just pull a rope and watch the house make breakfast or slide on his pants, etc. ! It's highly reminiscent of the Buster Keaton short THE SCARECROW, but it goes far beyond Keaton's film in weirdness and inventiveness.
An oil company sends him a letter asking him to come and demonstrate his latest invention--a pill that turns water into gas! Well, out of this wacky home goes Snub and he gets into the oddest car imaginable--a bullet-shaped cart without an engine! Well, he gets inside and uses an enormous magnet to grab onto passing cars--thus saving the cost of gas! Along the way to the oil company, he gets in a variety of predicaments--all sure to please.
When he arrives, he puts in just a single drop of his fuel and the cars run at about 10 times normal speed! Ultimately, the cars all crash and explore--thus ending Snub's dreams of riches. Soon afterward, he's chased by the police and makes the oddest getaway I've ever seen!
For shear cleverness of gags and non-stop fun, this is a great film not to be missed--it's just brilliant. Plus, I think Pollard with his walrus-like mustache is cute and very likable--though he generally played "second bananas" in film--rarely being the star. Please note though, that he's almost the spitting-image of Chester Conklin--and it's easy to mix the two up when watching old comedies.
NOTE--despite having the exact same title, this movie should not be confused with W. C. Fields' film. BUT, both are deserving of a 10, so see either or even both if possible!
Worth Seeing
gelatoflo27 October 2000
Comedy built on gadget gags was nothing new to Snub, nor Hal Roach studio, as they had done it often before with Harold Lloyd in his early 1-2 reel comedies(like in City Slicker or The Chef...). Many of the gadgets here look similar. Nevertheless this solo effort of Snub Pollard is well worth seeing. Actually it's among the best he had done. His usual overacting is not evident in this one, and it also adds some becoming cartoon quality. The short length also helps, as he often seemed having difficulty to handle more than 10 minutes of screen time. It really has some very creative ideas in the beginning.
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