Balked at the Altar (1908) User Reviews

A Mack Sennett Comedy

[boblipton · 5/10 · 2 November 2002]

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.

I would have to agree with boblipton on this one...

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 30 March 2014]

In the review for "Balked at the Alter", boblipton from New York wrote that although it's credited as a D.W. Griffith film, it appears to actually be a Mack Sennett short. I agree completely, as the film bears nothing of the style of Griffith and sure looks a lot like one of Sennett's later Keystone films. Before he started Keystone Studio, Mack Sennett was an actor and assistant director with Biograph and was a favorite of Griffith--and he got his directorial start because of Griffith. So, logically speaking, this is probably a Sennett film or at least one in which Sennett had a hand in directing it or setting up the gags.

The film could have used some intertitle cards, though at the time they were just coming into vogue. Because there are no cards to explain the action, what is occurring is something a little vague. A man-crazy woman keeps hitting on practically every man that comes her way. Finally, her family (at least you assume it's them) decide to get her a man by picking some poor sucker and forcing him at gun-point to marry her! However, at the alter, he takes flight and much of the film is spent showing the wedding party chasing the poor guy.

I wouldn't give the film a higher score than 6 because it is essentially a one-gag film and it was handled only moderately well (I think they could have milked more laughs out of the situation--and probably would have if Sennett had made this a few years later). Also, as I often have seen in some of Griffith's films (which makes me think this might be a hybrid Griffith/Sennett movie), the black man in the picture is just some white guy painted up to look black (I really do think Griffith hated blacks and preferred employing fake blacks instead of the real thing).

Balked at the Altar review

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 10 May 2020]

An early D.W. Griffith short, and already many of his stock company (Robert Harron, Arthur V. Johnson, Mack Sennett and wife Linda Arvidson) are in place. Unusually for Griffith, this is a knockabout comedy that features one of those chase scenes that were so popular back in the early 1900s. The difference is that Griffith knew when to cut so that we don't have to watch 27 people climb over a fence before moving to the next shot. It's not particularly funny today - although it does have an unexpected and amusing sting in the tail - but it's better than many of the movies from this era.

Shotgun Wedding Spinster

[wes-connors · 2/10 · 6 November 2007]

Mabel Stoughton is a large-nosed woman who is, apparently, fond of ridiculous hairstyles. She reads (presumably) "The Three Ages", and has a yen for men. She finally snags one, assisted by her father's shotgun; and, they proceed to the altar. The intended groom escapes, which leads the entire wedding party on a merry chase… Notable for the New Jersey location footage featured prominently in the ending chase. Ms. Stoughton looks appropriately ridiculous, and could have had a more successful film career with better material. D.W. Griffith make an on-screen appearance, alongside his Biograph troupe. The supporting cast includes a "silly Negro", with Mack Sennett, Harry Solter, and George Gebhardt. All in all, not very funny.

** Balked at the Altar (8/25/08) D.W. Griffith ~ Mabel Stoughton, Harry Salter, George Gebhardt

Watchable, With Some Amusing Moments, But Not That Good Overall

[Snow Leopard · 18 November 2004]

While not all that funny, this short comedy is just amusing enough at times to be watchable. As one of Griffith's very early efforts, the technique is not very refined, and the slapstick tone also makes it quite a bit different from any of his more well-known pictures.

Most of the story is an extended humorous look at a romantic spinster whose eagerness to get married is evident to all. The first part is not very sensitive towards any of the characters, and it is not very entertaining, but it begins to pick up later on. For a short while, the action gets enjoyably manic, and the finale has a decent gag.

Griffith never really developed that good of a sense of humor, and his occasional attempts at comic relief in his longer features usually did not work all that well. But this picture is nearly as good, as a comedy, as his earliest dramas were as serious cinema, so perhaps if he had concentrated more on humor, it's possible that he could have made better or more worthwhile comedies later on.

In any event, this one is insubstantial, but it has just enough to be of some interest for those of us who enjoy watching these very old movies for their own sake.

2 By Griffith

[Michael_Elliott · 28 February 2008]

Balked At the Altar (1908)

** (out of 4)

D.W. Griffith film about a woman who will stop at nothing to get a man to marry her and that includes help from her father and his shotgun. Like many "wedding" pictures of its time, we get a long chase scene, which really isn't too funny.

Calamitous Elopement, A (1908)

*** (out of 4)

D.W. Griffith film has a boyfriend proposing to his girl only to get caught by her father and thrown out of the house. The two decide to run off and get married, which is overheard by a thief who plans to take advantage of their decision. This comedy from Griffith works pretty good, although it's a tad bit hard to follow at the start. When the thief enters things pick up because the film doesn't play out (or go for the laughs) the way you'd expect. You can spot the director playing one of the cops in the film.