Mabel Normand gets her come-uppance after stringing along a couple of young men who work in her father's office. A pleasant enough Mack Sennett comedy, but it lacks any real laughs.
3 Reviews
Oh, Those Eyes review
JoeytheBrit26 June 2020
I Love Mabel
Thor-Delta30 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Seemingly every man is in love with Gladys (played by Mabel Normand). Wherever she goes, man start following her with much enthusiasm. Two men at the place her father works want to marry her...both send her letters asking for such. She accepts both! Her father finds out and decides to play a trick on her. The ending of this short is very "random" and very unexpected, unless there's some cultural reference I didn't get. Very funny ending regardless.
I've seen several 1912 Biograph comedies directed by Mack Sennett, and some of them seem to consist of a series of scenes which are the lead-up to a final "punchline" (ending gag). Very different to his Keystone work. Mabel Normand is delightful as usual. Direction is decent, framing is good, acting is good, with the only bit of major over-acting making complete sense in the context of the film itself (the bit where a man pretends to be shot).
I've seen several 1912 Biograph comedies directed by Mack Sennett, and some of them seem to consist of a series of scenes which are the lead-up to a final "punchline" (ending gag). Very different to his Keystone work. Mabel Normand is delightful as usual. Direction is decent, framing is good, acting is good, with the only bit of major over-acting making complete sense in the context of the film itself (the bit where a man pretends to be shot).
Beware the eyes of Mabel
ducatic-8229013 November 2016
Always a pleasure to see the delectable Mabel. The film dates from Sennett's Biograph days, when he was deep in his French phase. This strange movie could have actually been produced in France with its weirdness and fake 'Frenchmen' (or perhaps Spaniards), although true slapstick is absent.
The film appears to be an extended screen test, in which the director is attempting to discover if the actress has an ability to be seductive with her eyes. Mabel succeeds in this 100%. However, her whole demeanor is devoted to this cause, and men follow Mabel by sheer instinct. Her fluttering eyelashes (seemingly two inches long) easily draw in two of her father's employees. The eyes go into action again when Mabel plots to agree to both men's proposal of marriage. Along the way Mabel uses the old 'drop the umbrella' trick to get some sad men interested, only to give them the dismissive Mabelescent pout.
Of course, we came to know Mabel later for her expressive eyes and 'get lost' pout, but this picture is something else. Mabel is telling us she is dangerous, and, furthermore, needs to be wooed and won. 'Chase me' she seems to say (and actually did say in a much later film). Her two suitors do attempt to chase her, but to no avail, and only learn the truth about Mabel the tease, when they enact a fake duel with dud ammunition. This girl is more interested in cosying up to wild animals than dumb men. How many actors discovered this reality only too late in real life. Charlie Chaplin, Paul Bern and Prince Ibrahim are just three examples.
The film appears to be an extended screen test, in which the director is attempting to discover if the actress has an ability to be seductive with her eyes. Mabel succeeds in this 100%. However, her whole demeanor is devoted to this cause, and men follow Mabel by sheer instinct. Her fluttering eyelashes (seemingly two inches long) easily draw in two of her father's employees. The eyes go into action again when Mabel plots to agree to both men's proposal of marriage. Along the way Mabel uses the old 'drop the umbrella' trick to get some sad men interested, only to give them the dismissive Mabelescent pout.
Of course, we came to know Mabel later for her expressive eyes and 'get lost' pout, but this picture is something else. Mabel is telling us she is dangerous, and, furthermore, needs to be wooed and won. 'Chase me' she seems to say (and actually did say in a much later film). Her two suitors do attempt to chase her, but to no avail, and only learn the truth about Mabel the tease, when they enact a fake duel with dud ammunition. This girl is more interested in cosying up to wild animals than dumb men. How many actors discovered this reality only too late in real life. Charlie Chaplin, Paul Bern and Prince Ibrahim are just three examples.
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