Willful Ambrose (1915) User Reviews

ten minutes well spent

[geoffreybow · 9/10 · 27 December 2006]

Delightful keystone comedy in which pa (ambrose) falls foul more than once to ma played wonderfully by louise fazenda. Henpecked and out of favour and being pestered by a somewhat simple daughter pa (played by mack swain) goes to try and replace a drinking vessel which he broke but gets into more trouble with a passing couple. Then is caught kissing the women by ma. This comedy is entertaining from start to finish and all the actors and actress's put in 100 percent. It is also a well planned and thought out movie and entertains throughout its ten minute length. it is full of things being thrown at people and people being hit over the head and provides the viewer with a bit of escapism.

See it twice!

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 4 May 2016]

This "Ambrose" short is available on an "Ambrose Comedies" DVD from Alpha. Unlike some of the other "Ambrose" shorts in this seven- picture collection, the print is quite watchable, the acting is up to standard and the fast-moving direction by David Kirkland keeps the Walter Wright scenario moving at such top speed, it's necessary to see the movie at least twice in order to appreciate all the gags. For once, Mack Swain is in top form and the support cast headed by Louise Fazenda as Ma Ambrose and Vivian Edwards as Pansy Ambrose also shines bright. The seventh and final movie on the Alpha DVD, Those Bitter Sweets directed by Dell Henderson from a scenario by F. Richard Jones, is almost as entertaining, although it is a little hard to get around the fact that Ambrose, our comic hero, is a potential murderer! Fortunately, he relents and hopefully is in time to save the day for a trio of bathing beauties, one of whom sports a somewhat revealing costume – by 1915 standards anyway! Also worth watching on this DVD is Ambrose's Fury and, to a lesser extent, Ambrose's Lofty Perch, a just watchable print in which Swain plays a European king who is "entertained" by a covey of considerably overdressed dancing girls!