3.0 out of 5 stars
Punch-drunk pugilists, August 18, 2008
This review is from: The Knockout (1914) (DVD)
Highlight of THE KNOCKOUT is two monstrous boxers slugging each other while a diminutive ring referee tries to keep from getting killed. The fight soon goes beyond the squared circle, and includes handguns, and a flight over rooftops with the Keystone Kops in close pursuit.
This Fatty Arbuckle one-reel short features Charlie Chaplin in support as the referee. Also here is Fatty's wife, Minta Durfee, and the usual cast of Keystone players: Edgar Kennedy (Fatty's ring opponent and an ex-boxer later famous for his "slow burn"), Mack Swain (of the Keystone Kops) and Al. St John (Fatty's nephew-- he eventually joined his uncle at COMIQUE Studios, where he did a lot of odd jumping whenever startled or moved to action).
Includes an outstanding "uncredited" cast:
Ford Sterling - Chief of Mack Sennett's nutty police force.
Billy Gilbert - The angry homeowner in Laurel & Hardy's Oscar winner, "The Music Box."
Charley Chase - Star of a series of sophisticated comedy shorts in the last years of silent movies.
Slim Summerville - Lanky actor featured in many country-flavored sound comedies.
Mack Sennett - Kingpin of KEYSTONE Studios, who appears as a crowd scene spectator.
Eddie Cline - Worked with Buster Keaton; directed many classic comedies, like W.C. Fields' THE BANK DICK (1940).
For another Chaplin/Arbuckle pairing, try
A FILM JOHNNIE (also from REEL CLASSIC FILMS).
Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 viewer poll rating found at a film resource website.
(5.8) The Knockout (1914) - Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle/Minta Durfee/Edgar Kennedy/Charles Chaplin/Al. St John/Mack Swain (uncredited: Mack Sennett/Ford Sterling/Charley Chase/Billy Gilbert/Glen Cavender/Slim Summerville/Edward F. Cline)
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