Customer Reviews

Mickey

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Mabel Normand had already made her mark as an accomplished comedienne in Keystone and Mack Sennett productions when she ventured forth with her own production company in 1916. "Mickey" was the first and only film produced by that company, and it was delayed due to various problems until its release in 1918, but it was well worth the wait. Unlike the earlier Keystone comedies however, "Mickey" is basically a serious but light-hearted story, and as Mickey, Mabel is thoroughly entertaining as a tomboy growing up in a rough environment at the 'Tomboy Mine' where everything she does ends in trouble. It doesn't get any better when she is sent to live with her aunt in New York, but through romance and a bit of adventure she turns into a lady - though not before some twists and turns with action and some intrigue. There is quite a lot packed into just over an hour, and while there's nothing really outstanding or special about "Mickey", it is still a pleasure to watch, mainly due to Mabel's charisma and acting skill. The picture quality is very good, although at times there are a few jumps where some frames are missing. A little worse for wear is the short bonus comedy "He Did and He Didn't", in which Mabel stars with Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle who plays Mabel's jealous husband. When Mabel's old school sweetheart comes for a visit, the three of them experience a wild and crazy night, complete with robbers, shooting and murder - or so it seems. Finally, a slide show with beautiful photographs of Mabel and other memorabilia set to the original 1918 theme song for "Mickey" is a lovely treat, taking you back in time to when the film was first released. Although this is only a mid-priced DVD with budget packaging, the good quality of the feature film and the two bonuses make it rate fairly well.

Mabel Normand, now largely unknown, was the greatest comedienne of silent movies. Discovered by Mack Sennett of the Keystone studio, she starred in dozens of Sennett's comedy shorts, often partnered with Fatty Arbuckle.
Mickey is a feature-length comedy produced in 1918 by Normand herself, who (as Sennett's great romance) was finally given her own studio as a reward for her years of hard, underpaid work. It tells a classic story of a poor orphan girl who rises to riches helping her prospector uncle in his search for gold.
The film is about an hour in length, replete with pratfalls, mad chases and close escapes from hair-raising dangers. Movies didn't use stunt people in those days -- Normand does her own, as do the rest of the cast.
The story line doesn't hang neatly together as later movies do. Parts of the film were lost and the surviving scenes are only loosely stitched together.
It doesn't really matter. The action sequences are what count, and Normand's undeniable star quality.
The DVD also features one of Sennett's better comedy shorts (He Did and He Didn't, 1918) starring Normand and Arbuckle. The careers of both were shattered by scandal in the early '20s, Arbuckle by his innocent association with an alleged rape (he was quickly found not guilty in the last of three cooked-up trials) and Normand by her friendship with a prominent director who was mysteriously murdered 15 minutes after her last visit with him.
Mickey is a must-see for anyone interested in silent film, and it's hugely entertaining.

this DVD is unwatchable. i ordered it through the library at the institution where i teach. a sticker was affixed on the cover warning that this was a recorded DVD and may not play on all DVD equipment. nice disclaimer. the DVD cover is cheaply printed. the distributor, unknown video (sic!) should sell their product in the streets, rather than to educators. truly disgraceful.