Author Archive: Retro

A country girl and a foppish Englishman inherit an estate, and the terms say that it can’t be divided. The terms also state that the two must get married, and if one refuses, then the other gets the entire estate. The girl schemes with her twin brother to trick the Englishman out of his part of the inheritance.

Errol moves out of his apartment when the landlord raises the rent, but encounters the usual headaches and difficulties in finding a new place.

Caught philandering (for the 1867th time, give or take a couple), Leon’s wife (Dorothy Granger) announces (for the 1867th time, give or take a couple as she wasn’t always his wife) that she is going to divorce him. His business partner hatches a scheme to cure Leon of his flirting with very pretty girl (and a few ugly ones) he meets, but the scheme has Leon faking a suicide.

Henry and Dizzy have a baby sitting service and get more than they bargain for when the mother of a 10 month old leaves town to clear her husband of a crime.

In commedia dell’arte style, an actor on a stool presents six distinct characters through speedy application of whiskers and a hat or, in one case, a wig followed by a few gestures. First he becomes the large-nosed squire whipping his horse as he rides in his surrey, then he’s a kindly mustachioed ticket taker, next an imperious sea captain with the bearded look of Czar Nicholas. Out comes a light-colored top hat, big nose and handkerchief for the brief appearance of a lugubrious character, followed by a capitalist making a deal in black silk top hat and mustache. Last, white hair, pork-chop sideburns and large mustache capture a retired raconteur.

A family troupe of acrobats, made up to appear Japanese, perform various unbelievable stunts in front of the camera, achieved through a trick of the camera.