Not a bad way at all for Charley to end his career. With HIS BRIDAL FRIGHT, we get a peak 1940 Columbia short. It’s too bad Charley didn’t live longer, as from a professional viewpoint, I think he would have had a few more years of entertaining shorts left in him. The premise of this film is original (as far as I know) and certainly not cliche. The whole idea of chasing the rare stamp, the bevy of mail order brides chasing him and the plain energy this short exudes is infectious. Lots of scenery changes and outdoor settings - road chases, yard slapstick, a jail scene, the short just plain moves and Chase is high energy throughout. The things I just mentioned are way more important than storyline for a Columbia short, as far as I’m concerned.
Of course, had Chase lived longer, he would have to reinvent himself, a problem Lloyd and Keaton also faced. It had nothing to do with sound and everything to do with age. Example, in HIS BRIDAL FRIGHT, Chases’s prospective father in law, Bud Jamison, is four months younger than Chase in real life. Chaplin in his later works adjusted to his age properly, he’s the only one I can think of.
So yes, a fun short overall and a nice way to wrap things up with Charley. Very sad he left us so soon, but he left us a legacy of entertaining two reelers that I’m still diving into. Glad his stock has gone up with us fellow comedy nerds in the past few decades.