Topic: April Fool (1924) - Charley Chase

[HomokHarcos]

https://imdb.com/title/tt0412437/?ref_=fn_al_tt_14

Today is April Fool’s Day, the perfect timing for today’s short in question. Judging from the title I got a good idea of what the general plot would be:somebody would be playing a bunch of tricks and jokes on Charley Chase, and I was right. This time it’s Noah Young handing out most of it, along with a child. There’s a similar April Fool’s day cartoon where Bluto does this type of stuff to Popeye all throughout.

I was entertained by this, but looking at the IMDB rating it’s not too well liked. My favorite part is when the boss’s wife tells Charley that her house is on fire, but he laughs it off as an April Fool’s joke, causing the house to burn down! There’s a phone hammer that shows up again and again throughout that leads to Charley smashing his boss’s window for real when he doesn’t realize he has a real one.

The romantic plot felt unnecessary and added on seemingly for the sake of it. It does end pretty darkly where it turns out she is playing a pretty cruel joke on Charley, also being in cahoots with Noah Young.

Definitely more gag based than story based, but that was to be expected from the title.

[Paul Pain]

This one paled in comparison to the other shorts we have watched... but I still like Charley's handling of the situation.  April Fool's jokes rank among the lowest classes of humor in existence, in my opinion.

Blanche Mehaffey though... what a b***#.  I find it funny the way Noah Young gets so bent out of shape over a cigar.

[Umbrella Sam]

Eh, it’s OK. I do like the idea of Chase trying so hard to avoid pranks that he unintentionally causes harm in the process; that’s clever and does lead to a funny moment with the boss after he’s discovered the house burned down and joins Noah Young in beating up on Chase. But, yeah, a lot of it is just everyone in the office making fun of him, which I don’t think is super funny. At least things kind of work out in the end, especially the irony of Young spending more money to prank Chase than he was earning.

[metaldams]

One thing to be noted about APRIL FOOL is that while most Chase shorts of this era were directed by Leo McCarey, this short and the I believe to be lost POSITION WANTED are directed by Ralph Ceder/Cedar.  Ceder previously directed some of Stan Laurel’s solo shorts for Roach.

Agreed this one is not exactly McCarey level, though given the premise, one note prank gags, this short moves along at a good pace.  Not too much more to say other than for years, due to DVD availability, this was one of the few Chase one reelers I knew.  I was pleasantly surprised when I bought the BECOMING CHARLEY CHASE set at the quality of the majority of the other shorts.  Also, I personally get a big sigh of relief towards the end when they are finally outdoors, driving, and somebody falls into a mud puddle.  A Hal Roach mud puddle is like a Moe Howard slap, a binky for my inner infant.  I also like the closing house gag that involves camera angles to get the gag right so needless to say, the last minute of this thing is my favorite.

[metaldams]

Just watched another short called APRIL FOOL (1920) that stars underrated comic Lloyd Hamilton.  I bring this up because it is directed by and briefly cameos Charley Chase.  A better short as well.