Soft Pedal

This film was included in a DVD set of Charley Chase films, but he's only the producer for the film--not an actor or director. In this film, it's his brother, James, who is the star and it does seem to be stretching it a bit to include this in the Charley Chase set. And, you may notice that underneath that HUGE mustache, he bears a strong resemblance to his brother. In fact, in one film they both played the same character! Describing the plot in detail would be a bit difficult, as the film is frenetic and makes little sense. Now this is not a criticism--the movie actually works quite well. It consists of James impressing a young lady when he accidentally captures the guy who stole her necklace. The crook is taken away but eventually escapes. Will Jimmy be able to get the girl by the end of the film? What do you think?! Some nice sight gags and a good pace make this one worth watching. While far from perfect, it's an enjoyable romp.

By the way, one of the characters is a cute black kid and it's nice to see that unlike many films of the day, he's not shown negatively. In fact, he's an amazingly capable kid!!