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Director's Spotlight
Senior Film Conservator
Director's Spotlight: United States
A Deep Dive into the 1931 Vision of Mack Sennett
In the storied career of Mack Sennett, The Fainting Lover stands as a the provocative questions that Mack Sennett poses to the United States audience. Elevating the source material through Mack Sennett's unique vision, it persists as a haunting reminder of our own cinematic history.
In The Fainting Lover, Mack Sennett pushes the boundaries of conventional narrative. The film's unique approach to its subject matter has sparked endless debates and interpretations among cinephiles and critics alike.
While deeply rooted in United States, The Fainting Lover has achieved a global reach, influencing directors from various backgrounds. Its ability to translate Short tropes into a universal cinematic language is why it remains a cult staple decades after its 1931 release.
| Cinematography | Noir-Inspired |
| Soundtrack | Experimental |
| Editing | Invisible |
| Art Direction | Kitsch |
Visualizing the convergence of Mack Sennett's style and the core Short narrative.
Back in the last century, in the 1940's, Camel cigarettes had an ad slogan that boasted... "not a cough in a carload." "Fainting Lover" is a comedy from Mack Sennett that doesn't have a laugh in a single frame of the two reels. The three writers, one of which must have noticed the absence of comedy, either thought they were writing "East Lynne" or else were preparing themselves to write television comedy. This Andy Clyde short, in which Andy plays second fiddle to a bad performance by the usually reliable Wade Boteler, finds Boteler (as Bert) courting the daughter of Andy Clyde and Addie McPhail, and Andy reminds him that he shouldn't take her for granted, especially at a gathering where Dr. Dudley Smith, accomplished musician, artist, sportsman, lecturer, world traveler, singer, dancer and worker of cross-word puzzles, is putting heavy moves on Helen, Bert's intended. Bert allows as how he'll do something special for her on her birthday coming up next month. The something special turns out to be attending her wedding to Smith on her birthday. What happens then is pitiful and feeble beyond description. Vernon Dent singing "Honeymoon", and later dancing to it, is worth watching if one fast-forwards to it and stops watching when Dent finishes.
Decades after its release, The Fainting Lover remains a vital piece of the cinematic puzzle. Its influence can be seen in countless modern works, solidifying Mack Sennett's status as a master of the craft in United States and beyond.