Summary
In an era of burgeoning domesticity, 'Hot Water' plunges a freshly minted marital duo, brimming with aspirations of a bustling five-child household, into an unforeseen maelstrom of premature parenthood. Their eagerness to gain practical experience is serendipitously answered when a globe-trotting widower friend dispatches his sole progeny via the then-novel concept of 'parcel post' for a temporary sojourn. Unbeknownst to the expectant couple, a mischievous plot is concurrently brewing among the husband's superiors. These playful conspirators, each borrowing two of their own offspring, conspire with a bribed station agent to affix erroneous tags. The result? Instead of the anticipated single charge, a bewildered couple is confronted with a boisterous quintet of children upon their arrival. The fathers, further fueling the impending pandemonium, instruct their progeny to unleash a full day's worth of unbridled naughtiness. From the moment these five lively youngsters are crammed into the automobile, the domestic tranquility of the newlyweds is irrevocably shattered. The film meticulously chronicles the escalating chaos and profound disruption inflicted upon their hitherto serene abode, a relentless barrage of childish antics that persists until the following day. Only then does the elaborate ruse unravel, as the widower, having decided to embark on his European journey accompanied by his child, calls to reclaim his offspring. Simultaneously, the wives of the prankster bosses, discovering the true whereabouts of their 'missing' children, instigate a flurry of belated explanations and marital reckonings, bringing the uproarious domestic farce to its climactic, if somewhat belated, resolution.
Synopsis
Newlyweds expect to raise a family of five children but are eager to gain experience in taking care of kiddies. Therefore, welcome the opportunity offered by a widower friend who expects to go to Europe and ships his child, parcel post, to the couple. Meantime, the young married man's bosses plan to play a joke on him, each borrowing their own children (two to a family) and bribe the station agent to tag the four, so that when the newlyweds arrive there are five children on their hands instead of the one expected. The fathers tell their children that they may be as naughty as possible for one whole day, so that as soon as the five are herded into the automobile they begin. The young couple find that five children in a house can disrupt things in general, and not until the following day is the situation clarified. The father of the motherless baby decides to take his child with him to Europe, so calls to claim his own. When the wives of the two bosses find they have been misinformed as to the whereabouts of their respective children, there is considerable explaining to do.
Review Excerpt
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Ah, the silent era. A time when cinematic storytelling relied not on dialogue, but on the potent alchemy of exaggerated gesture, expressive physiognomy, and meticulously choreographed visual gags. Within this vibrant landscape, a film like Hot Water emerges not merely as a relic of a bygone age, but as a surprisingly incisive, albeit uproariously funny, commentary on the anxieties and aspirations of early 20th-century domesticity. Directed with a keen eye for physical comedy and the escalat..."
