Summary
In the vibrant nocturnal tapestry of a bustling hotel, chaos unfurls with the unceremonious return of the Gentleman Drunk, who, in a state of advanced inebriation, ascends to his chamber, his silk top hat incongruously perched atop his head even as he seeks the solace of slumber. Concurrently, an impecunious Ham Actor, driven by the ignoble necessity of evading his mounting board bill, executes a clandestine egress from an upper-story window, employing a rope in a precarious descent that foreshadows the night's spiraling absurdity. Across the same corridor, a young Girl and her impassioned fiancé conspire in hushed tones, meticulously outlining their bold elopement, a desperate measure against the draconian parental decree forbidding even a chaste kiss within the hotel's public confines. The Ham Actor’s clumsy scuffle against the exterior wall, a symphony of rope and masonry, inadvertently draws the Drunk to his window, where, peering into the gloom, his distinctive silk hat tumbles unheeded to the pavement below. This seemingly trivial loss propels the Drunk on a stealthy, inebriated quest downstairs to reclaim his headwear, setting off a chain reaction of mistaken identities and escalating farcical mishaps. Meanwhile, the lovers’ bid for freedom is abruptly curtailed by the vigilant and irate parents. The Drunk, now sans nightgown and seeking refuge from an incoming group of young women, impulsively encases himself within a rolled rug, embarking on a bewildering, uncontrolled dash through the hotel's labyrinthine passages. The Ham Actor's earlier escapade has, by now, roused the entire establishment, his furtive movements misconstrued as the actions of a nefarious burglar. Amidst this pandemonium, Nora, a kitchen staff member, entertains a uniformed Cop, whose presence inadvertently leads to the capture of the hapless Ham Actor and, ultimately, the ignominious discovery of the Drunk, still ensconced within his rug, beneath a parlor sofa.
Synopsis
The Gentleman Drunk returns to the hotel about midnight, climbing into bed with his silk hat on. Upstairs the Ham Actor climbs through the window and down a rope, beating his board bill. Across the hall, talking in whispers the Girl and her fiancé plan an elopement, enraged at parental objections to kissing in the hotel parlor. Hearing the Ham Actor scuffling down the wall on the rope, the Drunk staggers to the window and peers out, his silk hat falling to the ground below. Stealthily he creeps downstairs and onto the sidewalk to regain it. In the meantime the Girl and Man are ready for flight, but the irate parents catch them. The Drunk loses his nightgown, and to hide from some girls entering the hotel, rolls up in a rug and runs wildly through the halls. The Ham Actor has aroused the guests of the hotel, who think him a burglar. Nora in the kitchen is entertaining the Cop. Together they capture the Ham Actor and finally discover the Drunk in hiding under the sofa.
Review Excerpt
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A Whirlwind of Midnight Mayhem: Deconstructing 'One Night' (1916)
Step into a bygone era, where the silver screen flickered with unadulterated joy, and the art of physical comedy reigned supreme. Today, we journey back to 1916, a pivotal year in the nascent stages of cinematic storytelling, to revisit a gem of slapstick artistry: the short film One Night. This isn't merely a film; it's a meticulously choreographed ballet of blunders, a symphony of misunderstandings that unfolds across t..."
