Treating 'Em Rough

In an era defined by burgeoning industry and stark social hierarchies, 'Treating 'Em Rough' plunges headfirst into the chaotic crucible of a factory floor, where the iron-fisted foreman, a caricature of unyielding authority (Ford Sterling), presides over a hapless workforce with a tyrannical zeal. His latest, and perhaps most exasperating, charge is Ben (Ben Turpin), a perpetually bewildered new hire whose every well-intentioned action culminates in an escalating cascade of mechanical mayhem and accidental sabotage. Amidst this industrial pandemonium, the sympathetic gaze of Louise (Louise Fazenda), a resilient seamstress, offers a flicker of warmth, subtly challenging the foreman's frosty dominion. The narrative cunningly weaves in the machinations of a petty rival (Edgar Kennedy), whose attempts to exploit Ben's blunders only serve to amplify the comedic absurdity. An unexpected canine accomplice, Teddy the Dog, emerges as an unwitting catalyst, propelling the plot towards its uproarious climax. What begins as a study in workplace oppression rapidly devolves into a masterclass of escalating slapstick, culminating in a frenetic chase and an unforeseen triumph for the underdog, reconfiguring the factory's rigid power dynamics through sheer, delightful pandemonium.