Summary
You're Next (1927) is a frantic, slapstick-heavy short that functions as a surrealist exercise in early physical comedy. The narrative centers on a trio of 'fat boys'—played by the 'Ton of Fun' comedy troupe—whose morning routine is dictated by a cynical, disabled radio broadcaster. Their attempts at fitness are not merely clumsy; they are destructive, resulting in the literal collapse of their apartment floor and the accidental abduction of a neighbor in his bathtub. The chaos transitions from the domestic to the professional as the trio navigates a rowing machine through city streets to arrive at their barber school. What follows is a series of escalating, grotesque gags involving mutilated haircuts, pigeons nesting in facial hair, and a manicurist who must physically alter her environment to accommodate her oversized clients. The film concludes with a violent confrontation against a 'two-gun man,' whose arrival transforms the comedy of errors into a desperate chase. It is a film where the laws of physics are secondary to the requirement for a visual punchline.
Synopsis
As the three fat boys, answering the radio's call of "Get Up, Babies," roll out of bed, they begin their daily morning exercises. These include "ups and downs," "Dumbel Exercises." and such, which are necessary, says the aged and crippled broadcaster, if one wishes to attain physique such as his. During the "Ups and Downs," the fat boys use pulley-weights, and finally produce from the other side of the wall a man in a bath-tub. who complains that it is bad enough taking a bath without making a personal appearance. The ''Skipping Rope" Exercise proves to be disastrous, as the next scene shows the floor undulating with the bounces of the three fat boys, and finally collapsing when they all pounce upon a medicine ball. Nothing daunted, they run out into the hall where they find their rowing machine. This carries them into the street, and down a hill, where they make the discovery that they are late for the barber school. There they ply their trade on various interesting customers, whom they elevate in the barber chair at will. One of these received a most unusual hair-cut when the clippers plow a path in his hair from his forehead. to the back of his head. Another customer's beard discloses a pigeon when one of the boys starts to cut it. Lois Boyd, the manicurist, displays her ingenuity when she removed a half moon from her table in order that the fat boys may be seated comfortably when being manicured. But in spite of their cleverness, the boys and Lois Boyd cannot fool the two-gun man who is their last customer, and the fade-out shows them being chased down the street by their ferocious client.
Review Excerpt
"Is You're Next (1927) worth your time in the modern era? Short answer: No, unless you are a dedicated historian of silent-era slapstick or have a niche interest in the 'Ton of Fun' comedy troupe.This film is specifically for those who appreciate the raw, unrefined energy of 1920s shorts and can overlook the repetitive nature of its central gimmick. It is absolutely NOT for viewers who require narrative logic, nuanced character development, or humor that doesn't revolve entirely around the physic..."
