Foolish Follies (1922) is weirdly hypnotic and very shaky

If you have seven minutes to kill and like seeing cats get stretched like taffy, this is for you. If you need a serious plot or character arcs, go watch The Mayor of Casterbridge or literally anything else.

Foolish Follies is one of those old Aesop’s Fables shorts that doesn't really care about the 'moral' until the very last second. Harry Bailey and John Foster clearly just wanted to see how much they could make things wobble.

The animation is... well, it’s crunchy. You can see the lines shaking on every frame, like the paper was vibrating while they filmed it.

It’s got that classic 'rubber hose' style where bones are just a suggestion. There is this one bit with a cat that is just bizarre.

He’s trying to play a fiddle, but his arms keep growing longer than his whole body. I swear, the way they drew faces back then is ten times creepier than any modern horror movie.

It’s way more fun than sitting through something stiff like Everywoman. At least things are actually moving here, even if it makes no sense.

There’s a mouse in this that has the most smug expression I’ve ever seen on a rodent. He just hangs out in the corner of the frame for a second, doing nothing, then disappears.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Foolish Follies (1929) through its definitive frames.

It’s these little moments that make me think the animators were just bored. They didn't care if the physics worked or if the background stayed the same.

Sometimes a door opens into a room that clearly shouldn't fit in the building. It’s great. 🌀

If you’re looking for a deep emotional journey like Children of Destiny, you’re gonna be disappointed. This is just pure, 1920s nonsense.

I actually think I prefer this to some of the more famous stuff from that era. It feels less polished and more... human, maybe?

Like you can almost see the ink smudges on the characters' hands. One reaction shot of a dog lingers for like four seconds too long and it becomes hilarious.

I don't even think he was supposed to be the main character of that scene. He just looks confused to be there. 🐶

It’s definitely better than a slow drama like Shadows of the Past if you’re tired. It’s fast, it’s flickery, and it’s over before you can get bored.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Foolish Follies (1929) through its definitive frames.

The backgrounds are pretty thin, though. Sometimes it’s just a flat white space with a single tree that looks like a lollypop.

I suppose they didn't have the budget of The Girl of the Golden West. But who needs trees when you have a cat that can turn into a telescope?

If you hate old black and white stuff, you’ll hate this. It’s grainy and feels like it was found in a dusty basement.

But there’s a real charm to how messy it is. It’s not trying to be Geneviève.

It’s just trying to make a kid in 1922 giggle for five minutes. And honestly? It still kind of works.

I’d watch it again just to see the weird way the mice walk. They don't run, they sort of... bounce in place while moving forward.

Anyway, if you’re into the history of animation or just want to see something trippy, check it out. If not, go watch Billy Jim or something with actual people in it. 🤷

It’s a weird little piece of history. I’m glad I watched it, even if I don’t really know what the point was.