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5.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Fred Allen's Prize Playlets remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Alright, so Fred Allen's Prize Playlets. Is it worth checking out today? Look, if you’re into digging up old, *really* old, and often quite strange comedy, then maybe. It’s a historical curiosity, a little peek into a very different comedic sensibility. But if you’re after modern laughs or something that just feels familiar, you’ll probably find yourself a bit confused, maybe even a little put off. It's not for the faint of heart, humor-wise.
The whole thing starts with Fred Allen himself trying to sell these “prize” plays to a producer named Mr. Fiasco. Mr. Fiasco looks annoyed from the jump. Honestly, his reactions felt pretty relatable by the end of it all. Fred just launches right into explaining them, no fuss.
The first playlet? It’s about a guy who chooses scotch for a drink. Then he just… dies. No big buildup, no grand reason. Just *poof*. Gone. You kinda sit there thinking, “wait, that’s it?” It’s so abrupt it’s almost funny, but in a very peculiar way.
Then there's this second one. A man slaps his brand new wife. For absolutely no reason at all. It’s not even played for big laughs, really. Just… *thwack*. It’s quite jarring. Makes you wonder what the point was meant to be back then. It felt less like a joke and more like a moment of uncomfortable silence.
But the third one, _oh boy_, the third one. This is where things get… interesting. The husband leaves for work. The wife immediately greets the iceman. He knows the husband just left, which is a real specific detail. They don't even try to hide the implication.
Then the husband comes back early. And he *knows* the iceman is under the table. How? Who knows. The wife, she tries to distract him with a lump of sugar. A lump of sugar! It’s such a weird, almost absurd, detail to focus on in that moment. It just hangs there.
What happens next? He finds a lump of ice. And he just *smashes* the iceman on the head with it. All very matter-of-fact. No big drama, just… whack. It’s the kind of dark humor that feels almost shocking in its casualness. You gotta wonder how this was received.
After all that, Mr. Fiasco, the long-suffering producer, has Fred Allen thrown out. You can almost feel his relief, honestly. Like, “get this guy and his ‘prize’ plays out of my office.” It's a fitting end to such a bizarre pitching session.
The humor here is just… different. It’s dark, sometimes violent in a way that’s supposed to be funny but just feels a bit *off* to a modern eye. Not every joke lands, not by a long shot. Some of it feels like a setup without a proper punchline. Or maybe the punchline is just how weird it is.
You can tell it's a product of its time. The acting is very much stage-like. Big gestures, clear delivery. But the actual ideas behind the jokes? They're often so sudden, so abrupt. Like someone telling a punchline without the full context. It's a strange little artifact. Worth it if you’re a history buff for comedy. Otherwise, maybe skip it. You might just end up as confused as Mr. Fiasco. 🤔
IMDb —
1924
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