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5.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Listening In remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
So, "Listening In" is one of those wonderfully simple, old-timey comedies. If you dig rooting around for dusty, forgotten bits of cinema history, especially the ones built on one big, silly misunderstanding, you'll probably get a kick out of it. But if you're chasing something with modern pacing or super sharp wit, honestly, you can probably give this one a miss. It’s really for the folks who appreciate vintage film with all its little quirks.
The whole thing kicks off with John A. Waldron, playing a kind of slick character, trying to hook his happily married buddy up with a date. He’s got this air about him, a real *confident* smirk when he’s talking up the ladies. You just know he thinks he’s doing everyone a huge favor, a proper hotshot.
Then comes the central gag: the telephone operator. You see her at the switchboard, hands flying, and then, *whoops*. Instead of the intended date, she connects the buddy's *wife* to the call. The sheer mechanics of an old switchboard operation, it’s kinda fascinating to watch, even if it leads to absolute chaos. ☎️
Dorothy Granger plays the wife, and her reaction is just great. Her face slowly shifts from casual listening to this intense, *wait a minute* look. Her eyes get all narrow, and it’s genuinely funny how she plays it subtle at first, letting the situation build.
Meanwhile, William McCall, as the oblivious husband, he's just floating along, completely unaware. He’s talking about 'his little lady' and 'taking her out' for a grand old time, while his *actual little lady* is on the other end of the line, simmering. His cluelessness is pretty key to the whole joke, obviously, but it’s still amusing.
The humor here is very much of its era. It's broad, relies on timing for the gags, and some of the physical comedy, when it finally hits, is classic 1930s stuff. Lots of exaggerated gestures and sudden movements. You can almost feel the movie trying to make sure you get the joke.
A few moments feel like they drag a tiny bit, especially as they’re just waiting for the misunderstanding to fully unfold. But then it usually snaps back with another bit of character reaction. It's a short, so it can't linger too long.
The way people talk on the phone in these old films, all formal and slightly over-enunciated, it’s a trip. Makes you think about how we went from that to just grunting 'yeah' into our devices these days. Quite the journey!
Overall, "Listening In" doesn't aim for anything profound. It’s just a simple, silly ride based on a very common, yet still funny, premise. It wraps up fairly quickly, as these shorts tend to do. No big life lessons, just a solid chuckle.
IMDb —
1919
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