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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. Paul Revere, Jr. remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, you probably only watch this if you have a thing for obscure, dusty old shorts or if you just really, really like Shemp Howard. If you’re looking for a tight narrative, you’re in the wrong place. If you want to see a guy act like a complete goof while hallucinating history, stick around.
It starts with a birthday drink, which is a classic setup for disaster. Paul Revere Watson—what a name, right?—gets hammered and decides stealing a horse is a top-tier move. From there, the movie just kind of slides into his head.
The whole colonial sequence feels like a school play that ran out of money halfway through. The costumes are stiff, and the acting has that frantic, wide-eyed energy you only get in these old-school fillers. It’s not exactly The Iron Woman in terms of grit, that’s for sure.
I caught myself wondering why they chose this specific historical figure for a comedy bit. It’s not deep, it’s just weird. It’s got a bit of that energy you see in Ambassador Bill, where things just sort of happen to the protagonist without much logic attached. 🏇
The pacing is… well, it’s not really pacing. It’s more like a series of vignettes that someone glued together with a dream sequence. It’s not trying to be a masterpiece, and thank goodness for that. It’s just a weird little oddity that exists in the archives.
If you like these kinds of vintage artifacts, you might find it as funny as I did. Or you might hate it. There’s really no middle ground with this level of absurdity. It’s not exactly Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but it’s definitely something.
I left the screen feeling like I’d just had a weird, fuzzy nap. Sometimes that’s all you need on a Tuesday night. Don’t expect to learn any history, though. Unless you consider a drunk guy on a stolen horse a primary source. 🥴
