Public Ghost #1: A weird, dusty piece of comedy history

Is this thing worth your time?

If you like old-school, slightly cracked slapstick, you might find something to love here. If you need a movie to actually make sense or hold together for more than ten minutes, skip it. It’s for the folks who enjoy digging through the bargain bin of early cinema and finding stuff that feels like it was put together on a dare. 👻

Charley Chase plays, well, Charley. He gets paid to be a ghost. It’s a job, I guess? The whole premise is flimsy, but these old shorts aren't really about the setup. They’re about watching someone get hit with a prop or fall down a flight of stairs.

Wait, what just happened?

There’s a moment where he’s trying to haunt this house, and he’s clearly just wearing a sheet or some goofy getup. The way the other characters react is so over-the-top that it feels like they’re in a different movie entirely. It’s almost painfully awkward to watch, but you can’t look away. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Baby, Take a Bow, though much less polished.

The pacing is… well, there isn't any. It just kind of sprints from one gag to the next. Sometimes the gag lands and you chuckle. Other times, the scene lingers for way too long and you start counting the cracks in the wall behind the actors. One specific reaction shot of Clarence Wilson goes on for what feels like an eternity. It’s almost funny how uncomfortable he looks.

• The special effects are just guys moving stuff with strings.
• Nobody in this movie seems to know how to walk through a door normally.
• The ghost costume looks like it was stolen from a laundry basket five minutes before cameras rolled.

Honestly, the whole thing feels like a fever dream you’d have after eating too much cheese before bed. It doesn't have the narrative bite of Animal Crackers, but it’s got its own weird, dusty charm. You can tell they were just throwing things at the wall to see what stuck.

Don’t go in expecting a masterpiece. It’s a small, weird artifact. If you’re a fan of the era, you’ll probably find the absurdity refreshing. If not, it’s just a lot of yelling and guys falling over. I think I liked it? Or maybe I was just tired. Either way, it’s done now. 🎞️