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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
If you have twenty minutes and want to see what a bad honeymoon looked like in 1929, this is probably for you. It’s a short film, so it doesn’t overstay its welcome, which is ironic because the whole plot is about people who definitely overstay theirs. I’d say if you like physical comedy and people falling over furniture, you'll have a good time. If you hate 'hillbilly' tropes or silent films where everyone is constantly shouting (even though you can't hear them), you might want to skip it.
Honestly, I went into this expecting something a bit more romantic given the title. But no. It’s basically a home invasion movie disguised as a comedy.
Andy Clyde is the star here, and man, his face is just built for frustration. He has this way of looking at the camera like he’s personally asking you to come rescue him. His mustache seems to have a life of its own when he gets angry. It’s one of those performances where the body language does 100% of the heavy lifting. 🤡
The story kicks off with the couple arriving at their honeymoon spot. They just want some peace. Then, the 'relations' show up. And when I say show up, I mean they basically explode into the room. They are the stereotypical 'backwoods' cousins that were super popular in movies back then. Think of something like Meddlers and Moonshiners but with more broken plates.
The cousin played by Harry Gribbon is just... a lot. He’s loud, he’s big, and he takes up every inch of the screen. I found myself feeling genuinely bad for the groom. You can almost feel the dust coming off the cousins' clothes through the screen. 🧹
There is this one scene at a dinner table that is just pure anarchy. Everyone is reaching over each other, grabbing food, and being generally gross. It reminded me a bit of the rougher energy in Blue Streak McCoy, but played for laughs instead of drama. At one point, a character just starts tossing food around like it's a normal thing to do at a wedding celebration.
The way they use the space in the house is pretty clever. It’s a small set, but it feels crowded in a way that makes you feel claustrophobic. You know that feeling when too many people are in your kitchen and you can't even reach the fridge? That is this entire movie. It’s a vibey kind of stress.
I noticed a small detail in the background—one of the actors almost trips over a rug, and they just kept it in. I love that about these old shorts. They didn't have the budget to do twenty takes, so if someone almost breaks their neck, it’s just part of the 'art' now. It feels more real than the polished stuff we get today.
Humor is weird, right? Especially 100-year-old humor. Some of the gags are a bit predictable. You see the chair is going to break about three minutes before it actually does. But there’s a charm to the timing. It’s like watching a well-rehearsed dance where everyone is trying to hit each other in the face. 💃
Thelma Hill is good as the bride, though she doesn't get as much to do as the guys. She mostly just looks horrified. Which, to be fair, is the appropriate reaction to having Harry Gribbon in your living room. It’s a bit different from the more adventurous stuff like The Adventures of Kathlyn where the women were more in the thick of the action.
"It’s the kind of movie that makes you glad you live in an age where you can just block your relatives on your phone."
One thing that felt a bit off was the ending. It just kind of... stops? Like they ran out of film or the sun went down and they all decided to go home. It’s very abrupt. But maybe that’s the point. The nightmare doesn't end; it just fades to black.
The quality of the print I saw was a bit shaky. There were these white streaks on the film that made it look like it was raining inside. Honestly, it added to the messy feeling of the whole thing. If you've seen things like The Harbour Lights, you know how these old films can sometimes look like they were rescued from a puddle. It’s part of the fun.
I also kept thinking about the writers, Harry McCoy and the gang. They must have had a lot of fun coming up with ways to make a house look as destroyed as possible. It’s not deep. It’s not trying to change your life. It’s just people being annoying to each other for our entertainment. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need on a Tuesday night. 🍿
If you’re diving into the Mack Sennett world, this is a solid entry. It’s not as polished as some of the bigger features, but it has a raw energy that’s hard to find now. Just don't expect a lot of logic. Logic doesn't live here.
Anyway, I liked it more than I thought I would. It’s a nice little time capsule of what people thought was 'peak' annoying back in the day. Spoiler alert: relatives haven't changed much in a century. 😅
IMDb 7.2
1921
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