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Cult Review
Archivist John
Senior Editor
Okay, so The Chicken. Is it worth tracking down today? Probably not for everyone. If you’re into old, really old, silent comedies where chaos rules and animals do half the acting, then maybe! But if you need a tight plot or dialogue, this one’s definitely not for you. It's a slice of pure, unadulterated early cinema silliness. 🐓
The whole thing kicks off with the Smith family, just wanting a nice chicken dinner. Simple enough, right? Mrs. Smith, played by Betty Arlen, has this look on her face like she’s *already* tired, even before the bird makes its grand escape.
And escape it does! The moment that chicken, presumably Balto doing a truly incredible turn as a poultry star, gets loose from the coop, things just… explode. There’s a frantic chase scene through the kitchen, and it’s surprisingly well-choreographed for something from this era. I mean, the camera work keeps up!
You can almost feel the exasperation as plates start flying. One particular bit where the chicken, I swear, *looks directly at the camera* after knocking over a stack of dishes? **Pure gold**. It’s like it knows it’s the star, the little menace. 😂
Then Omar the Dog gets involved, and honestly, he just seems confused. He’s not really chasing the chicken; he’s just kind of running *with* it. Like he’s part of the riot, but not sure what the riot is about. Pussums the Cat, on the other hand, just sits on a counter, watching the whole thing unfold with this utterly serene, almost judgmental stare. The cat’s performance is subtle, but it's really something.
The film just leans into the escalating absurdity. The whole family ends up covered in flour, then water, then some mysterious sticky substance. Ray Jones, as the long-suffering Mr. Smith, has some truly great physical comedy moments. His exasperated sighs, even without sound, are perfectly clear. The way his mustache starts to droop from all the running and sweating is a nice touch. You can see the effort.
There's this one shot, it’s quick, maybe two seconds, where Ronald R. Rondell as the neighbor just peeks his head over the fence, sees the utter mayhem, and slowly pulls back. No reaction, just… *nope*. It’s a tiny detail, but it speaks volumes about the level of chaos going on in that house. 🏠
The movie gets noticeably better once it stops trying to have *any* semblance of order. Once the chicken is truly in charge, and the humans are just reacting, it finds its rhythm. The scene goes on about 20 seconds too long, where everyone is just frozen in a flour-covered tableau. It starts to feel awkward, then it becomes genuinely funny. A very smart choice there.
Honestly, it’s not a masterpiece. You won’t be thinking about The Chicken for days afterward like you might after So Big or something with more drama. But for a quick dose of old-fashioned, animal-centric slapstick? It does the trick. It’s a reminder that sometimes, all you need is a rogue bird and a willing cast to make a decent little film.
And that chicken. **That chicken**. Deserves an award, truly. 🏆
IMDb —
1918
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