The Newlyweds Camp Out (1928) - Reviewing the Snookums chaos

Is this worth watching today? Only if you have a soft spot for the 1920s comic strip vibe or if you just really like watching silent slapstick that doesn't try to be high art.

If you hate child actors or 'funny' baby antics, you should probably stay far away from this one. It's basically the Snookums Show and everyone else is just a prop. 🏕️

The Baby is a Menace

Sunny Jim McKeen plays Snookums, and I swear, this kid has the face of a thirty-year-old accountant trapped in a toddler’s body. He’s the real star here, mostly because the adults seem completely incapable of performing basic human tasks.

Jack Egan, playing the dad, spends most of the runtime looking like he’s about to have a nervous breakdown. He has this one specific wide-eyed stare when things go wrong that actually made me laugh out loud twice.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Official Officers, though that one felt a bit more grounded. Here, everything is just chaotic for the sake of being chaotic.

The plot is basically non-existent. They go camping, they fail at camping, the baby does something weird, repeat. 👶

There is this one scene with the tent that goes on for a while. You can see the physical comedy coming from a mile away, but it’s still fun to watch them struggle with 1920s canvas gear.

It’s a lot more frantic than something like Early to Bed. That movie has a rhythm, while this one just feels like a series of escalating accidents.

The Vibes are Weird

The mom, Derelys Perdue, is mostly there to look concerned or pretty. She doesn’t get much of the physical comedy, which is a bit of a bummer because she seems like she could handle it.

The movie has this oddly grainy, washed-out look in the version I watched. It actually makes the outdoor scenes feel more authentic, like you’re watching someone’s actual disastrous family vacation footage.

I noticed the dog in the background of a few shots looks genuinely confused by the actors. He’s just sitting there while Jack Egan is losing his mind over a stove.

Sometimes the title cards are a bit much. They try to capture the slang of the era, and it comes off a little cringey if you think about it too long. 🙄

But then again, this was based on a George McManus comic strip. You have to expect that 'cartoonish' feel where logic doesn't really apply.

It’s definitely better than The Fable of Henry's Busted Romance which I found a bit too slow for my taste. This one at least moves fast enough that you don't have time to get bored.

Final Random Thoughts

• The baby's hat is way too big and it never falls off.
• I think the campfire smoke was actually bothering the actors in one scene.
• Jack Egan’s mustache is a character of its own.
• The ending is super abrupt, like they just ran out of film and stopped.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a decent way to spend twenty minutes if you want to see how people joked about parenting a hundred years ago. It’s light, it’s messy, and it’s very loud for a silent movie.

I honestly think I liked the dog the most. He stayed out of the way while the humans made fools of themselves. 🐕

If you're looking for something with a bit more story, you might want to try The Testing of Mildred Vane instead. But if you just want to see a tent fall on a man, stick with the Newlyweds.