His Unlucky Night

His Unlucky Night (1928)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Mack Sennett produced short has a married man (Billy Bevan) running into his single friend (Vernon Dent) and convincing him to go out that night in hopes of finding a woman. The single friend ends up married but the friend's wife mistakenly thinks he's out with another woman and chaos follows. HIS UNLUCKY NIGHT will certainly appeal to silent film fans because of the great cast but there's no question that it's lost scenes hamper or at least keep you from fully enjoying the picture. There are several sequences that are still lost so they're replaced by title cards explaining what we're missing. As far as the film goes, for the most part I found it to be entertaining with a good number of laughs and especially early on when Bevan keeps giving away boxes of candy to a girl (Carole Lombard) hoping that she'll go out with them. The ending is also very good once all the mistaken identity happens and you've got Bevan's wife chasing after him and the girl's father (Andy Clyde) chasing after the new husband. Both Bevan and Dent are in fine form and there's no question that Clyde and Dot Farley add nice support. Film buffs will enjoy seeing Lombard in this early role, although she isn't given too much to do.

This film stars Billy Bevan and Vernon Dent--which might be something great, as the last film I saw the two in ("The Best Man") was terrific. And, like "The Best Man", "His Unlucky Night" as a few plot similarities. It begins with a bachelor (Dent) arriving in town and meeting an old friend (Bevan). Bevan is married and tells Dent he wants to help him find a woman--so he takes Dent to a dance with a lady. Now her is where it gets amazingly contrived. The dance has a special contest called The Lucky Number Dance--and if a couple's number is picked, they get a free marriage right there on the spot!! And, Dent and his date are chosen--thanks to Billy. Now the idea of a couple getting married like this is insane and utterly ridiculous--and makes for an awkward moment in the film. Later, Billy takes the couple to a hotel and insists that they take his room--which is the bridal suite. But, when Billy's wife thinks HE is there with another woman, all kinds of chaos ensues. And, there is definitely more! See the film for yourself to find out exactly what.

It's hard for me to review the film and give it a numerical score since HUGE portions of the film are missing. When Turner Classic Movies showed it, the missing portions were filled in with lengthy texts explaining what was missing. In the current form, I'd give this one a 6--it's funny but the whole marriage portion is a mess and should have been worked through in a more realistic manner. If the missing portions are even restored, I'd love to see it again and update my review.

Billy Bevan travels in women's lingerie.... that is, he is a traveling salesman who sells the stuff. When Carole Lombard and he set Vernon Dent up for a night on the town, Billy's wife finds out and the usual series of hotel detectives and slamming doors ensue.

It's pretty much a standard two-reeler, full of pretty girls and innuendo and some of the gags are very good -- I am much taken by Andy Clyde's checker game with a cat. Mack Sennett was busy getting his new studio, intended for the sound era, ready for work and his studio could turn out a movie like this readily enough.

Still, there's something mechanical about the whole operation by this time. Ten years after Harold Lloyd had invented the Glass character and while Laurel and Hardy were starting out on their long series of comedies about two nitwits who were friends, Mack Sennett was still turning out comedies about stock characters. They're certainly funny, but after a while I long for something more: a human being I can recognize. Sennett tried that in the Smith Family series, but you never really see the character here; you just see Billy's mustache.

Well, I laughed. That's what these movies are supposed to make you do. Still, more would be nice.