On Patrol

I have watched hundreds of the old Mack Sennett comedies and must say that "On Patrol" is among the very best of this films I have seen. The reason is the frenetic pace and the sheer number of gags. In his old Chaplin or Mabel Normand shorts, you might have a quarter (at most) of the gags that they stuffed into this one. It also is very good because unlike a broad script idea where a comic was told to wing it, this one was well constructed and needed split second timing...and it shows.

"On Patrol" stars Billy Bevan. He is duped by a fake handcuff salesman and the crook ends up stealing the policemen's funds found in the safe at the station. So, it's up to Billy to find the money and catch the crooks. In the interim, he's robbed by a crook of his clothes and ends up in prison garb and so the entire force is out chasing him.

Filled with gags...and nearly all of them very funny. This film is proof that Sennett comedies were NOT all about slapstick...with folks bonking each other over the heads and kicking each other. No, they could be so much more...as this one is.

When Kalla Pasha persuades Billy Bevan to handcuff himself so Kalla can steal the contents of the safe, Billy finds himself on patrol, where an escaping prisoner steals his uniform and stuffs Billy into his own striped prison garb. After that, things get very silly in this high-speed Sennett comedy.

The indefatigable David Glass has done a "reconstruction" of this comedy -- whatever that may mean -- and posted the 10-minute result to Youtube. His sources may include the 1940s short "Happy Times and Jolly Moments", but no matter whence this came, it's a highly enjoyable end result. Bevan was at this point Sennett's leading utility comic; he also had a fine career after the silent era as a supporting player. This one is definitely worth the six hundred seconds it will take to watch.