The Four Star Boarder

This was a moderately funny talking comedy short from Charley Chase. Interestingly enough, the credits list the director as "Charles Parrot"--this was Chase's real name.

Like all the other Chase talking comedies I have seen, this one is a nice time-passer but not even close to being as funny as his silents. I'm not 100% sure why, but the silent shorts just seem funnier.

In this film, Charley gets married and his new wife informs him that her aunt is leaving her half her fortune now instead of waiting until the aunt dies--so that she and her new husband can enjoy this money. Later, the aunt comes to visit but thinks her niece married her old fiancé BEFORE Charley. And, since they haven't yet received this large inheritance, they pretend she IS married to the old beau and Charley poses as their boarder. It's got a few mild laughs and is very watchable, but still is significantly less funny than Hal Roach's stars, Laurel and Hardy.