The Uneasy Three

Uneasy Three, The (1925)

*** (out of 4)

Often hysterical spoof of Lon Chaney's THE UNHOLY THREE has Charley Chase playing the mastermind of a dimwitted trio of thieves who plan on stealing a priceless jewel. The writing here isn't the greatest nor is the actual spoof the smartest but I don't think there's any doubt that this two-reeler has some of the biggest laughs of the silent era. Chase isn't overly known today, which is a real shame as he remains one of my favorites but it appears he has a cult following that gets bigger and bigger each passing year. There are three downright hilarious sequences here with the first coming with a young child playing with an electric piano cord. The next deals with the good guys being mistaken for the thieves and Chase having to help the detective (Fred Kelsey). The third one happens when Chase goes to buy the kid a balloon to keep him quiet and must try and hide it in his hat when he sees a cop coming. Each one of these scenes had tears flowing down my face from laughing and these scenes are what makes this a must see. Chase is his gem self and Bull Montana is wonderful as the dumb brother-in-law who even manages to look like Chaney in several scenes.