Elsa Lanchester picks up a whistle from a deserted street and blows on it. Within seconds, she is surrounded by a horde of uniformed policemen who do battle with a horde of uniformed crooks in a house, with Miss Lanchester trapped in the middle of the fight.
That's Charles Laughton shooting as Miss Lanchester at about 10:30 into this short feature. They would marry the following February. Whether this is intended simply as a silly piece of business, or as a satirical piece of business is something I cannot tell at this distance in time. Certainly, H.G. Wells, who is credited with devising the piece, was a serious writer and quite adept at phrasing his concerns through the elaborate symbolism of his scientific romances. He was also quite adept at devising elaborate games that served only to amuse; he was one of the founders of war gaming using toy soldiers and carefully written rules.
In any case, I laughed several times in this short feature. I'm pretty sure that's what the creators intended.
That's Charles Laughton shooting as Miss Lanchester at about 10:30 into this short feature. They would marry the following February. Whether this is intended simply as a silly piece of business, or as a satirical piece of business is something I cannot tell at this distance in time. Certainly, H.G. Wells, who is credited with devising the piece, was a serious writer and quite adept at phrasing his concerns through the elaborate symbolism of his scientific romances. He was also quite adept at devising elaborate games that served only to amuse; he was one of the founders of war gaming using toy soldiers and carefully written rules.
In any case, I laughed several times in this short feature. I'm pretty sure that's what the creators intended.