The Mystery of the Leaping Fish

Great for a laugh, this film is totally bizarre! Perhaps the single strangest silent comedy I've ever seen, it's very enjoyable, and leaves a viewer with the question, "where on earth did they get this stuff?!" Like a version of Popeye who is powered by drugs in the place of spinach, Douglas Fairbanks' "Coke Ennyday" is the manifestation of absurdity. His wild inventions and disguises add even more flavor to this already ludicrous comedy. The film's wacky style is reminiscent of "Alice in Wonderland," and the sheer preposterousness of its goings-on are enough to bewilder the brain while delighting the heart. I would recommend this film to anyone who is willing to give it a chance. Hilarious and bizarre!

I know allusions to drug addiction in cinema date as far back as the Silent era, but surely none were as blatant as this bizarre Sherlock Holmes parody! From a story by future horror exponent Tod Browning and starring Douglas Fairbanks (as removed from his typical characterization as can be imagined), it deals with the exploits of master detective Coke Ennyday(!) who's constantly lifting himself up – via the intake of drugs – from apparently chronic moroseness. He contrives nevertheless to accept the titular case, centering around a seaside ring of smugglers (whose leader is literally depicted as being covered in money); aiding the hero in thwarting their nefarious plans is Bessie Love, who shows to be perfectly capable of standing up to any man. While the detection in itself is nothing special, the sheer amorality on display lends the whole a decidedly grotesque quality – which, with the star's perpetual drowsy/euphoric countenance, undeniably heightens the film's comic quotient; the sheer fact that it's all eventually revealed as merely a story being pitched to the studio by Fairbanks, but which is unsurprisingly rejected, clearly makes this a case of 'having your cake and eating it'!

I haven't seen this film since the '70s midnight movies craze. This short blew by, but was incredibly funny.

Detective Coke Ennyday's clock (set on Sleep as we first see him with his head down on his desk) has four settings: Eat-Drink-Sleep & Dope.

When the hands shift to Dope, Ennyday pulls out of Flour Canister, opens it to reveal contents of white powder, grabs a handful and blows it for comedic effect about his face and the room.

As I recall the depiction of opium dens is somewhat ominous (probably quite scary for 1916 movie audiences). There is an air of anti-Chinese sentiment in the film (also playing upon 1916 fears?)

And yes, Ennyday has a television transmitter that he uses to communicate. Odd to see from a 1916 film, but actually pretty accurate in its design to some of the earliest TV Tuners.

Thank you, IMDb, for helping me to track down the title to this film. I need to seek it out for another viewing.

Famous detective Coke Ennyday (Douglas Fairbanks), "the scientific detective" has a clock with four events on it - Sleep, Eat, Drink, Drugs. When the clock hits "drugs" he pulls a syringe out of his utility belt, injects himself, and laughs. He does this at much more frequent intervals than his alarm instructs him. He gets a message from the constable of a beach side town saying that there is a mysterious man there who is rolling in money with no visible means of support. Ennyday is on the case. He drives about in a checkered car, and plays checkers with his chauffeur in this loud contraption in order to fit in (???). When it turns out that smuggling opium is involved, Ennyday is conflicted between chasing the smugglers or sampling their wares. He manages to do both.

This short half hour long film seems like a spoof on Sherlock Holmes who was a drug addict, though not to this extent! Actually, "Coke Ennyday" is a parody of the fictional detective Professor Craig Kennedy. Written by Arthur B. Reeve, the Craig Kennedy short stories were immensely popular at that time, The "leaping fish" are just floatation devices that swimmers can rent for a quarter an hour. What could possibly be infamous about them? Watch and find out.

Several famous people were involved in this - Tod Browning, who directed so many of Lon Chaney's films, as well as Anita Loos were the writers. This short probably got away with turning drug addiction into comedy because there was really no regulation of film content at the time, plus there is a twist at the end that pulls it back into reality in a comical way.

I first came across this little gem while watching "Night Flight" on the USA Network in the very early 1980s. I was astounded and thought this must surely be a clever parody of silent movies, I mean the drug use was just so, BLATANT. I have never seen anything like it since and I am thankful that I was recording the show that night so I can convince myself that it was NOT just a dream and that there really was such a movie. A wonderful, silent comedy that will have you bug-eyed with amazement as well as laughing uproariously. Not Cheech & Chong crude, but weird in a spooky 1916 way, maybe the good old days werent as "innocent" as we are led to believe. if you get a chance (although I dont know who would DARE show this on TV anymore...) SEE IT! Behold, Bemuse and Bewilder!