The Mystery of the Leaping Fish

It's interesting how risqué and bawdy some Hollywood, silent-era comedies made before the invention and adoption of the Hays Code were. Topics like sex and drug use were free for parody on the silver screen, which the strict so-called morality guidelines imposed by the Code made impossible to explore. What was filmed in 1920 could get one fined or fired for shooting in 1930. 'The Mystery of the Leaping Fish' is one such film, a Rabelaisian comedy from 1916 that would have never made it past the censors only fourteen years after its' release.

Directed by John Emerson and written by Tod Browning, 'The Mystery of the Leaping Fish' follows narcotic enthusiast Coke Ennyday, a scientific investigator à la Sherlock Holmes. Drugs are Ennyday's wheelhouse and driving passion; he does so much cocaine he makes Scarface look like Little Orphan Annie. The stuff makes him the astute criminal catcher he is, and the police chief asks Ennyday to investigate a suspicious wealthy gentleman recently arrived in town. This takes the detective to the seaside, where he engages in madcap, stimulant fuelled antics as he tries to solve the mystery, get the girl and save the day- as well as the dope.

The film is raucous, wild and a little rough around the edges. Browning's meandering, absurd tale features bizarre scenarios and crazy moments that often border on the facile or immature; though generally provide laughter nevertheless. The film parodies the Holmes and C. Auguste Dupin style of detective softly- this is not biting satire by any means, merely some good-natured ribbing. The capers Ennyday gets involved with are of a predictable variety, though feel somewhat fresh due to the cocaine angle.

Though running at less than half an hour, the film loses steam at the midway point, with the result being that the latter half drags somewhat, feeling underwhelming in comparison to what came before it. However, on the whole, it is enjoyable; even if the narrative is slightly inconsequential and anticlimactic. Full of sight gags, drug jokes and physical humour, 'The Mystery of the Leaping Fish' plays like a Jacques Tati farce by way of a hop head's fever dream. It is not particularly inventive or impressive comedy, but will surely still entertain.

Shot by John W. Leezer, the film has a clarity of composition that is most striking. There are many intriguing optical effects at play throughout 'The Mystery of the Leaping Fish' - such as the reversal of footage- which are still impactful even today. Additionally, the set decoration is of a particularly high quality. The film's locations are packed to the gills with detail, with Ennyday's office being especially intricate and filled with amusing features and props. The costume design is also of note, with Ennyday's bandolier of needles being most memorable.

Douglas Fairbanks heads up the cast as Coke Ennyday, and the role is an unusual and welcome change of pace for the star. Though he appeared in a variety of comedies, Fairbanks never played a character quite as broad or as over-the-top as Ennyday. His performance is a charmingly excessive, expressive one, making the detective a drug-addled delight of ostentatious proportions. Fairbanks would later disown the film and his contribution to it; but he performs strongly and will surely make you laugh.

'The Mystery of the Leaping Fish' is a bizarre silent movie that is easy to enjoy. It is not a particularly well-written or daring comedy, no; but it is an amusing one featuring a wacky central character that is certainly enjoyable, if not unforgettable. Boasting a wild and crazy performance from Douglas Fairbanks, an assured visual style and detailed set design, the film has plenty of impressive aspects. It may not be the finest film ever made, but it is worth seeing; as 'The Mystery of the Leaping Fish' is a curious, crazy cocaine-comedy the likes of which they could never make today.

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'!

Sherlock Holmes was written as a flawed individual, a mind so brilliant that, when deprived of stimulation, it turns to artificial stimulants – namely, opium. 'The Mystery of the Leaping Fish (1916),' a clear parody of Holmes, takes this vice to the extreme. Coke Ennyday (Douglas Fairbanks) sits in his laboratory, puffing on a pipe and regularly pumping himself with a cocaine syringe he keeps on a holster around his chest. His wall-mounted clock has no need for hours or minutes, but instead divides its time between the activities "Eats," "Sleep," "Dope," and "Drinks." On this occasion, the great detective is consulted by the Secret Service Chief (Tom Wilson), who is admitted to the lab only after observation through a primitive surveillance camera, described as a "scientific periscope." (I seem to recall that Louis Feuillade's serial 'Judex (1916)' also featured a similar gadget).

'The Mystery of the Leaping Fish' is an odd little spoof. It was released two years after cocaine was effectively outlawed in the United States by the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914. Our hero's mission, though this becomes a little unclear in the convoluted middle-act, is to bust an opium-smuggling operation. He does this, but not before he's tasted enough of the stuff to satisfy his appetite. Drug addiction is lightly passed over as an amusing quirk. Whenever he feels down, Coke Ennyday injects himself with cocaine, and immediately perks up, proceeding to laugh and dance across the room (indeed, he essentially bounces through the entire final act). Drugs are even depicted as a useful weapon of sorts: when faced with one formidable foe, Ennyday simply injects his opponent, who promptly jumps to the ceiling. In scenes like this, reversed footage is used to amusing effect, as in G.W. Bitzer's 'The Impossible Convicts (1906).'

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!

This very strange comedy from 1916 features a not-quite-yet-a-star Douglas Fairbanks (Senior) as Coke Ennyday, a bumbling private detective who spends most of his time injecting, snorting, or otherwise ingesting opium & cocaine products. ("Coke Ennyday" - get it?)

There's neat-o effects like backwards film to show Ennyday leaping out of water or onto rafters, as well as some minor slapstick, but the film's not all that funny, just weird. A recurring image is Ennyday looking a bit down, hand propping up his drooping face, the other reaching into his rope where a a belt of syringes is strapped around his chest. He'll take a syringe, inject himself, & then his face will beam with happiness.

Was drug humor like this popular in the 1910s? Did people really have that sort of knowledge about what cocaine could do? I don't really know, but for the modern audience - I saw this last night & the crowd ate it up - its utter strangeness & the farce that drug use is returned to is sure to please.