Selected Short Subject: Big Red Riding Hood (1925)

Directed by Leo McCarey. Starring Charley Chase, Martha Sleeper, Helen Gilmore, Richard Daniels, Leo Willis. Released April 26, 1925. One Reel.

I wrote a book on Charley Chase's sound films (The Charley Chase Talkies) several years ago, but he also had a wonderful career during the silent era, appearing in some classics of their time. His films from this period benefit from direction by Leo McCarey, just getting started in a career that would later include films like "Duck Soup" and "Going My Way."

"Big Red Riding Hood" is a quick 9-and-a-half minute short comedy with an amusing situation and a lot of great visual humor.

Charley is hired to translate the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood" into Swedish, but can't afford to buy a copy of the book. So he goes to a local book store and tries to read it while there. When the proprietor throws him out, he sits in an awning above the shop and tries to read it with binoculars while the proprietor's daughter turns the pages for him. When the book is purchased, Charley rides a bicycle alongside the book owner's car and tries to read the book as it sits in the back seat of the vehicle that is moving down the road.

McCarey's direction is outstanding. He goes to a medium tracking shot of the car moving along the road with Charley bicycling alongside, keeping all of the action at the center of the frame. When the driver speeds up chasing a couple of crooks, Charley sppeds up with him. When he abruptly stops, Charley keeps going, riding over railroad tracks as a train is passing. He doubles back and resumes his spot alongside the moving car. The crooks the man is chasing shoot and kill him. The car is now moving along without a driver, weaving in and out of traffic. Charley, however, is oblivious, continuing to focus on his book. McCarey shoots a long shot of the car, and some others, circling around a traffic cop, making him dizzy.

Charley keeps reading his book and bicycling along as the car weaves through dangerous roads and finally goes flying off a bridge. Charley and his bicycle fall into the water as well, but he comes up floating on a spare tire, still reading his book. A closeup reveals that he has come to the end. The last shot is him smiling at his accomplishment.

There is one distracting fantasy sequence in which Charley, while reading, imagines himself as the tin woodsman in the story, while also imagining a homely customer as Red Riding Hood. But it is brief and doesn't upset the short's momentum too much. Other than that, "Big Red Riding Hood" is perfect.

Historically, it is an important look at Charley Chase during the mid-1920s when his Jimmy Jump character responded to the era as a determined go-getter; a popular character in that period's films (Harold Lloyd might be the best example). It is also significant as to the career of Leo McCarey. Aesthetically, it is a well-framed movie, its succession of shots keeping its pace for visual comedy. It breezes by so quickly one has to be impressed by the amount of solid laughs it contains.

Charley Chase was already doing two-reel comedies by this time, occasionally working with the one reel format. "Big Red Riding Hood" is one of Chase's shortest movies, but is also one of his best from this period in his career.

The print I watched was from the no-longer-available DVD set Becoming Charley Chase, which is reviewed with Charley's other silent comedy video releases at this link: Chase silents.

(photos courtesy of Another Nice Mess)