Movie spotlight
Mabel's Stratagem
Fred Mace plays a businessman with two secretaries. He gets playful with the second secretary, Mabel Normand. His wife, Alice Davenport walks in on him. He does some nice embarrassed husband pantomime. Davenport fires the two secretaries and tell Fred that he will only have male secretaries from now on. The next day, Mabel arrives in drag as a boy to apply for the job. The wife takes him into the next office and starts to make a pass at him.
Insights
Plot Summary
In this silent comedy, Mabel Normand plays a young woman who is jilted by her fiancé. Refusing to accept this fate, she devises a clever stratagem to win him back. She pretends to be a wealthy heiress, hoping to make her former lover jealous and reconsider his decision. The film follows her humorous attempts to maintain this charade and ultimately win back her man.
Critical Reception
As a short silent comedy from 1912, "Mabel's Stratagem" was primarily viewed as light entertainment for its time. Contemporary reviews, if available, would likely have focused on the comedic timing and physical gags characteristic of early Mack Sennett productions. Modern historical assessments acknowledge it as an early example of Mabel Normand's burgeoning comedic talent and Sennett's influential slapstick style.
What Reviewers Say
Early example of slapstick comedy.
Showcases Mabel Normand's comedic abilities.
Typical of Mack Sennett's prolific output in the silent era.
Google audience: Audience reception for "Mabel's Stratagem" is not available through modern review aggregators, given its age and status as a silent short film.
Fun Fact
This film is notable for being one of Mabel Normand's earliest starring roles, helping to establish her as a significant comedic actress in the nascent film industry.
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