Movie spotlight
Fatty at San Diego
Fatty induces wife to let him take a day off to go to the celebration at San Diego. He has a wonderful time, flirting with the girls, breaking up a parade, fighting the police force and falling into the fountain with him, escapes, and with the crowd after him, leaps into the river. Here he rescues a little boy and becomes a hero. He goes home to wife in a bedraggled condition, tells of rescue and is set upon a pedestal. Wife, as a reward, takes him to the movies at night and sees husband flirting and fighting in the fountain, where some enterprising cameraman caught him. That explaining, as she thought, the bedraggled state in which he arrived home, she turns and beats him all the way home.
Insights
Plot Summary
This short silent comedy follows the antics of Fatty Arbuckle as he attempts to enjoy a day at the beach in San Diego. His plans are hilariously disrupted by a series of mishaps and interactions with other beachgoers. The film culminates in a chaotic and comical series of events that leave Fatty in a predicament.
Critical Reception
As a silent short from 1913, contemporary critical reception is not widely documented in the same way as modern films. However, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle was a major comedy star of the era, and his films were generally popular with audiences for their slapstick humor and Arbuckle's physical comedy. This short is viewed as a typical example of the Keystone Kops-style comedy popular at the time.
What Reviewers Say
Embraces the slapstick and physical comedy prevalent in early cinema.
Features the charming and popular comedic talents of Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle.
A lighthearted and chaotic series of gags typical of its era.
Google audience: Audience reception for films of this age is difficult to gauge through modern metrics. However, Arbuckle's shorts were generally well-received for their humor and accessibility.
Fun Fact
This film was part of a prolific period for Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, who was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood during the 1910s, earning a then-unprecedented $3 million contract with Paramount Pictures in 1917.
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