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Author
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Topic: It's A Gift (1923)
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted May 30, 2019 11:03 AM
It's A Gift (1923)
Blackhawk Films
B/W 250ft
This iconic little 12 minute one reeler, produced by the Hal Roach Studios, is a silent comedy short starring Snub Pollard as an inventor who is hired by an oil company magnate to produce a gasoline substitute for automobiles. Pollard appeared in many Roach shorts but this is probably his most famous one. From the first frame to the last the gags never stop coming, with Snub's many weird inventions producing hilarious results throughout the film. I guess the one that people always remember is the magnet car, kind of the ultimate "green" car which requires no power of its own!
I first saw this film when I was about 14 years old and rented it to run on my hand cranked 9.5mm Pathescope Ace. In fact it was a staple of the Pathescope film catalogue for decades, so there are surely many 9,5mm prints still around. It was a big hit with me and my parents then, and is a silent short that you never forget once you see it and never fails to get laughs with all audiences, even people who don't like silent films!
The Blackhawk super 8mm print is very good with a sharp image and good contrast. It has some vintage 1920's music recorded on the magnetic track. I redubbed mine with period music that I preferred. Like many of the Blackhawk films it also includes a short silent 'prologue' of background information on the film. Hardly a 'special feature' but nevertheless a nice touch appreciated by film collectors.
Recommended
Print B+
[ May 30, 2019, 12:16 PM: Message edited by: Paul Adsett ]
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