Better Late Then Never

An action-packed slog

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

This Hal Roach comedy short I found on the "American Slapstick" DVD collection of rare silent comedies starts bizarre and has an anything goes-quality one rarely sees in Mr. Roach's output. It stars Snub Pollard who is initially introduced as a baby left on a doorstep before we see him fully grown about 20 or so years later still in that basket! From there, he gets bumped car to car crossing the street prior to getting literally thrown through a window as an auction is taking place! Also appearing is James Finlayson as a man who's items accidentally get sold. There's also some animated mosquitoes, a moving piano, and a lamppost that's not as sturdy as one thinks. Charley Chase's direction, which he did under his real surname Parrott, is mostly frenetic though not every thing depicted here is fall-on-your-knees hilarious. Still, Sold at Auction is pretty entertaining throughout so on that note, I highly recommend it.

Today, Snub Pollard is an almost completely forgotten silent comedian and this is a real shame. He appeared in almost 500 films. His support of such greats as Harold Lloyd is impressive and his fewer starring films are classics or near-classics. My favorite is the amazingly creative and clever IT'S A GIFT, though SOLD AT AUCTION has nearly as many laughs thanks to its amazing sight gags.Almost as forgotten as Snub is another silent great, Charley Chase. While he's no where to be seen in this film, this silent and sound starring comedian (who appeared in almost 300 films) also was a very respected gag writer and director (under his real name Charles Parrott) who directed the likes of Laurel and Hardy and even himself in almost 150 films! As with Pollard, I strongly recommend you try finding Chase's films--they're well worth seeing.This film starts with some of the wildest and most spectacular car stunts you'll ever see in a silent film. Eventually, Snub is tossed hundreds of feet into an auction house and his sudden appearance actually encourages the listless audience to start bidding. The auction house owner then gets an idea--hire Snub and arrange scores of "accidents" just outside the auction house to help sell merchandise. Amazingly, it works, though Snub is beaten senseless in each case.Later, due to a mix up, the auction house accidentally sells the furnishings of James Finlayson's house. Finlayson is naturally enraged and it's up to the hapless Snub to retrieve everything. What is so funny here is the extremes to which he goes to get everything--ranging from starting fights to stealing an airplane! The sight gags abound and you certainly can't fall asleep during all this frenetic action. In fact, the film is so fast-paced and violent that it doesn't look like a Hal Roach Studios production (which it is) but is actually more reminiscent of the best of Keystone (Sennett) Studios.A lovely and funny film thanks to great direction, gags and Snub.