A Little Bit of Fluff
Encyclopedia
A Little Bit of Fluff or Skirts (1928
) is a comedy
genre silent film
made in England, starring Syd Chaplin and Betty Balfour
, and directed by Wheeler Dryden
and Jess Robbins
.
, London, on October 27, 1915, featuring Ernest Thesiger
as Bertram Tully.
This film version is predated by a 1919 effort directed by Kenelm Foss
. In that adaptation, Thesiger reprised his role as Tully, as did Alfred Drayton (Dr. Bigland) and Stanley Lathbury (Nixon Trippett). The 1928 film features Syd Chaplin, half-brother to both Charlie Chaplin
and director Wheeler Dryden, as Tully.
That evening, purely by coincidence, Tully accompanies his other neighbor, John Ayres, to the club at which Maggie performs as a singer/dancer (The Little Bit of Fluff), his wife and MIL having left town to visit aunty. It is at this club that Tully accidentally acquires the necklace and so, the rest of the farce is taken up with scenes of mistaken identities, moments of being in the wrong places at the wrong times, misunderstandings with wives, stepmothers, and boxer boyfriends, etc.
In the end, Hudson is arrested for trying to steal the necklace back from Tully's apartment and all falls back into order—except that Tully has NOT managed to lose his mother-in-law along the way. This film is highlighted by intricate gags, including using a pekinese puppy to moisten stamps, a fantastic spinning headstand by Chaplin, and, perhaps, marred a bit by a lack of plot and an unbearably long scene at the nightclub in which Chaplin mistakes a female "little person" for a little girl. This film definitely follows along well from the sort of character Chaplin created in his Warner Brothers contract—a winning one for him.
1928 in film
-Events:Although some movies released in 1928 had sound, most were still silent.* July 28 - Lights of New York is released by Warner Brothers. It is the first "100% Talkie" feature film, in that dialog is spoken throughout the film...
) is a comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
genre silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
made in England, starring Syd Chaplin and Betty Balfour
Betty Balfour
Betty Balfour was an English screen actress, popular during the silent era, and known as the "British Mary Pickford" and "Britain's Queen of Happiness"...
, and directed by Wheeler Dryden
Wheeler Dryden
George Dryden WHEELER was an English actor and film director, the son of Hannah Chaplin and music hall entertainer Leo Dryden and thus the half brother of Charles and Sydney Chaplin...
and Jess Robbins
Jess Robbins
Jess Robbins was an American film director, writer and producer. He directed 73 films between 1913 and 1927.He was born in Dayton, Ohio, and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:* His New Job...
.
Production background
The film is based on the farce of the same title by Walter W. Ellis, which premiered at the Criterion TheatreCriterion Theatre
The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has an official capacity of 588.-Building the theatre:...
, London, on October 27, 1915, featuring Ernest Thesiger
Ernest Thesiger
Ernest Frederic Graham Thesiger CBE was an English stage and film actor. He is best known for his performance as Dr...
as Bertram Tully.
This film version is predated by a 1919 effort directed by Kenelm Foss
Kenelm Foss
-Selected filmography:Director* The Glad Eye * A Romance of Old Baghdad * The House of Peril * Dicky Monteith Writer* Rock of Ages -External links:...
. In that adaptation, Thesiger reprised his role as Tully, as did Alfred Drayton (Dr. Bigland) and Stanley Lathbury (Nixon Trippett). The 1928 film features Syd Chaplin, half-brother to both Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
and director Wheeler Dryden, as Tully.
Synopsis
The misadventures of a young newly-wed man (Chaplin) and an exotic dancer (Balfour), the titular "little bit of fluff." Tully (Chaplin), an effete and completely mother-in-law-dominated new husband becomes unwittingly involved in boxer Hudson's plot to wrest his girlfriend's (Balfour's) $5000 necklace from her in order to pay his gambling debts. Living next door to Maggie, the exotic dancer, Tully is first introduced to her only because his mother-in-law demands that he go next door and make the noise cease—noise from one of Maggie's hedonist parties.That evening, purely by coincidence, Tully accompanies his other neighbor, John Ayres, to the club at which Maggie performs as a singer/dancer (The Little Bit of Fluff), his wife and MIL having left town to visit aunty. It is at this club that Tully accidentally acquires the necklace and so, the rest of the farce is taken up with scenes of mistaken identities, moments of being in the wrong places at the wrong times, misunderstandings with wives, stepmothers, and boxer boyfriends, etc.
In the end, Hudson is arrested for trying to steal the necklace back from Tully's apartment and all falls back into order—except that Tully has NOT managed to lose his mother-in-law along the way. This film is highlighted by intricate gags, including using a pekinese puppy to moisten stamps, a fantastic spinning headstand by Chaplin, and, perhaps, marred a bit by a lack of plot and an unbearably long scene at the nightclub in which Chaplin mistakes a female "little person" for a little girl. This film definitely follows along well from the sort of character Chaplin created in his Warner Brothers contract—a winning one for him.
Cast
- Syd Chaplin: Bertram Tully
- Betty BalfourBetty BalfourBetty Balfour was an English screen actress, popular during the silent era, and known as the "British Mary Pickford" and "Britain's Queen of Happiness"...
: Mamie Scott - Edmund BreonEdmund BreonEdmund Breon was a Scottish film actor. He appeared in 131 films between 1907 and 1952....
: John Ayres - Nancy Rigg: Violet Tully
- Clifford McLaglenClifford McLaglenClifford McLaglen was a Stepney, London-born British film actor. He was the brother of several actors including Victor McLaglen, Oscar winner for best actor, The Informer , and nominated for best supporting actor The Quiet Man.The other brothers were Leopold McLaglen, wrestler and inventor of a...
: Henry Hudson - Annie EsmondAnnie EsmondAnnie Esmond was a British film actress.Annie Esmond was born in Surrey, England on 27th September 1873. She made her stage debut in pantomime in Sheffield in 1891 and later appeared on the American as well as British stage for many years before going into silent films and later talkies...
: Aunt Agatha - Enid Stamp-Taylor: Susie West
- Cameron CarrCameron Carr-Selected filmography:* The Woman Wins * A Great Coup * Trent's Last Case * The Loudwater Mystery * The Uninvited Guest * The Notorious Mrs. Carrick * The House of Marney...
: Fred Carter - Haddon MasonHaddon Mason-Selected filmography:* Every Mother's Son * Dawn * The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel * The Lady of the Lake * The Woman in White * A Peep Behind the Scenes * Painted Pictures...
: The Wasp - Harry McCoyHarry McCoyHarry McCoy was an American film actor and screewriter. He appeared in 155 films between 1912 and 1935.He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and died in Hollywood, California from a heart attack....
- Dorothy BartlamDorothy Bartlam-Selected filmography:* The Flying Squad * The Ringer * The Love Race * Her Night Out * Watch Beverly * Fires of Fate * Up for the Derby -External links:...
: Bit role (uncredited)