Series: Charley Chase Director: Leo McCarey Producer: Hal Roach Titles: Photography: Len Powers Editor: Stars: Charley Chase, Martha Sleeper, Katherine Grant, Tiny Sandford Company: Pathé Exchange Released: 01 March 1925 Length: 1 reel Production No.: D-81 Filming dates: December 1-4, 1924; added scenes December 9, 1924 Rating: 8/10

Plain And Fancy Girls

Jimmy Jump (Charley Chase) is late for meeting a girl at the park. As he hails a taxi on the street a policeman runs up and jumps on and directs the driver to give chase to a couple of burglars who are fleeing down the road on foot. Jimmy protests but the cop ignores him. Eventually the taxi pulls up alongside one of the crooks which the cop nabs before telling Jimmy to hold him whilst the cop pursues the other one. Jimmy and the burglar (who calls himself 'Smith') make some small talk before the burglar runs off. Jimmy gives chase but falls in the road, conveniently next to the park. After mistaking a man on a bench for his girlfriend Jimmy finds Martha and sits next to her. Martha takes exception when Jimmy starts looking at another woman (Katherine Grant) who is feeding some ducks and jealously remarks that she can attract me if she wants to. Martha begins walking through the park, pulling faces at every guy who walks past her until Jimmy stops her and decides to break off their relationship. He leaves her and bumps another woman in a phone booth, who asks Jimmy if he can change two nickels for a dime. Jimmy ventures off and finds a man reading a newspaper and asks him, but the man takes Jimmy's money and continues reading. A telegram messenger tries to intervene but he is scared off when the man stands up to confront him. Jimmy sees a large group of people and yells "Fire!" which causes them to all run in the direction of the obnoxious man, who jumps up and leaves before realising he's be conned. Jimmy returns to the girl in the phone booth and then walks with her very deliberately past Martha. Martha retaliates by flirting with the obnoxious man. Jimmy tries to take Katherine's photo as she sits on the top of a bridge but she falls backwards into the lake. Jimmy jumps in after her but only manages to rescue her wig. He gets out, soaking wet and sits dejected on a bench, where Martha returns to him and the two re-embrace.

Favourite bit It has got to be the jump Charley does from the top of the bridge into the lake. I didn't think he'd do it but I was wrong!

Trivia • Copyrighted February 13, 1925. • The park scenes were shot in Hollenbeck Park. • This was Tiny Sandford's first film for Hal Roach. • The scene where Jimmy takes the new girl and deliberately walks past his ex-girlfriend before stopping and sitting her down to take her photo. Sorry, but that is just being a right bastard!! • When Tiny Sandford is sitting on the bench next to Martha Sleeper he summons to Charley Chase that he is going to hit him. Watch the way he pumps his right fist. It looks as though he is masturbating. • When Charley Chase is standing on the bridge over the lake threatening to jump in, I was saying to myself there will be a cut in the film, and then some edit to make it look as though he jumped in. But no! Charley Chase actually jumped from the bridge into the middle of the lake. You can see clearly it is him and not a stunt double. Brilliant! My opinion • It's a good story with a half-believable plot. The scenes in the park are well filmed and framed, particularly the shots of Charley and Katherine walking away together with the camera following them before she trips over. Enjoyable.

	Charley Chase Jimmy Jump
	Martha Sleeper Jimmy's girlfriend
	Katherine Grant Woman in the park
	Tiny Sandford Obnoxious man in park
	Charlie Hall Cab driver
	Chester Bachman Policeman
	Harry Tenbrook Smith, burglar

UNIDENTIFIED CAST

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)	INTERTITLES (click image to enlarge)

STILLS (click any image to enlarge)

SHOT ON LOCATION (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: Smile When The Raindrops Fall by Brian Anthony & Andy Edmonds (book) Matthew Uyeda (print) Steve Massa (identification of Harry Tenbrook) Bob Duncan (still) This page was last updated on: 13 October 2020