Series: Eddie Boland Director: Robert Eddy Producer: Hal Roach Titles: H.M. Walker Photography: Editor: Stars: Eddie Boland, Ethel Broadhurst, Mark Jones Company: Pathé Exchange Released: 09 July 1922 Length: 1 reel Production No.: C-24 Filming dates: mid-1921 Rating: 4/10

The Late Lamented

Ezekiel ('The Gloomy Grouch') (MARK JONES) sits at his desk contemplating suicide whilst 'The Chap With The Smile' (EDDIE BOLAND) flirts with a young lady (JEAN HOPE) outside where he offers her a stick of gum and them uses the foil wrapper to place on her finger as a ring. Eddie explains to the girl's undertaker father (WALLACE HOWE) that he wants to marry her but their conversation is interrupted by his brother-in-law's phone call who is threatening to kill himself (again). As the father stands to be the sole heir, he instructs Eddie to make sure Ezekiel makes good on his threat so Eddie drives off to meet with Ezekiel in the park. Eddie tries to encourage Ezekiel to kill himself but Ezekiel is having second thoughts. After a brief telephone call from a conveniently-placed phone in the park, Eddie takes Ezekiel to a train bridge where he ties a rope around his neck and encourages the poor man to hang himself but this proves to be unsuccessful. They then move to a cliff edge overlooking the sea and when Ezekiel hesitates again he is helped on his way by a ram (with a rope attached to it!) Eddie jumps back in his wagon but finds a drunken man passed out whom he believes is dead and so he takes him back to the funeral parlor. Meanwhile, Ezekiel's fall down the cliff was not fatal as he picks himself up and he too heads to the funeral parlor where he overhears the funeral directors discussing a cause of death for a recently deceased person. The drunken black guy, who had been placed on a table with a sheet on his body suddenly comes to life and everybody flees in panic. Eddie grabs his girl and they jump onto the back of a removal truck and fade off into the distance.

Favourite bit Eddie trying to help Mark Jones to hang himself from the railway bridge.

Trivia • Copyrighted July 20, 1922. • The final film in the series. • The characters played by Wallace Howe and Mark Jones are brother-in-laws in the film. My opinion • Well, it's not the worst film I've ever seen. The scene with Eddie Boland trying to hang Mark Jones from the bridge is both comical and picturesque but the film itself doesn't really have too many laughs (what a surprise!) and fails to be entertaining.

	Eddie Boland The Chap With The Smile
	Ethel Broadhurst Woman on park bench
	Mark Jones Ezekiel, 'The Gloomy Grouch'
	Jean Hope The girl
	Wallace Howe The girl's father, Philip Graves
	George Reed Razzberry Reynolds
	Tom Figee [?]
	Billy Gilbert [?]
	Bob O'Conor [?]
	James Parrott [?]
	George Rowe [?]
	Armand Triller [?]
	Tiny Ward [?]
	UNIDENTIFIED Funeral director #1
	UNIDENTIFIED Funeral director #2
	UNIDENTIFIED Funeral director #3
	UNIDENTIFIED Funeral director #4
	UNIDENTIFIED Funeral director #5

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

SHOT ON LOCATION (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: Prelinger Archives Official (video upload) Jesse Brisson (identification of George Reed) This page was last updated on: 08 October 2023