Series: Snub Pollard Director: Alfred J. Goulding Producer: Hal Roach Titles: H.M. Walker Photography: Editor: Stars: Snub Pollard, Mildred Davis, Eddie Boland, Marie Mosquini Company: Pathé Exchange Released: 09 November 1919 Length: 1 reel Production No.: H-3 Filming dates: September 12-16, 1919 Rating: 4/10

Call For Mr. Caveman

Well, as the title suggests, this story takes place long ago when caveman ruled the earth - and the women on it. A reluctant species of which is won over by an amorous caveman waving his huge club around, whilst caveman Eddie Boland takes on Marie Mosquini. "Hatchet Face" (Snub Pollard) is writing a letter (mallet and stone style) to his loved one and gives it to the mail man, who in turn takes it away on his cart. Nearby, the village chiropodist breaks up a caveman trying to seduce one of his many daughters and fights with him. "Adorable" Mildred Davis becomes the centre of desire between Boland and Pollard, and they fight each other for her hand. In doing so they stumble upon a giant of a man who intimidates them both to the point where the two rivals join hands and skip off down the track together! (see favourite bit). The giant chases after them and roughs them up, and the two men play dead until a black child (Ernest Morrison) wanders by and laughs at them. Meanwhile the giant strolls into the cave and kidnaps one of the women, despite her father clubbing him over the head repeatedly. The father offers the reward of marriage to the man who brings back his daughter from the brute who stole her. Eddie and Snub set off to do so but find the kid has beaten them to the job and he is brought back to the cave by the daughter who is told to choose between the men. She chooses the giant, who then disposes of Snub and Eddie in a ditch where a prowling lion rips them to shreds. The giant caveman claims the woman and props the small boy on his shoulder in celebration.

Favourite bit Moments after fighting one another, Snub Pollard and Eddie Boland encounter a larger man who asserts his physical authority over them. The two men then join hands and skip off merrily together in a sudden change of pace which is rather comical!

Trivia • Copyrighted November 1, 1919. • The mail man tosses a rock post card to Hatchet Face (Pollard), and says to him that Carrie Nation sends her regrets. The pun is the connection between 'hatchet face' and Carrie Nation, the hatchet woman. Ms. Nation died 8 years before this movie in 1911, but her name and reputation was still fresh in the minds of motion picture audiences. Long before prohibition of booze went mainstream with the women of America Carrie Nation was a one-woman army fighting the evils of alcohol. She was famous for wielding a hatchet that she would swing wildly in taverns in an attempt to destroy them. Old Hatchet Face was so ugly that even Carrie Nation wouldn't swing her hatchet his way. • The message carved into the stone by Snub Pollard reads, "Deertest meat me tonite at the usual place - yore own troal Hatchet Face". My opinion • Nothing special.

	Snub Pollard Hatchet Face
	Mildred Davis Adorable
	Marie Mosquini Cavewoman
	Eddie Boland Caveman
	Ernest Morrison Henry Hercules
	William Gillespie Girl's father
	Noah Young The original John Smith
	Sammy Brooks Mailman
	Nina Speight First cavewoman
	Hazel Powell Cavewoman

UNIDENTIFIED CAST

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

POSTER (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: https://free-classic-movies.com/movies-01/01-1919-11-09-Call-for-Mr-Caveman/index.php [trivia] (Jimbo Berkey) Dave Glass (review print) Jesse Brisson (identification of Hazel Powell, Sammy Brooks, Noah Young, Nina Speight) This page was last updated on: 09 November 2023