The pursuit of Hop Lee by an irate policeman.The pursuit of Hop Lee by an irate policeman.The pursuit of Hop Lee by an irate policeman.
- Directors
- Stars
Photos
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBased on a vaudeville routine.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Edison: The Invention of the Movies (2005)
Featured review
Probably Rather Typical Of Its Genre
This is probably a rather typical example of the many early movies that were based on popular vaudeville acts of the 1890s. It is, honestly, not really all that entertaining, but it is still of some interest, in that the more of these early features you can watch, the better that you can understand the techniques, subject matter, and standards of the very earliest film-makers.
"Robetta and Doretto" were a popular slapstick act on vaudeville at the time that this movie was made, and it films one of their typical routines, an altercation between a Chinese laundry worker and an Irish police officer. The characters are stock vaudeville types, and the setting likewise is a stagy-looking representation of a storefront. Even the actors' names are mere stage names, calculated to make the performers sound more interesting.
The act itself would probably have been a bit more enjoyable if seen live, when color and sound effects could accompany the slapstick action. Later in cinema history, film-makers would learn how to design slapstick routines that made better use of the capabilities of the silent screen. Early features such as this one are not all that interesting in themselves, but they were a first step in the eventual development and refinement of motion picture comedy.
"Robetta and Doretto" were a popular slapstick act on vaudeville at the time that this movie was made, and it films one of their typical routines, an altercation between a Chinese laundry worker and an Irish police officer. The characters are stock vaudeville types, and the setting likewise is a stagy-looking representation of a storefront. Even the actors' names are mere stage names, calculated to make the performers sound more interesting.
The act itself would probably have been a bit more enjoyable if seen live, when color and sound effects could accompany the slapstick action. Later in cinema history, film-makers would learn how to design slapstick routines that made better use of the capabilities of the silent screen. Early features such as this one are not all that interesting in themselves, but they were a first step in the eventual development and refinement of motion picture comedy.
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- Snow Leopard
- Aug 30, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Chinese Laundry
- Filming locations
- West Orange, New Jersey, USA(Edison studio)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 minute
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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