Sara Ackerman wrote:I found a cliplet of "The Misfit" (1924) on a silent film DVD set, starring Clyde Cook and Big Joe Roberts. The voice-over said that it was made at Keaton Studios. I read on Ron Pesch's site (
http://www.actorscolony.com) that the film was released as "Under Orders" by Educational. Does anybody (Mr. Gierucki, perhaps?) know anything about this film?
Thanks!
Sara
THE MISFIT is indeed titled THE MISFIT and it was released as such by Educational Pictures March 23, 1924. It was one of two shorts starring Clyde Cook that were produced the year before by Lou Anger at the Buster Keaton Studios before Cook and Anger came to "creative differences" and Cook departed for other pastures. The Keaton Studio stands in for an Army barracks, and Big Joe Roberts (my shirttail cousin) plays the Sergeant. Blanche Payson also appears as Cooks harridan wife.
The film may have had the working title of UNDER ORDERS, but all promotional material I've seen, as well as the lovely kodascope print we ran at Slapsticon several years ago with the original titles, bear the name THE MISFIT, which in it's complete form seems to have been cobbled together from some disjointed routines possibly shot for more than one picture, although the gags are terrific and Cook does some great acrobatics in it. I wish he and Anger had seen eye to eye, because the short is funnier than most of his Roach comedies to come.
I do discuss THE MISFIT more at length in my upcoming book, which covers more of Clyde Cook's career than his Roach series.
RICHARD M ROBERTS