Felix Doubles for Darwin

Felix Doubles for Darwin (1924)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Felix is starving to death when he notices a newspaper ad offering a large reward for anyone who can prove Darwin's theory that man comes from monkeys. When Felix heads off to find the answer in South Africa I kept waiting for something racial to happen but it never did, which was pretty shocking considering when this film was made. On the whole, there really isn't too many laughs here and in fact not too much happens throughout the running time. The best scene in the film is one where Felix finds a "family tree" of monkeys and asks them if they are related to humans. The old style animation might be tough for some viewers to take but I've always found it quite charming.

You need to be careful when watching the really old animated cartoons. That's because too often you might be tempted to compare them with modern films--and that just isn't fair. So, while "Felix Doubles for Darwin" is a silent and its animation is very simple, you need to remember that for 1924, it was really slick--very cutting edge. Plus, even after nearly a century, it still might make you laugh--I know I did!

Felix is starving and is eager to do anything to get a bit to eat. So, when he learns that an evolution society is offering a huge reward to anyone who can prove evolution, Felix sets off to South Africa to collect. Naturally, the reward is not that easy! I could say a lot about what happens during the course of the film but don't want to spoil it. However, unlike the other reviewer who didn't notice that many laughs, I laughed quite a bit while I watched as the surreal sense of humor in this cartoon was great! Just see the film--you'll see it's actually a lot crazier than the cartoons of the 40s and 50s. Well worth your time.

Oh, and I doubt if the subject of this film was the result of the hubbub about the so-called 'Scopes Monkey Trial' in Tennessee, as this very famous trial was to occur in 1925.