Mabel's Blunder

The plot elements now seem old hat – a case of misunderstanding, cross dressing, and mistaken identity – but in 1914 it must have seemed new and hilarious to the audience. Mabel works as a secretary and is secretly engaged to the boss' son; the boss himself (the old lecher) has eyes on Mabel. Mabel mistakenly thinks that a woman she sees her fiancée kissing is his girlfriend and she aims to follow them to a party by switching clothes with her brother who happens to be the son's chauffeur. One of the interesting things about this short is how few title cards were used and yet how easy it was to follow the plot. Mabel had a very natural and expressive manner about her, which is clear from this one reeler. Not a great comedy short by any stretch but a good one and it was nice to see a good print of a Mabel Normand film. Thanks to the reviewer who pointed out that Al St. John and Charley Chase were in the film – I missed that.