7 reviews
A light-hearted skirmish in the Battle of the Sexes
This is an amusing situation comedy that could just as easily have been titled "The Wives Teach the Husbands a Lesson." It was produced by the Thanhouser Company of New Rochelle, New York, an organization better known for dramas and perhaps best known for The Cry of the Children, an impassioned indictment of those who profit off the labor of children. In this film, however, we find that the folks at the studio had a sense of humor, although one can nonetheless find a sugar-coated message here about gender equality and better treatment for women.
Petticoat Camp is basically a 1912-style sitcom which tells a simple tale of several married couples on a camping trip. It's an ensemble piece with no leading comedian or stand-out performer. Two title cards set up the story: "It's lots of fun camping -- for the husbands" reads the first, followed soon after by "It's not so jolly -- for the wives." And sure enough, we watch as the guys sit back and shoot the breeze while the gals cook the meals, wait on them, and clean up afterward. And when the guys return from their fishing trip, guess who is expected to clean and cook the fish?
I won't give away the ending, but let it suffice to say that the women rebel and ultimately bring the husbands to their knees, quite literally. That image might have raised hackles on the backs of some viewers' necks in 1912, when the struggle for Women's Suffrage was provoking high emotion on both sides of the debate, even stirring fears of female dominance in the hearts of some anti-suffragists. In any event, it would appear that this good-natured comedy had no larger political point to make beyond the notion that work and play should be shared and enjoyed equally by the sexes. It's pleasant enough, but not especially memorable, reminding us why Thanhouser was best known for its dramas.
Petticoat Camp is basically a 1912-style sitcom which tells a simple tale of several married couples on a camping trip. It's an ensemble piece with no leading comedian or stand-out performer. Two title cards set up the story: "It's lots of fun camping -- for the husbands" reads the first, followed soon after by "It's not so jolly -- for the wives." And sure enough, we watch as the guys sit back and shoot the breeze while the gals cook the meals, wait on them, and clean up afterward. And when the guys return from their fishing trip, guess who is expected to clean and cook the fish?
I won't give away the ending, but let it suffice to say that the women rebel and ultimately bring the husbands to their knees, quite literally. That image might have raised hackles on the backs of some viewers' necks in 1912, when the struggle for Women's Suffrage was provoking high emotion on both sides of the debate, even stirring fears of female dominance in the hearts of some anti-suffragists. In any event, it would appear that this good-natured comedy had no larger political point to make beyond the notion that work and play should be shared and enjoyed equally by the sexes. It's pleasant enough, but not especially memorable, reminding us why Thanhouser was best known for its dramas.
Petticoat Camp review
An early example of girl power with Florence LaBadie and her girls rebelling when their husbands expect them to do all the chores while on a camping trip. A cute little comedy, quite unique for its time.
- JoeytheBrit
- Jun 22, 2020
- Permalink
Petticoat Rule!!
Nice Mixture of Laughs and Messages
Petticoat Camp (1912)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Nice mixture of comedy and a message has a group of men taking their wives along on a camping trip, which is also everyone's vacation. As soon as they get there the men are relaxing, resting and having fun while they expect the wives to cook, clean and do various other chores. The women grow tired of this and decide to leave and set up their own camp and soon the men realize how much work the women actually do.
PETTICOAT CAMP is a pretty good fifteen minute film from the Thanhouser company. The short obviously has a message to get across to men who use their women as slaves but thankfully the film never gets preachy or beats the viewer over the head. There's no over-the-top performances or zany moments but instead the movie plays out in a very natural way. The scenarios aren't anything outrageous but instead it's just a realistic view of how men treat women and what would happen if the slave days were over with. Fans of silent comedies will certainly want to check this one out.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Nice mixture of comedy and a message has a group of men taking their wives along on a camping trip, which is also everyone's vacation. As soon as they get there the men are relaxing, resting and having fun while they expect the wives to cook, clean and do various other chores. The women grow tired of this and decide to leave and set up their own camp and soon the men realize how much work the women actually do.
PETTICOAT CAMP is a pretty good fifteen minute film from the Thanhouser company. The short obviously has a message to get across to men who use their women as slaves but thankfully the film never gets preachy or beats the viewer over the head. There's no over-the-top performances or zany moments but instead the movie plays out in a very natural way. The scenarios aren't anything outrageous but instead it's just a realistic view of how men treat women and what would happen if the slave days were over with. Fans of silent comedies will certainly want to check this one out.
- Michael_Elliott
- Jul 6, 2015
- Permalink
the wives rebel
In cinema's relative infancy, the Thanhouser Company was a studio in New Rochelle, New York, specializing in shorts. Mostly dramas, but occasionally comedies. An example was "Petticoat Camp", in which some families are on vacation, and the wives rebel after they tire of doing all the work while the husbands play.
It probably looked edgier in the early 20th century. It comes across as tame in an era when we have three women on the Supreme Court and twenty-three women in the new congress. OK as a historical reference.
It probably looked edgier in the early 20th century. It comes across as tame in an era when we have three women on the Supreme Court and twenty-three women in the new congress. OK as a historical reference.
- lee_eisenberg
- Jan 4, 2019
- Permalink
Men are pigs and Women aren't so mere as they used to be
Not exactly "Lysistrata," "Petticoat Camp" is still a charming battle-of-the-sexes story that is quite remarkable for 1912.
For one thing, it is extremely well acted and well directed and well photographed.
Unfortunately, except for stars Florence La Badie and William Garwood, no one else is known, not even here at IMDb.
"Petticoat Camp" is a product of the Thanhouser studio of New Rochelle, New York, a surprisingly prolific company that existed only a few years during the silent era.
There is a documentary film about Thanhouser, produced by a grandson of the founders, and made with love and hope.
The hope is that more than the fewer-than-200 Thanhouser films now known to exist, out of more than 1,000 produced, will be discovered, somewhere, somehow.
I join in that hope. Of the three films I've seen, all are exceptionally good, especially considering I had never heard of the people involved, except one James Cruze, an actor (not in "Petticoat Camp") who went on to become one of the best and best-known directors of the silent and early sound era.
The other, unknown, players are probably stage-trained actors because Thanhouser had made a point to use trained and professional performers, and their obvious abilities are indeed obvious.
"Petticoat Camp" was the second of three Thanhouser films shown on 5 July 2015 by Turner Classic Movies.
The women get tired of doing all the work while the men have all the fun, hunting and fishing and eating the women's cooking.
When the women go on strike, naturally then the men realize what pigs they've been.
But these women aren't so mere (to quote Walt Kelly), and they are not swept off their feet by tricks or measly begging.
"Petticoat Camp" is an amazing and enthralling discovery. And it is a very enjoyable film. Be on the alert. Next time it's available, drop everything to see it.
For one thing, it is extremely well acted and well directed and well photographed.
Unfortunately, except for stars Florence La Badie and William Garwood, no one else is known, not even here at IMDb.
"Petticoat Camp" is a product of the Thanhouser studio of New Rochelle, New York, a surprisingly prolific company that existed only a few years during the silent era.
There is a documentary film about Thanhouser, produced by a grandson of the founders, and made with love and hope.
The hope is that more than the fewer-than-200 Thanhouser films now known to exist, out of more than 1,000 produced, will be discovered, somewhere, somehow.
I join in that hope. Of the three films I've seen, all are exceptionally good, especially considering I had never heard of the people involved, except one James Cruze, an actor (not in "Petticoat Camp") who went on to become one of the best and best-known directors of the silent and early sound era.
The other, unknown, players are probably stage-trained actors because Thanhouser had made a point to use trained and professional performers, and their obvious abilities are indeed obvious.
"Petticoat Camp" was the second of three Thanhouser films shown on 5 July 2015 by Turner Classic Movies.
The women get tired of doing all the work while the men have all the fun, hunting and fishing and eating the women's cooking.
When the women go on strike, naturally then the men realize what pigs they've been.
But these women aren't so mere (to quote Walt Kelly), and they are not swept off their feet by tricks or measly begging.
"Petticoat Camp" is an amazing and enthralling discovery. And it is a very enjoyable film. Be on the alert. Next time it's available, drop everything to see it.
- morrisonhimself
- Jul 4, 2015
- Permalink
A very early battle of the sexes comedy--a little short but well done.
- planktonrules
- Jun 19, 2009
- Permalink