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The Man in the Couch
(1914) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by Eddie Dillon (Edward Dillon)
Cast: Fay Tincher [Mabel], [?] Edward Dillon or Jack Dillon (John Francis Dillon)? [Jack], Tod Browning [Ronald]
Komic Company production; distributed by Mutual Film Corporation. / Scenario by Anita Loos. / Released 17 May 1914. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / Working title: All for Mabel.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [Reel Life, 9 May 1914, page ?] Ronald, upon proposing to Mabel and being rejected, vows to discover his hated rival. Concealing himself in a folding couch, he has himself delivered in it to Mabel’s house in order that he may spy upon the object of her affections. In due course, he hears someone enter the room. Lifting the lid of the couch, he finds her entertaining “the other man.” Jack, the successful suitor, smokes many cigarettes during his call, and accidentally sets fire to the couch. To reassure his sweetheart, he throws the couch bodily out of the window, Ronald and all. It goes through the roof of an anarchists’ den below. The anarchists throw it through their window into a police station. All along its disastrous route, it sets things afire, calling out the police and fire departments. Ronald gets quite a shaking up, resolves never again to force himself upon those who do not want him.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 30 May 1914, page ?] The saving grace of this release is that it purports to be nothing other than burlesque comedy. The plot starts nowhere and gets nowhere. The roughhouse antics of members of a village fire and police department may excite laughter where critical audiences are not encountered.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 21 November 2022.
References: Skal-Browning p. 236 : Website-IMDb.
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