ABSTRACT
In 1915, new York, with its luxurious new Strand Super Cinema in Broadway, was still the capital of the American film world. The trek to Hollywood had started, but most producers remained on the east coast. Essanay were content to leave their comedies to such experienced players as Wallace Beery, Ben Turpin, and Victor Potel. With the rapid development of the industry the ‘chase comic’ film found a rival in social comedy. While American studios were slowly winning the comedy race, they were still offered strong competition by some brilliantly produced subjects from France, where the standard of film humour has always been high. In June 1915 The Bioscope trade paper was able to report that ‘Dramas have had to give way to comedies, and certain comedies are on every programme’. The certain comedies came from the Keystone studios, where Mack Sennett ruled.
