"An Interesting Story" is one of 6 short films that I've seen by James Williamson, an early film pioneer who made the first extreme closeup in his well-known "Big Swallow" from 1901. He was mostly known for his chase films and action carried from shot to shot, but here he does an attempt at slapstick comedy. For its time pretty funny. Historically significant which makes it worth seeing.
The film is about a man (who oddly looks like Charlie Chaplin), going around reading a story that appears to be intriguing him, thus he doesn't pay attention to where he's going. Things keep building up until the film ends with the man being run over by a steamroller, which is by far the best part of the film. Luckily two cyclists come along and inflate him back up with pumps and he walks off again with his book. He doesn't appears to learn his lesson.
Well, decent slapstick. The execution is well done too, especially the scene at the breakfast table (which is by far the funniest part). The rest of the film is just a series of pratfalls which might've been funny in 1904 but today aren't really laughable. In terms of influencing the comedy genre this film does very well. At least we aren't watching gardeners getting sprayed by hoses anymore.
The film is about a man (who oddly looks like Charlie Chaplin), going around reading a story that appears to be intriguing him, thus he doesn't pay attention to where he's going. Things keep building up until the film ends with the man being run over by a steamroller, which is by far the best part of the film. Luckily two cyclists come along and inflate him back up with pumps and he walks off again with his book. He doesn't appears to learn his lesson.
Well, decent slapstick. The execution is well done too, especially the scene at the breakfast table (which is by far the funniest part). The rest of the film is just a series of pratfalls which might've been funny in 1904 but today aren't really laughable. In terms of influencing the comedy genre this film does very well. At least we aren't watching gardeners getting sprayed by hoses anymore.