Dry and Thirsty

There is lots of frantic activity in "Dry and Thirsty", but most of the time there is little point to it - there is not much of a story to speak of, and there are not many funny gags either. The story is mostly about Horace Radish (Billy Bletcher), who is desperate for a drink in the days of Prohibition. It's possible that it might have seemed funnier to someone at the time who may have sympathized with Horace's feelings, but even so it just doesn't have that much to offer.

There's no denying that Bletcher had energy - he is in constant motion, and the other characters race around the whole time as well. But they try to get far too much mileage out of puns and other gags that just weren't that worthwhile, and so, despite all the activity, there isn't really much to see.

I saw this on the DVD "SLAPSTICK ENCYCLOPEDIA, VOLUME 10" and I really think that part of the movie is missing--perhaps lost to the ages like so many silent films or portions of silent films. Towards the end, the hallway traffic cop (a cute idea, by the way) is carried to the lobby by the hero and the girl and the film just ends! Huh?! There was no resolution at all and looks like they just ran out of film.

The movie is a cleaver commentary of the beginning of Prohibition. Billy Bletcher is looking for a drink, and although EVERYONE seems to be breaking the law by drinking, his plans are thwarted again and again. It actually has some very funny moments, but is also very uneven and has the problem with the ending of the movie.

Overall, pretty good but something is definitely missing.