Wandering Papas

Who was Clyde Cook? One of several hundreds of silent film comics, whose short subjects are now largely forgotten. A small man with a large mustache, he made dozens of comedies which are now forgotten by all but a few old film buffs. Mr. Cook, alas, never seemed to develop much of a character or style. He was simply one of several hundred comics who did silly things because they would make the audience laugh. You could watch him, but you probably wouldn't go searching out his movies, and so he faded into obscurity.

As for why you should watch this one, it is mostly interesting from a historical standpoint because it was directed by Stan Laurel and had Oliver Hardy in a major supporting role. It has a story and some moderately interesting situations.

There are some good gags here. Clyde is a cook for a railroad construction crew. He goes hunting and tries to catch fish using flypaper and succeeds in catching a skunk by the tail. He uses gunpowder instead of baking powder for flapjacks. There's also a thrill comedy sequence in which various people struggle along a railroad on a high trestle bridge. If it's not up to Harold Lloyd in SAFETY LAST, it is still a pleasant, painless comedy with a few laughs.