Ambrose's Nasty Temper

Mack Swain is the comedian of this release, which is an exceedingly funny one. Plenty of rapid action of the most comical sort characterizes the film. The majority of the scenes take place in and about a factory, and the characters are. as would be supposed, all of the eccentric order. - The Moving Picture World, May 15, 1915

How long can Cecile hold her breath? How long can she remain alive while tied to a post in a room rapidly filling up with water? What will happen? Will Ambrose's diabolical plot succeed? Not to worry. The Keystone Cops are on the case!

The acting is good; I especially like Mack Swain's portrayal of Ambrose. Louise Fazenda plays her role of mother with aplomb. The story is nicely paced, particularly toward the end. Also, be sure to read the signs on the walls!

This is a well-done comedy from Keystone and is a fine one to add to your collection.

Although Mack Swain is mostly forgotten today, those who recognize the name associate him with roles as movie villains...particularly Chaplin's rival in "The Gold Rush". But before this, he made quite a few Ambrose comedies for Keystone Pictures...and "Ambrose's Nasty Temper" is one of them.

The story begins with Ambrose being yelled at by his ill-tempered boss. But his boss isn't Ambrose's only worry...it seems that the woman who owns the company has a foul disposition as well. What's to become of poor Ambrose? How does he try to get his revenge after he gets fired? And, how does this backfire?

As you would expect from a Keystone film during this era, there is an emphasis on slapstick. In this case, it means folks kicking and hitting each other with little provocation. Folks in the 1910s thought this was hilarious...though today this sort of crude humor is rather dated and unfunny.

As for the story, it's very good for 1915. This is because quite a few Keystone films of the era were practically plotless and the director would literally tell the comics to 'be funny' or other vague directions.

Overall, not a great comedy but a very good one for its day.