Fatty's Reckless Fling

For all that "Fatty's Reckless Fling" is mostly unrefined, knockabout slapstick, it has some very good moments and good gags. Roscoe Arbuckle plays the kind of character that he could perform as well as anyone, as a hen-pecked yet mischievous husband. Amidst all of the romping around, there are also a few less obvious gags thrown in.

Arbuckle's character is left alone for the evening by his domineering wife, and he quickly finds action and trouble. Several other characters become part of the confusion, and Arbuckle himself gets plenty to work with, as he joins in a poker game, gets tangled up with the neighbors, and faces the arm of the law. The story builds things up steadily, and once all of the details are tied together, it lets everything go in a manic display of slapstick.

The gag with the hide-a-bed is a good one, and the poker players' ruse to avoid detection is cleverly done. There may not be the depth of Arbuckle's best short movies here, but it is good fun and is entertaining to watch.