The Albany Branch

Razor-blade salesman Tom Dugan takes best girl Pert Kelton to a party thrown by his employer. Although Miss Kelton charms the boss's son, Frank Eastman, Dugan's low ways get him in trouble.

This rare Sennett short is a slow-moving affair, and very tame if you're expecting something from the old days at Keystone. Movie comedy had moved on, Sennett had moved on, and the results are rather dull, although Miss Kelton is surprisingly cute (I almost wrote 'pert' there) and subdued for anyone who knows her from her other screen appearances. Dugan attempts subtlety in his performance, which is a mistake for a comedy.

For some reason, Charlie (Tom Dugan) is invited to a stuffy society party by his boss, even though Charlie is a total clod. He brings along Pert (Pert Kelton) and while she isn't that awful an addition to the party, Charlie behaves awfully and makes a fool of himself...which he is totally oblivious to. On the other hand, the party and the woman singing here is godawful...so Charlie's boorish behavior isn't all that out of place.

For the most part, THE joke is how obnoxious Charlie behaves...and to a lesser extent Pert as well. It's a mostly one-joke film and is tedious after a while because the folks who made this short had no idea about timing or even laughs. A tough little film to finish, that's for sure.