The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog

Although only mildly entertaining in its own right, this comedy feature is interesting as a pop culture curio that preserves the memory of a popular fad of its day. Pop culture icons come and go in every era, and moving pictures have proved to be one of the most enduring ways that the various whims and crazes of public taste are kept from being completely forgotten.

The concept of the 'Dam family' was based on some highly popular postcards of the time. The new Kino collection of Edison films includes a photograph of one of these postcards, which allows you to see how closely the characters in Edwin S. Porter's movie resemble the original conceptions. Indeed, a large part of the film consists simply of a series of close-ups of the characters, each one held much longer than would normally be necessary. These are then followed by a short comic sequence starring the family dog.

The one innovation in the actual film is the animated title cards, which are pretty good for 1905. They also lend the appropriate jaunty tone to the movie.

The whole movie is deliberately silly, and while it's still good for a smile or two, its appeal at first seems a bit mystifying. But then again, the trends and fads of every era often mystify later generations. This little movie may not seem like much in itself, but if nothing else it provides a little interesting food for thought.

This is a little masterpiece. firstly, it is an interesting pop culture curio and and secondly, the satirical take on various personalities of the family members in a Tristram Shandy or Gargantuan grotesque style.

Like the title says. Like snickering fourth-graders, the movie makes jokes about the family's name. The wife's name is Mrs. Hellen Dam, etc. They pose for us behind a platform with their name written on it. Notable as a surviving early silent rather than for any cinematic value.

Here's the Dam family, with names like I.B. Dam and U.B. Dam, each with quirks. One sneezes, one chatters, and so forth.

It's based on a campaign of cards for Keystone Cigars which ran originally in 1900. In those days, cigar and cigarette companies issued cards, like bubble gum manufacturers do today. Considered risqué at the time, it undoubtedly sold a lot of cigars and elicited the same sort of sniggers that the movie MEET THE FOKKERS did in 2004.

Lubin issued I.B. DAM AND THE WHOLE DAM FAMILY almost simultaneously.

Many folks today assume that back in the old days, folks never swore and films were 100% squeaky clean. Well, if that was true, then the Edison Company would never have brought out a film called "The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog"! Obviously they were trying to get the folks' attention to draw them into theaters!

The film itself is a bit of a disappointment, as it's basically the same Dam joke again and again and it lacks the narrative or jokes to make it memorable...just the title. The film starts with an over-long introduction where you meet all of this Dam family. Then in the story itself, the family is eating dinner and nothing happens until the very end. Overall, I was just Dam disappointed.