Hypnotized

According to many experts, most films made during the silent era are considered lost. This is because they were made using nitrate film stock...which is highly unstable. It tends to dissolve, turn to powder or even catch fire! Plus, at the time, they didn't see much need to conserve these films once they were completed their theatrical run. So, the fact that the beginning and end of "Hypnotized" appears to be missing is NOT unusual...just sad.

This film stars Jimmy Aubrey, a prolific silent comic. He goes into a house which seems to be haunted. There, he finds a damsel in distress and agree to help her escape...but a turban-wearing baddie finds them and tries to hypnotize Jimmy...and vice-versa.

There are not a huge number of laughs in this one BUT because the film isn't complete, you need to bear this in mind. If you want to see it, it's on YouTube and is in rough condition.

Jimmy Aubrey winds up trapped in a mansion where a pretty girl is being held prisoner, and a copy of men try various mystical passes at him. Jimmy winds up hypnotizing himself.

Aubrey, like Chaplin and Stan Laurel, was an alumnus of the Fred Karno company. He achieved stardom in a series of short comedies, but while he was clearly a skilled comic mime, his material was rarely first rate. Here, under the direction of Harry Sweet, he gets to show himself off well, but a poor print and one that lacks a beginning does not help him.