The Uneasy Three

Uneasy Three, The (1925)

*** (out of 4)

Often hysterical spoof of Lon Chaney's THE UNHOLY THREE has Charley Chase playing the mastermind of a dimwitted trio of thieves who plan on stealing a priceless jewel. The writing here isn't the greatest nor is the actual spoof the smartest but I don't think there's any doubt that this two-reeler has some of the biggest laughs of the silent era. Chase isn't overly known today, which is a real shame as he remains one of my favorites but it appears he has a cult following that gets bigger and bigger each passing year. There are three downright hilarious sequences here with the first coming with a young child playing with an electric piano cord. The next deals with the good guys being mistaken for the thieves and Chase having to help the detective (Fred Kelsey). The third one happens when Chase goes to buy the kid a balloon to keep him quiet and must try and hide it in his hat when he sees a cop coming. Each one of these scenes had tears flowing down my face from laughing and these scenes are what makes this a must see. Chase is his gem self and Bull Montana is wonderful as the dumb brother-in-law who even manages to look like Chaney in several scenes.

This is an amusing scattergun burlesque of Tod Browning's crime dramas, such as WHITE TIGER. It comes off well enough but may be a bit obscure to people who have not seen such works. Charley takes the place of Raymond Griffith in top hat and tails; Katherine Grant takes the Priscilla Dean role and Bull Montana even manages to look a bit like Lon Chaney in this kid-glove crime drama without the brooding.

The result is amusing, but Charley Chase, who is probably the funniest silent comic you've never heard of lacks the delicate touch of Griffith's performance and the other two leads also can't compare to their equivalents. Director McCarey is interested in gags, not atmosphere. Still, the gags are highly amusing, especially the ones involving the top hat and a balloon. You could do a lot worse.