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.

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.

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.

A mildly entertaining short that expands on a popular postcard of 1905. It presents a complete family with the last name of Dam. They each mug for the camera as they are introduced. Then they all sit together as if for a postcard. Then, following a brief interlude of animation that presents the name of short, the family sits down for a meal. After fighting with the Dam dog, the Father Dam yells at Jimmy Dam for smoking at the table. All is interrupted though when the dog returns and proceeds to pull the tablecloth off of the table.

The characterizations are okay but, do the time constraints, only hit one note. The dog steals the picture of his obvious joy of fighting with the father and barking at the family. The chaos he provides livens up the mundane picture.

Overall, I give 4 out of a 10.