This week’s mystery movie has been the 1921 picture “Seven Years Bad Luck,” starring Max Linder, sometimes called “the Charlie Chaplin of France,” who died in a double suicide with his wife on Oct. 31, 1925. The movie was his first five-reel feature and his first film since being badly wounded while serving in the French army in World War I. It opened in Los Angeles at Tally’s Broadway.
The DVD is available from Amazon.
“Seven Years Bad Luck” at Tally’s Broadway, June 21, 1921.
Most people know the famous “mirror routine” in the Marx Bros. 1933 film “Duck Soup.”
Here is Linder’s 1921 version of the same gag.
A little romantic frolicking by the household staff knocks over a large mirror, which shatters.
Solution: The household cook is drafted to impersonate the master of the house, who has come home quite drunk from a party and now has a terrible hangover.
Stalling for time by pretending to clean the mirror.
And the shaving begins.
It was filmed in Los Angeles (note the palm tree).
And includes what appears to be the old Santa Fe train station.
For Monday, we have a stylish mystery gent.
Update: This is Ralph McCullough.
And for Tuesday, we have a man with a pipe.
Update: This is Hugh Saxon.
For Wednesday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Alta Allen.
And for Thursday, we have a couple of mystery gents doing something peculiar.
Update: This is Harry Mann.
And for Friday…..
Update: This is Max Linder.
This looks like a silent movie . . . Malcolm McGregor?
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Alas, it’s not Malcolm McGregor….
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Lyle Talbot.
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Alas, no.
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Glenn Hunter?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Edgar Buchanan today?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Mary Miles Minter?
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Interesting guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Louise Huff?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Mary Philbin on Wednesday?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Madge Evans.
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Alas, no.
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Max Linder today and Three Days Bad Luck.
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Make that SEVEN YEARS’ BAD LUCK.
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Max Linder appears and now the big, bad mystery is solved in SEVEN YEARS BAD LUCK.
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Max Linder today
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