Their Social Splash
"A Splashy Affair with Snaps and Slaps!"
Plot
The story follows the chaotic wedding preparations of Gladys, a beautiful bride-to-be, and her groom Harold, whose nuptials are set to take place beside a lavish swimming pool filled with baby alligators. The ceremony is thrown into absolute disarray when two unruly guests, Hogan and Polly, arrive in a state of drunken revelry and begin a series of disruptive slapstick antics. As the minister attempts to maintain order, the situation escalates into a full-scale riot of physical comedy involving the pool, the reptiles, and the increasingly frustrated wedding party. The film culminates in a frantic series of splashes and falls as the social event of the season dissolves into a quintessential Keystone comedy catastrophe.
About the Production
The film was produced during a transitional period at Keystone when Mack Sennett was experimenting with his 'Bathing Beauties' concept. It was directed by Arvid E. Gillstrom and Charles Avery, two of Sennett's most reliable comedy craftsmen. The production utilized the standard 'slapstick assembly line' method, where gags were often improvised on the spot around a central premise—in this case, a high-society wedding gone wrong. The use of live baby alligators was a typical Keystone touch, adding a genuine element of danger and unpredictability to the physical comedy.
Historical Background
In 1915, the American film industry was moving away from the East Coast and solidifying its base in Los Angeles. Slapstick comedy, led by the Keystone Film Company, was the most popular film genre globally. This was also the year that the Triangle Film Corporation was formed, aiming to elevate the prestige of motion pictures by combining the talents of D.W. Griffith, Thomas Ince, and Mack Sennett. 'Their Social Splash' represents the 'pure' slapstick era before the genre became more refined and character-driven in the late 1910s.
Why This Film Matters
The film is a primary example of the 'social satire' subgenre of slapstick, which frequently mocked the pretensions of the upper class. By placing low-brow, drunken characters like Hogan and Polly into a high-society wedding, the film provided catharsis for working-class audiences of the era. It also serves as a vital historical record of the early careers of comedy legends like Harold Lloyd and Polly Moran.
Making Of
Production at Keystone in 1915 was famously chaotic, with Mack Sennett overseeing multiple units simultaneously. For 'Their Social Splash', the crew utilized the studio's outdoor tank and surrounding gardens to simulate a wealthy estate. The actors were expected to perform their own stunts, including the falls into the alligator-infested pool. According to studio lore, the 'drunken' chemistry between Charles Murray and Polly Moran was so effective that they were frequently paired together in subsequent shorts to replicate the comedic friction seen here.
Visual Style
The film utilizes the standard 'flat' lighting and wide-angle staging typical of early silent comedy to ensure all physical action is visible. Notable is the use of deep focus during the poolside scenes to capture the reactions of the background guests simultaneously with the primary slapstick action in the foreground.
Innovations
The film features sophisticated (for the time) editing during the chaotic climax, cutting between the various guests falling into the pool to create a sense of mounting hysteria. The coordination of live animals with human actors in a comedic setting was also a hallmark of Keystone's technical bravery.
Music
As a silent film, it originally had no synchronized soundtrack. It would have been accompanied by a live piano or organ player in theaters, typically playing upbeat ragtime or 'hurry' music during the chase and splash sequences.
Famous Quotes
Intertitle: 'The social event of the season—before the guests arrived.'
Intertitle: 'Hogan and Polly bring their own spirits to the party.'
Memorable Scenes
- The 'Alligator Splash': The climax where the wedding party, including the groom and the minister, are systematically knocked into the pool containing baby alligators.
- The Drunken Entrance: Charles Murray and Polly Moran's arrival, where they immediately mistake the wedding altar for a bar.
Did You Know?
- Harold Lloyd appears in an early uncredited role as the Minister, just before he achieved stardom with his 'Lonesome Luke' character.
- The film was intended as a showcase for Dixie Chene, whom Mack Sennett was grooming to potentially replace Mabel Normand as the 'Keystone Girl'.
- Polly Moran's performance as the drunken guest became a template for her later 'rowdy woman' persona that made her a major star in the 1920s.
- Rumors persisted for years that Mabel Normand appeared as an extra in the background, though film historians generally dismiss this as she was already a major star at the time.
- The 'baby alligators' mentioned in the plot were a recurring motif in Keystone comedies to heighten the stakes of the 'water splash' gags.
- This film is one of the few surviving examples of Dixie Chene's leading work before she vanished from the film industry shortly after its release.
- The film was released just as Keystone was joining the Triangle Film Corporation distribution network.
- Arvid E. Gillstrom, the co-director, later became famous for directing many of Billy West's Charlie Chaplin imitation comedies.
What Critics Said
At the time of its release, trade publications like 'Moving Picture World' praised the film for its fast pace and the 'pulchritudinous' presence of Dixie Chene. Modern critics and film historians view it as a quintessential Keystone 'one-reeler' that perfectly encapsulates the studio's style: frantic, irreverent, and physically demanding. While not considered a masterpiece on par with Chaplin's work, it is highly regarded for its technical execution of complex group gags.
What Audiences Thought
1915 audiences responded enthusiastically to the film's 'splash' climax, as water-based gags were a staple of the Keystone brand that never failed to elicit laughter. The pairing of the tall, lanky Slim Summerville with the petite Dixie Chene provided a visual contrast that was a hit with the nickelodeon crowds.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- The 'Mabel Normand' comedies of 1912-1914
- French slapstick (Pathé Frères)
- Vaudeville 'drunk' acts
This Film Influenced
- The 'Bathing Beauties' series
- Harold Lloyd's 'Lonesome Luke' shorts
- The Wedding Party (1969) - thematic similarities in wedding chaos
You Might Also Like
Film Restoration
Preserved. Prints of the film exist in the archives of the Cineteca del Friuli, the BFI National Archive, and Lobster Films.