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The Mystery of the Leaping Fish (1916)
Director: John Emerson
Writers: Tod Browning (script), Anita Loos (titles)
Cast: Douglas Fairbanks, Bessie Love, Allan Sears
Genre: Comedy Short Film
Length: 25 minutes
Detective Coke Ennyday uses science and drugs to help him in his detective work. By the clock on his wall he efficiently divides his day into 4 time periods: Sleep, Eat, Dope & Drink. While on the job Detective Coke Ennyday, injects himself with cocaine to gain superhuman strength to fight the bad guys...and if that's not enough he gives his enemies overdoses of coke and they vaporize right out of existence....weird stuff!
If you noticed the opening credits this was written by Tod Browning. Yea, that Tod Browning who directed Dracula (1931) and Freaks (1932), here he was the writer, and so it's not surprising this is one helluva strange film! Supposedly he wrote this while in the hospital after being critically injured in a car wreck. I wonder if this is an opiate inspired story, akin to the writings of Edgar Allen Poe.
Douglas Fairbanks made this early in his career and ended up hating it, and wanted the film to be taken out of circulation after he became one of the biggest stars of the silent era. After the Hays Production Code came out in 1934 this film wouldn't be shown for a long time.
This is a parody of Sherlock Holmes (who I believed used cocaine in some of the novels). Coke Ennyday, like Sherlock Holmes is a 'scientific detective' who uses gadgets along with copious amounts of cocaine to get the job done. Like Sherlock he wears the same style of detective's hat and checkered overcoat...and smokes a pipe (who knows what's in it).
I thought his helper who's dressed in black with studs was an odd looking character! Not sure what he was suppose to be? Then again the entire film is odd, with the idea of a cocaine using detective, 'busting' opium smugglers who use the 'leaping fish' to bring in huge blocks of opium...which Coke Ennyday readily consumes.
I had forgotten that the very charming Bessie Love was in this. She's the Fish Blower, no seriously, that's what she's called.
+
Mystery of the Leaping Fish (1916) 26 minutes
The Mystery of the Leaping Fish (1916)
Director: John Emerson
Writers: Tod Browning (script), Anita Loos (titles)
Cast: Douglas Fairbanks, Bessie Love, Allan Sears
Genre: Comedy Short Film
Length: 25 minutes
Detective Coke Ennyday uses science and drugs to help him in his detective work. By the clock on his wall he efficiently divides his day into 4 time periods: Sleep, Eat, Dope & Drink. While on the job Detective Coke Ennyday, injects himself with cocaine to gain superhuman strength to fight the bad guys...and if that's not enough he gives his enemies overdoses of coke and they vaporize right out of existence....weird stuff!
If you noticed the opening credits this was written by Tod Browning. Yea, that Tod Browning who directed Dracula (1931) and Freaks (1932), here he was the writer, and so it's not surprising this is one helluva strange film! Supposedly he wrote this while in the hospital after being critically injured in a car wreck. I wonder if this is an opiate inspired story, akin to the writings of Edgar Allen Poe.
Douglas Fairbanks made this early in his career and ended up hating it, and wanted the film to be taken out of circulation after he became one of the biggest stars of the silent era. After the Hays Production Code came out in 1934 this film wouldn't be shown for a long time.
This is a parody of Sherlock Holmes (who I believed used cocaine in some of the novels). Coke Ennyday, like Sherlock Holmes is a 'scientific detective' who uses gadgets along with copious amounts of cocaine to get the job done. Like Sherlock he wears the same style of detective's hat and checkered overcoat...and smokes a pipe (who knows what's in it).
I thought his helper who's dressed in black with studs was an odd looking character! Not sure what he was suppose to be? Then again the entire film is odd, with the idea of a cocaine using detective, 'busting' opium smugglers who use the 'leaping fish' to bring in huge blocks of opium...which Coke Ennyday readily consumes.
I had forgotten that the very charming Bessie Love was in this. She's the Fish Blower, no seriously, that's what she's called.
+
Mystery of the Leaping Fish (1916) 26 minutes