(1926)

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4/10
It could sure use a bit more plot and a lot more laughs.
planktonrules13 November 2019
This comedy short features a very politically incorrect trio, The Three Fatties (also called 'A Ton of Fun'). Of course this is a cruel gimmick...but is the film any fun and worth seeing? And, are the three guys even funny?

When the story begins, the trio arrive at work. Soon after, the boss' daughter arrives to invite her boyfriend to a weird party where the guests all dress up like kids. Accidentally, the lady's pet monkey gives invitations to the three. When they show up, the house is trashed and soon the boss, Mr. Grouch, arrives hom.

The film's big laugh is that the guys are obese....not exactly funny and because it's THE joke, you're bound to be left wondering if this is even a comedy. Not a terrible film but one that certainly is far from a must-see...and rather far from being a comedy.
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Standard silent comedy short.
Mozjoukine5 April 2015
Mean spirited Joe Rock short ridiculing fat men and ugly girls, without getting to be all that funny.

The comic trio go through one of those familiar getting up routines (drawn animated lines on the alarm etc.) together and take their fliver to the office, where the boss has threatened to fire them for being late. Lois Boyd, his daughter is having a costume party and the monkey in a suit steals invitations for them.

If the film has any value, it's in the record of now vanished party games, an egg & spoon race, pinning the tail on a donkey and indoor football.

Frantic but tame two reeler. Spot Tay ("Postman Always Rings Twice") Garnet's name in the credits, with the now forgotten talent.
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8/10
A Ton of Fun!
JohnHowardReid7 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"A Standard Comedy", BACK FIRE is indeed "A Ton of Fun" to quote the movie's actual credit titles. But before we take a look at the movie itself, let's first of all get our credits for this "Standard Comedy" right: "Fat" Carr (sic) plays Pete, "Kewpie" Ross is Repeat, and "Fatty" Alexander is Alec. The boss' (sic) daughter is played by the lovely Lois Boyd. "Lew" - who in love with the boss's daughter - is played by Lewis Sargent. The adventurous little monkey is not credited. The movie was produced by Joe Rock and distributed by Standard Cinema Corporation through Film Booking Offices of America (FBO). An excellent print of the movie is available on Alpha's "Three Fatties" DVD and is accompanied an unusually good music score. And by the standard of the usual independently produced short, it is both unusually well made and unusually amusing.
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7/10
Above Average Second Tier Comedy
arfdawg-120 January 2019
These three guys, billed as 1st, 2nd and 3rd Fat Man is actually good on a number of levels -- It's an interesting looks at Hollywood long ago. Before unions stopped creativity, before studios catered to China, before political correctness took over. As such you have three fat guys with talent and a nifty silent movie.
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