Stupid, But Brave (1924)

The perfect title for this comedy short, not to mention for Al St. John's overall comedic "style." Take any and all opportunity to watch Al St. John's work, especially during this period. The man was impressively, remarkably original. I think what amazed me even more was how contemporary he seemed, as if he were some distant Carradine cousin, or a fore-runner to Jim Carrey. At this point in his career, he resembles a blonde, 1960s surfer dude, and being a lanky 5' 8", he looks a lot taller. Having trained with the Sennett gang in support to Fatty Arbuckle (it says he was a nephew), the physical comedy is peerless and expertly athletic. Fully capable as an actor, I've seen him play bits and small roles in many different genres, including the rare part-talkie SHE GOES TO WAR, where even though I cared little for the character he was playing, I had to admit he did a fearless job and gave it all he had. Thank God for westerns, for not long after Talkies came in St. John moved over to this genre and pretty much stayed there until the Fifties, often using other professional names. Check out the IMDb list of those names, then look down that long list of film credits and watch out for the comedy shorts of the early 20s, you will not be disappointed.