Bull and Sand (1924) User Reviews (2)

Throwing the Bull and Vice Versa

[boblipton · 6/10 · 23 January 2015]

What do you get when you cross Sidney Smith, Madeleine Hurlock and the usual assortment of Sennett comics? This two-reeler about a bull-fighting chauffeur, a princess and Andy Clyde in two roles -- a king and a professor on his way to Mars.

The gags come fast and furious in this Del Lord comedy, with the usual automobile gags and one I've never seen before: take a look at how Sid Smith avoids being shot at dawn. The pacing is more typical of a Christie Brothers comedy than a Sennett comedy, but if you look at it as a string of gags instead of a burlesque of the Valentino hit BLOOD AND SAND, you should have an amusing time.

An overdose of nonsense

[guy-bellinger · 24 November 2011]

Too much implausibility harms implausibility! It would be hard put to imagine a movie boasting a more rambling and incoherent story than 'Bull and Sand'. Of course, incongruity, exaggeration and cock-eyed connections are the very trademark of American slapstick in general and of Mack Sennett's productions in particular, and it is true that, at its best, 'Bull and Sand' contains a few scenes in which wildly delirious actions lead to preposterous situations the Surrealists would not have looked down on. However, the various situations seem to stack on top of each other, challenging the director to ensure a continuity of some sort. Fortuitous situations in a movie are acceptable only if they are dramatically integrated, which is not often the case in 'Bull and Sand'. On the other hand, the use of animation for very brief sequences (a bull flying in the air, music note coming out of a guitar) is to be noted. Last but not least, it is a renewed pleasure to see the gorgeous Madeline Hurlock in the role of a proud and combative princess Not without merit, but this wild, wild, wild short is too wild to be excellent. Text by Daniel Collin. Translated by Guy Bellinger