The Sleuth

Series: Paul Parrott

Director: Raymond Grey

Producer: Hal Roach

Titles: H.M. Walker

Photography:

Editor:

Stars: James Parrott, Ernest Morrison, Ethel Broadhurst, Mark Jones

Company: Pathé Exchange

Released: 16 July 1922

Length: 1 reel

Production No.: C-36

Filming dates: October 27 - November 3, 1921;
retakes December 2-3, 1921

Rating: 4/10

The Sleuth

Available on DVD:

The film takes place in a small but busy hotel. Paul is the bellhop whose first job is to cement a sleeping guest's wig back on to his head (by using a hammer). Another guest (George Rowe) shows a disgraceful manner in wasting food by taking one bite and throwing the remains on the floor. Paul finds a basket and places it on a broom and catches the remaining food in comical fashion. The hungry guest then tucks into the biggest watermelon you've ever seen, so he is put into a bath tub by Paul. Meanwhile the hotel manager (Mark Jones) is playing a game of checkers with a bearded guest who wins the game in one move. The manager contemplates shooting himself (seriously, just because you lost a game of checkers?) when his desk clerk hands him a telegram telling him a prince and his valet have reserved rooms. However, a second telegram comes through from the prince saying that he was robbed and that an imposter is wearing his clothes.
The prince (William Gillespie) arrives at the hotel with his assistant and immediately demonstrates his magic when he bends Paul's shotgun through the keyhole of his door. A second prince arrives, wearing identical clothing as the first prince and Paul telephones the police. In the meantime the second prince has his valuables put into the hotel safe which is then carried upstairs to the prince's room. The cops arrive and Paul leads them to the (first) prince's room, believing him to be the imposter. Wrong. So they all go after the other 'prince' who by now has escaped from his room through the window with the safe on his back. They chase him onto a train bridge before Paul falls off and lands on the crook below. They discover the prince hiding inside the safe. He is taken away by the cops and Paul gets the girl in what is a very sloppy ending.

Mark Jones and George Rowe in The Sleuth (1922)

Favourite bit
A brilliant show of athleticism shown by real-life acrobat Mark Jones when he falls backwards over the banister rail at the top of the stairs.

Trivia
• Copyrighted July 20, 1922.
• This was the sixth film in the Paul Parrott series.
• The telegram from Prince Kolla Fhlower is dated January 4th. Yet later on we see a calendar which shows the month to be November 1921 (Mark Jones uses it to remember the combination to the safe).
• When the (second) prince arrives at the hotel he walks up the stairs and straight into his room without ever being told where it was; so how did he know where to go?

My opinion
• This one is slightly better than the other films in the series.

	James Parrott Paul
	Ernest Morrison Inkhpad, the prince's attendant
	Ethel Broadhurst Desk clerk
	Mark Jones Hotel manager
	Sammy Brooks Sleeping guest
	George Rowe Man eating fruit
	William Gillespie Prince Kolla Fhlower
	Charles Stevenson Police chief
	Roy Brooks Guest