Are Crooks Dishonest? | 1918 | Comedy, Short

Title: Are Crooks Dishonest? | 1918 | Comedy, Short Director: Gilbert Pratt Studio: Rolin Film Company Starring: Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, Snub Pollard, William Blaisdell Release Date: June 23, 1918 Runtime: 13 Format: Silent, black-and-white; 35mm; 1 reel; 1.33:1; English intertitles Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Comedy, Short --- Summary: Two small-time con men, Harold and Snub, ply their trade with fake jewelry swindles and set their sights on Miss Goulash and her professor father. Their plans quickly unravel when the sharp-witted Miss Goulash turns the tables on them. A chase of comic misunderstandings follows, including a scramble through a “temple of mysticism” where spiritualist tricks and illusions create further confusion. The film plays with deception and comeuppance, delivering brisk slapstick and reversals typical of Lloyd’s early one-reel comedies. --- Background: Produced by Hal Roach for the Rolin Film Company and directed by Gilbert Pratt, this one-reel silent comedy was distributed by Pathé Exchange and released on June 23, 1918. Surviving prints are held by the Museum of Modern Art and Filmoteca Española, helping to keep the short in circulation for modern audiences. --- Trivia: The film was distributed by Pathé Exchange and reissued in the United States in 1925. Snub Pollard is credited under his given name, Harry Pollard. Alternative titles have been reported, including Doing, Doing, Done in Spain and Are Crooks Necessary? in some references. The character name Miss Goulash appears in other Harold Lloyd shorts of the era, such as Going! Going! Gone! . The film is in the public domain in the United States. --- Hashtags: AreCrooksDishonest HaroldLloyd BebeDaniels SnubPollard SilentFilm PublicDomain 1918 Comedy ShortFilm RolinFilmCompany