The Dippy Dentist | 1920 | Comedy, Short

Title: The Dippy Dentist | 1920 | Comedy, Short Director: Alfred J. Goulding Studio: Rolin Films Starring: Snub Pollard, Marie Mosquini, Gaylord Lloyd, Ernest “Sunshine Sammy” Morrison Release Date: January 25, 1920 Runtime: 9 minutes Format: Silent, black-and-white, 1 reel, 1.33:1 Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Comedy, Short --- Summary: A new dentist arrives to open his practice across the hall from a rival and, through a mix‑up with a handbag full of bottles, finds an unlikely way to draw crowds to his previously empty waiting room. As he poaches patients from competitor Gaylord Lloyd, his chaotic approach to extractions and anesthesia triggers chases, mishaps, and escalating slapstick. Set pieces revolve around mix‑ups with bottled “goods,” rough‑and‑tumble tooth‑pulling, and the ensuing attention of police, culminating in a spree of gags typical of early 1920s one‑reel comedies. --- Background: Produced by Hal Roach’s Rolin Films and released through Pathé as a one‑reel short, The Dippy Dentist reached theaters on January 25, 1920—just days after national Prohibition took effect on January 17, 1920—echoing contemporary bootlegging humor in its premise. The film pairs frequent Roach players, including Pollard and Gaylord Lloyd, and features Ernest “Sunshine Sammy” Morrison in an early appearance. --- Trivia: Gaylord Lloyd, who plays a rival dentist, was the older brother of comedian Harold Lloyd. Ernest “Sunshine Sammy” Morrison appears in the short; he soon became an original member of Hal Roach’s Our Gang and is noted as the first African‑American performer signed to a long‑term Hollywood contract . The Dippy Dentist was released as a one‑reel Rolin Films comedy distributed by Pathé Exchange on January 25, 1920. Modern access to the film has included home‑video anthologies such as American Slapstick, Vol. 2. Director Alfred J. Goulding was a prolific Hal Roach collaborator who directed many of Harold Lloyd’s silent shorts. --- Hashtags: TheDippyDentist 1920 SilentFilm SilentComedy SnubPollard MarieMosquini GaylordLloyd SunshineSammy RolinFilms AlfredJGoulding PublicDomain