''Mighty Like a Moose'' is a 1926 American silent

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

written by

Charley Chase Charles Joseph Parrott (October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940), known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with pro ...

that was directed by

Leo McCarey Thomas Leo McCarey (October 3, 1898 – July 5, 1969) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was involved in nearly 200 films, the most well known today being '' Duck Soup'', ''Make Way for Tomorrow'', '' The Awful T ...

. It was released by

Pathé Exchange Pathé Exchange, commonly known as Pathé, was an American film production and distribution company, largely of Hollywood's silent era. Known for its groundbreaking newsreel and wide array of shorts, it grew out of the American division of the m ...

on July 18, 1926. This two-reel short comedy is considered by some scholars to be Chase's finest silent film and is routinely listed among the greatest of all silent comedy short subjects. In 2007, ''Mighty Like A Moose'' was selected for preservation in the United States

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...

by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

, which recognizes American films deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Plot

In this short silent comedy, a homely husband and his equally unsightly wife improve their looks with

plastic surgery Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes cranio ...

without telling each other. The two later meet, and not recognizing each other, begin to flirt, both thinking they are cheating on their spouse. The film is representative of Chase's adroit blend of farce, surrealism, and

sight gag In comedy, a visual gag or sight gag is anything which conveys its humour visually, often without words being used at all. The gag may involve a physical impossibility or an unexpected occurrence. The humor is caused by alternative interpretation ...

Cast

as Mr. Moose *

Vivien Oakland Vivien Oakland (born Vivian Ruth Andersen; May 20, 1895 – August 1, 1958), was an American actress best known for her work in comedies in Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s, most notably with the Hal Roach Studios. Oakland appeared in 157 films ...

as Mrs. Moose *

Gale Henry Gale Henry (April 15, 1893 – June 17, 1972) was an American film actress. A prominent comedian, she appeared in more than 230 films between 1914 and 1933. In 1923, Gale Henry and her husband, Henry East, began training dogs for motion p ...

as Wallflower at Party *

Charles Clary Charles Clary (March 24, 1873 – March 24, 1931) was an American actor of the silent film era. Clary appeared in more than 200 films between 1910 and 1930. He was born in Charleston, Illinois and died on his 58th birthday in Los Angeles, Ca ...

as Dentist *Ann Howe as The Mooses' Maid *Malcolm Denny as Gigolo at Party

References

External links

* *
Like a Moose'' essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry
A&C Black, 2010 , pages 117-119 * * 1926 films American black-and-white films Films directed by Leo McCarey American silent short films United States National Film Registry films 1926 short films Silent American comedy films Films with screenplays by H. M. Walker Hal Roach Studios short films American comedy short films 1926 comedy films Works about plastic surgery 1920s American films {{short-silent-comedy-film-stub