mystery of the leaping fish (1924!)

[mr Raffles]

Have you ever seen a silent b-movie? I got his one at a closeout.  It's sort of like a cheech and chong adventure.  I can't really tell you what the "leaping fish" mystery is because there is no leaping fish, but one motif seems to be a parody of Sherlock Holmes, particularly his penchant for cocaine.  There is a huge jar marked "cocaine" he has an endless supply of syringes and he keeps injecting himself in his hand and then laughing.  It's really dark.  my Mom is a nurse and thought it was hysterical.  There's a woman named "The Fish Blower". I read an interview with the woman who wrote the script, she couldn't remember having written it!  it comes with another feuture called "Chess fever" which has some funny stuff: the guys are obsessed with chess they read these little books about chess, so the wife takes it and throws it and the guy picks another one out of his pocket and so on.  Some of it's kind of surreal like a guy putting a flier for a chess match on the side of the compartment of a horse and buggy!! and there are all these kittens for some reason like he's leaving the house and he keeps finding kittens in his poket. kind corny but...

[Vermin Boy]

I checked the IMDb... Turns out the movie was cowritten by Tod Browning and DW Griffith! Definitely sounds like an odd one, I may have to track down a copy.

[Ken Begg]

I believe they showed this at B-Fest a couple of years ago.  I missed much of it because I went downstairs for some breakfast.

[peter johnson]

That is the great Douglas Fairbanks in the lead role!!  Dig the candy-striped car!!
This film is actually from 1916, not 1924 -- this must've been its copyright renewal date.  Fairbanks was a WAY too huge star by 1924 to have acted in this --
There is too a leaping fish -- these are the inflatable fish that the evil gang are using to smuggle opium onto shore -- hence the fish-blower.
Coke Ennyday -- the detective -- is indeed a Holmes parody --
A problem with the film is that it is so old and so many copies have none of the restored footage from the numerous breaks.  Try to get a restored or collectors copy and it will make a lot more sense & be even funnier --

[Flangepart]

Good grief! It could have been the insperation for J-men Forever! It sure sounds like a Firesign Theater Plot!

[peter johnson]

AIEEE!!  Firesign!!  My Weakness!!. . . ..
It really is a bizarre presentation.  I urge everyone to see this unique thing, perhaps as a short before Buster Keaton's "Sherlock Jr.", as both films involve Chinamen and drugs --
"Leaping Fish" is remarkable for many reasons, not the least of which is the positively lighthearted take it does on cocaine and heroin use.  When Coke Ennyday wishes to disable an enemy, he simply blows a handful of powder on them, some of them even fly!!
The scenery involves revolving spiral designs on many objects, just like the b.s. hypnotism device in John Waters' Hairspray.
Whenever Coke starts to nod off, a simpering Chinese Servant comes running through the scene & pops him with a shot to bring him back to speed.
Lots of stupid jaw-dropping nonsense.  Phil (Firesign Theatre) Proctor loves this thing --

[Flangepart]

Ah ha! I knew it! And Phil Proctor! Do i know my Firesign or what!?

[mr Raffles]

It also got a passing reference in Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon, my favorite book of all time.