Run Time: 16 minutes. Studio: Edison Studio. Director: Will Louis. Writer: Alan Crosland. Main Cast: Grace Morrissey, Raymond McKee, Billy Casey, Mrs. Wallace Erskine, Mabel Dwight.
It may seem strange today in a time when there are TV channels that play nothing but Christmas movies starting in late October, but Christmas films were not all over the place during the silent era. Excepting Laurel and Hardy's Big Business (1929), there are few Christmas movies from the silent era that are considered established classics and silent Christmas film often take some searching for. This personally though makes it a joy to a film buff when they find a good silent Christmas movie. Santa Claus Vs. Cupid (1915) may not be familiar to most Christmas movie fans, but it is a delightful short that puts a smile on my face each time I watch it.
If you can't guess by the title this movie's storyline revolves around a romance at Christmas time. What you may not be able to guess is just how much the filmmakers fit into this film's short running time. There are two stories happening at the same time here. One of them is a silly lighthearted romantic triangle mostly played for laughs. The other is a more dramatic story about a cab driver. This movie's writer, Alan Crosland, future director of such movies as The Flapper (1920) and The Jazz Singer (1927), does an excellent job tying these two stories together without there tones clashing. While two seemingly unrelated stories intertwining is something we are all familiar with today, in 1915 this was common practice for filmmakers, making all the more impressive of just how well done it is here.
Films often reflect the time they were made in. These can include backdrops, references that may not be as well known today or in the case of this movie a different way of storytelling. It is no secret that people back in the 1910's often had a greater attention span than the average person today. In today's movies, including most art films, important plot points are called attention to, because otherwise most of the audience would miss them. We may look at this with a little distain thinking we wouldn't be included in this group, but the truth is the we have become so reliant on this type of storytelling in our media that many of us fall into this group without even noticing it. This movie does not offer us such favors and in many ways demands our attention. Plot points can happen often in the background of scenes and can easily be missed if we let our mind wander. This makes this a film that warrants repeat viewings before we can truly get all that is going on. Yet if you give yourself completely over to this movie, you might be surprised at just how much fun you having watching this movie. From the humor to the sentimentality this movie is a Christmas delight and will be a treat to both silent film fans and newbies.
Luckily for anyone interested this film is available to watch on YouTube.
-Michael J. Ruhland Resource Used Santa Claus vs. Cupid (1915) | J.B. Kaufman
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