Rosalie et son phonographe [Rosalie and Her Phonograph] (Romeo Bosetti, 1911)
Mar
28
Something-on-a-Stick Day
Rosalie (Sarah Duhamel) dances to her new phonograph. Duhamel makes eye contact with the viewer throughout the film, and even formally introduces herself during the intro.
A laugh out loud scene for Something on a Stick Day (USA)
Bonsoir. Je m'appelle Rosalie!
Rosalie (the wonderful Sarah Duhamel) buys herself a phonograph and is delighted by the wonders it brings. Quick, the whole household should know!
Not only the obvious moments (no spoilers here), but the small, seemingly improvised bits is what makes Rosalie stand out above American productions of the time – with the exception of Roscoe Arbuckle's; his water bucket pun in His Wife's Mistakes (1916) still has me in stitches.
Duhamel makes great use of her physique, and doesn't shy away from looking inelegant, boorish even. Her hips are for pushing things and men out of her way, and her mighty paws easily toss any unwieldy piece of furniture out of the window.
Like Rosalie's irresistible gusto and her delightful ditties, the combination of Duhamel's physical comedy and (former #vaudeville-ian) Bosetti's Italian-flavoured slapstick, plus some of the best stop-motion trickery I've ever seen, is simply magical.