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Twa Hieland Lads
(1910) United States of America
B&W : One reel / 988 feet
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: (unknown)
The Vitagraph Company of America production; distributed by The Vitagraph Company of America. / Released 19 July 1910. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / Website-AFI notes that “Tommy Atkinson,” an incorrect reference to “Tommy Atkins,” was a slang term for a low-ranking British Army soldier.
Comedy.
Synopsis: [The Moving Picture World, 30 July 1910, page ?] Two Highland laddies, one seven feet four, the other five feet fat, tired of farm work and every other kind of work for that matter, are sent to the mill with bags of grain on their shoulders. After trudging through fields, they set their sacks on the ground, seat themselves on them, and begin to discuss the white man’s burdens and the general cussidness of labor. In the midst of their dialogue a “Tommy Atkinson” of the English army comes along, tells them that they are foolish to work so hard, and advises them to join the ranks. Slinging their bags away, they beat a double quick to the recruiting station, at which they arrive, and after an examination they are accepted and placed in the awkward squad of the “Kilties.” The Sergeant who takes them in hand becomes almost insane in his efforts to teach them military tactics. The boys of the regiment play all sorts of practical jokes on them, and one day while “long and lanky” and “short and squatty” are looking in the swimming tank, the boys push them in, clothes and all. The two bumpkins await a chance to get square with their comrades. Two officers of the regiment sauntering along stop and gaze into the tank, and the two guys shove their superiors into the water.
Reviews: [The Film Index, 16 July 1910, page 17] A comedy, a circus, a military parade, a regiment of Highlanders in kilties, bag pipers and a film full of the funniest dabs of fun are a combination hard to beat. “Twa Hieland Lads” is this and more too. Tommy Atkinson is there with all his tail feathers and a lot more oddities and novelties seldom seen in one picture and withal perfectly natural in its developments. The two principals are two extremes: one of the lads in seven feet four tall and the other lad is five feet fat. A titter, a laugh, and then a continuous laugh, that’s all.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 7 September 2023.
References: Robinson-Palace p. 142 : Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
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