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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1035

The Fatal Mallet

191418 minUnited States
Comedy

Synopsis

Three suitors compete for a woman's attention and quickly abandon fair play. Bricks, a mallet and temporary alliances turn courtship into a chaotic contest. One man's attempt to betray his partner threatens both the partnership and the romantic prize they have been fighting over.

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Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs
13:37
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Mack Sennett · Public domain

This copy runs shorter than the reference runtime. Editing and playback speed can differ between editions.

Cast

DirectorsMack Sennett

Historical context

Mack Sennett directs and joins Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand on screen. The short belongs to Chaplin's Keystone period, when romantic rivalry often supplied a simple framework for escalating physical comedy.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 15, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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