Is Fatty at San Diego Worth Watching? Honest Movie Review & Audience Verdict (1913)

📖 The Core Premise

Fatty at San Diego returns to the screen in 1913, bringing a fresh narrative to the Comedy genre. At its heart, the film explores complex themes wrapped in a compelling storyline. As the plot unfolds, we see characters navigating a world where stakes are high. "Fatty induces wife to let him take a day off to go to the celebration at San Diego. He has a wonderful time, flirting with the girls, breaking up a parade, fighting the police force and falling into the fountain with him, escapes, and with the crowd after him, leaps into the river. Here he rescues a little boy and becomes a hero. He goes home to wife in a bedraggled condition, tells of rescue and is set upon a pedestal. Wife, as a reward, takes him to the movies at night and sees husband flirting and fighting in the fountain, where some enterprising cameraman caught him. That explaining, as she thought, the bedraggled state in which he arrived home, she turns and beats him all the way home."

🎬 Performance & Direction

A movie's success often hinges on its execution. In Fatty at San Diego, even the presence of Roscoe Arbuckle struggles to save a script that feels disjointed. The direction aims to balance pacing with character development, a hallmark of good Comedy. While there are moments of brilliance, the pacing occasionally dips.

🤔 Why You Should Watch (or Skip)

Is Fatty at San Diego worth your time? If you appreciate Comedy films that take risks, this is likely a decent one-time watch. However, if you are looking for a flawless masterpiece, you might find some plot points predictable.

🏆 Final Verdict

Ultimately, Fatty at San Diego misses the mark on several fronts. With a runtime of 14 minutes, it asks for a significant time investment, but for the right audience, it pays off.

Our recommendation: Skip It.