The Wild Man of Borneo (1910)

movie

Country: USA
Genres: Comedy, Short
Release: 1910-06-13
Director: N/A
Writers: N/A
Language: None | English
Stars: Harry Myers , George Reehm
Runtime: min
Awards: N/A
AKA: The Wild Man of Borneo , The Wild Man of Borneo (United States of America)
Plot: The wild man is not wild, at least when he starts out to be. Nothing could be less suggestive of wildness than the fun-loving college boy who is induced by his chums to turn professional freak. There is a circus in town and when the boys find a masquerade suit dropped by some guest at a ball just closing about sunrise they conceive the idea of getting one of their number up in the wild man suit and selling him to the circus proprietor as a side show attraction. Jim Hanley is something of an athlete and shines in college theatricals, so he is appointed the wild man while another chap assumes the role as manager and starts off for the circus to negotiate with the proprietor. The man who owns the side show is quite willing to buy a wild man or anything else that will add to the daily receipts and expresses a desire to see the freak. The boys go back for Jim and presently make their appearance on the lot towing the wild man along on a chain. He is pretty convincing looking wild man to an outsider but the old showman knows a lot about the manufacture of Egyptian mummies, three legged boys and things like that and it takes him just about 1/27th part of a second to determine that the boys are trying to have some fun with him. A wild man with burnt corked hands and a white face isn't regarded in show circles as a strictly high grade wild man suitable for a forty-car show, and the manager decides that since the boys are looking for fun he will see to it that they have all they want. Taking Jim into the tent he sends back word that he will try out the freak at the matinee and make the purchase if the audience finds the new attraction to its liking. The others go off in gleeful anticipation of the fun they are going to have at the afternoon show guying Jim, but they are denied this little amusement for as soon as Jim is inside he is thrust into an empty cage and is given a gorilla for company. This is rather more than he bargained for and so Jim goes away from there with some difficulty and in a great hurry. The gorilla is about three feet behind him as he makes the start but he gets a better lead once he is in the open and heads for the dormitory. Terror lends wings to his feet and he makes all sorts of short cuts, through windows, over pedestrians, street stands and whatnot until he distances the gorilla and panting and worn out arrives at the college. Not until he reaches the room does he feel safe and recites the story of his perils to his chums. But the gorilla is not through with him yet, for a hairy face appears at the window, as uncouth form tumbles through the sash and as the boys are about to give themselves up to a painful death the gorilla removes his mask and with the proprietor's compliments explains that the wild man's wildness is not of the proper sort to make him acceptable to a circus management. It's about as good a laugh as you've had lately and we've been generous with laughs at that.
IMDB:tt1799144