His Wedding Night (1917)

“His Wedding Night” is a 1917 American silent comedy film, a two-reel production, created, directed, and starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. In this film, the storyline revolves around Al and Roscoe’s rivalry for Alice’s affection, set within the backdrop of a drugstore. Roscoe’s character manages the gas pump and tosses melons, while Buster delivers a wedding gown meant for Alice. An unexpected twist occurs when Buster inadvertently starts modeling the dress, leading to confusion, and ultimately, Al’s mistaken abduction of Buster, thinking he is Alice.

It’s worth noting that around the 4-minute and 45-second mark of the film, a luxury car arrives at the pharmacy where Roscoe’s character works, right by the gas pump. Inside the car, two elegantly dressed young women engage in conversation while Roscoe negotiates with the driver.

There has been a misconception that one of these women is Virginia Rappe, an actress who would later become embroiled in a scandal related to Arbuckle’s career. However, this information is incorrect. The attractive woman in the car is actually Natalie Talmadge, who would go on to become the wife of Arbuckle’s co-star, Buster Keaton.

Watch the full movie by clicking the PLAY button below.

Cast

• Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle in the role of the drugstore soda clerk
• Al St. John portraying the rival suitor
• Buster Keaton as the delivery boy
• Alice Mann taking on the character of Alice
• Arthur Earle
• Jimmy Bryant
• Josephine Stevens appearing as the lady customer
• Alice Lake
• Natalie Talmadge, making an uncredited appearance as the attractive woman in the car

His Wedding Night (1917) – Story Line

Arbuckle plays the role of a lackadaisical and unscrupulous store clerk who finds himself in a series of comical situations. These include incidents like unintentionally using perfume laced with chloroform on customers and engaging in antics with a stubborn donkey. He has his sights set on proposing to Alice, his boss’s daughter, but has to contend with competition from a fellow employee, Al. When Alice rejects Al’s proposal, it leads to a chaotic turn of events.

In an attempt to kidnap Alice and coerce her into marrying him, Arbuckle inadvertently grabs the delivery boy (Buster Keaton) instead. Unaware of the mix-up, Arbuckle embarks on a mission to rescue her, even going so far as to almost pay a justice of the peace to marry him to Keaton. The film concludes with Arbuckle successfully marrying Alice and then using his chloroform-laced perfume to reclaim the money he had paid the justice of the peace.