The Marvelous Marathoner

The Marvelous Marathoner

(One reel of 1,023 feet, August 16, 1915)
Print source: Library of Congress, 13 minutes 12 seconds.
Scenario by Lloyd F. Lonergan for the Falstaff brand.
Cast: Boyd Marshall (Walter Bodewick), Ruth Elder (Vivian Webster), Justus D. Barnes (Ewing Webster), D. Hegeman (Colotta Cummings).
Original music composed and performed by Raymond A. Brubacher.

An energetic and vivacious Falstaff comedy with good pacing combining physical comedy (without slapstick) with situation comedy.

Thanhouser’s “Falstaff Comedies” was a schedule of one-reel comedies released each Friday beginning in April 1915, later changed to each Tuesday. Looking for a niche, Thanhouser’s short plot-driven comedies stood out from other studios’ trend toward longer offerings and broad gag-oriented comedy. The Falstaff comedies were what could be called situation comedies calling on the outstanding screenwriting skill of Lloyd Lonergan and the acting charm of the Thanhouser stock company. Marathoner enjoys energetic and vivacious comedy pacing combining physical comedy (without slapstick) with situation comedy.

Skillful cinematography, many interesting locations, and creative lighting for interiors add to the fine visual quality. Some serious nitrate deterioration has compromised a brief part of this surviving print