Billy Dooley was a dancer whom Christie and Paramount promoted into a silent comedian in the late 1920s. His character was a sailor who usually walked around with a toddler's smile. His starring career did not last long.
This is one of his better shorts, with stronger production values. It is set in Turkey "where men have wives for every day of the year and Mothers-in-Law for April Fool's Day". It is directed by Arvid Gillstrom, who had started out with Billy West and would continue to direct good works until his early death in 1935 at the age of 45. Naturally Billy winds up in a harem, whence he must rescue Vera Steadman, an American tourist.
Dooley's movements are very large and stylized which, to me, suggests the whole character is a pose.I find it annoying. But Gillstrom chooses his gags in this one to take advantage of Dooley's dancing ability and title-writer Al Martin turns in some amusing titles. It was worth ten minutes of my time and probably of yours.
