The Blundering Blacksmiths

It is Sunday in Cobweb Corners. The ring of hammer in our hero's blacksmith shop is silent. The melody of a hymn steals out of the village church. The village belle is flirting with the simple-hearted smith. It is Monday, and the village belle is plunged in sorrow. Hiram Hardheart demands her hand in marriage. He will foreclose the mortgage. Enter the smith. Exit the villain. Fate opens the way to pay off the mortgage. The smith challenges One Punch Murph. They fight for a purse of $1,000. The village belle in boy's clothing sits near the ring, to urge her sturdy champion on. Round one. Saved by the bell. Round two. The blacksmith knocks out everybody, including the referee. Hardheart gets the money and the smith gets the girl.

Directed by Lloyd Hamilton, The Blundering Blacksmiths leans on a strong ensemble — Lloyd Hamilton, Bud Duncan, Ethel Teare — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1917.