Just Rambling Along (1918) – A quick trip back in time

Oj oj oj, stepping back into 1918 with Just Rambling Along is a bit like finding a gammel svensk myrstack in your shoe – totally unexpected but kind of interesting, you know? This goofy silent short with Stan Laurel, before he even met Hardy, always makes me feel a weird mix of nostalgia and, I don’t know, sympathy for how rough things seemed for folks in movies back then. Hal Roach is the guy producing, and hey, he basically shaped a ton of early comedy. It’s wild to see where it started.

Right, so the story? Basically, Stan’s the original lost soul, skint and hungry, trying to blag a meal and just getting knocked about by everyone – cooks, cops, and some lad who nicked his seat at the café. No dialogue, loads of exaggerated faces and pratfalls, and I swear the café noise nearly echoes in your head even from totally silent film. Cripes, sometimes the music (if you even get one of those dodgy old piano soundtracks) is squeakier than a Stockholm pendeltåg in November.

I remember once watching this with my mormor during one of those long Uppsala winter Sundays. She laughed so hard when Stan kept missing the pie, she dropped her bloody sock knitting straight into her coffee. Those tiny struggles, that feeling of never quite getting a break – I reckon it hits you harder if you’ve queued for Systembolaget on payday only to find they’re out of julmust.

Look, I’m not saying it’s a masterpiece. It’s a bit clunky, that ending is abrupt like a Swedish summer. And the jokes? Some barely land. But hell, there’s a charm I still love. Maybe stick it on next time you’re feeling a bit hårdly lucky. And if you’re curious where comedy legends got their start, this is like seeing an old family photo, weird hairstyles and all.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

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