Mabel’s Blunder (1914)
by popegrutch
This is the one Mabel Normand movie from 1914 I’ve seen which does not also star Charlie Chaplin. It’s not slapstick, but more of a situational comedy along the lines of “Troublesome Secretaries.” Mabel is in love with her co-worker, the son of the boss, but the boss is also sweet on her. When she thinks her beau is cheating on her, she switches clothes with her brother so she can spy on him. The boss sees her brother in her clothes, and mistakes him for her, asking her out to the same place the younger man has taken the mysterious other woman. Hilarity ensues when Mabel’s boy thinks she (as a man) is hitting on his sister, the girl who Mabel was jealous of, and when the boss’s wife catches him out with a boy dressed up as a girl. Overall, I don’t find the situational style of silent comedy holds up as well as the more physical approach, because there’s too much guessing what’s being said by whom, but this movie does invite some interesting speculations on the use of gender in comedy. As in Shakespeare’s time, the idea of men and women switching roles is an opportunity for confusion and laughter, which is resolved when everyone resumes his or her proper biological role. This sort of comedy still works today, suggesting that the gender order remains strong.
Director: Mabel Normand
Producer: Mack Sennett
Starring: Mabel Normand, Al St. John, Charles Bennett, Charley Chase
Run Time: 18 Min
You can watch it for free: here.
Century Film Project 
[…] one of the bellboys as Al St. John, but this may be as controversial as in the case of “Mabel’s Blunder,” so I won’t say for sure. While the rest of the cast are funny, it’s clear from this movie […]
That’s not Al St. John.
Thank you for your reply! Why do you say that it isn’t? I have to go by the most reliable sources I can find, which are often quite limited. In this case, both imdb and wikipedia claim it is Al St. John, while “The Silent Era” is (ahem) silent on the issue. It certainly looks like a young Al St. John to me, judging by the photos, but if you have more reliable information, please feel free to share it.