Above the Limit (1900) User Reviews

Double or nothing!

[MrCritical1 · 10/10 · 2 November 2003]

Charles E. Grapewin stars in this comedy. Grapewin who was a vaudeville act is regarded many as one of the best actors of early cinema.

This film has great physical comedy. Even without sound you are able to understand the scope of emotions Grapewin experiences.

10* (10* Rating System)

Really impossible to rate...

[planktonrules · 20 March 2014]

I noticed that another reviewer scored this one a 10. Well, I choose not to rate it at all. That's because the film is only about 50 seconds long and there just isn't enough to rate--which is true of most films from the 1890s and very, very early 1900s. Most films during this time were about a minute or two and only give you a small glimpse into the time.

In this case, Charlie Grapewin does a silent monologue as the character Chimmie Hicks. Interestingly, the stage is bare and black and Grapewin acts as if he's at the race track--and he is quite convincing in such a minimalist setting. The only other performer is his bookie who is only briefly in the film. Through the course of the quick film, you see Chimmie at the heights of excitement and depths of despair--depending on how his horse is doing in a particular race. The acting is pretty exciting to watch and this is a nice historical clip to remember Grapewin's vaudeville act (he later was a supporting actor in films).

Chimmie Hicks

[Michael_Elliott · 6 August 2015]

Above the Limit (1900)

Also known as CHIMMIE HICKS AT THE RACES, comedian Charley Grapewin plays the character who is at the races cheering on a bet he just made. The style of this picture is that Crapewin is on an empty stage and we just see him acting out like he's cheering on a horse and the aftermath of the race. I thought this gimmick was somewhat unique and certainly different from some of the acts from this period. With that said, while the actor does a fine job at acting this out, there's really nothing too funny about it. It's interesting to note that the IMDb lists Crapewin playing this character twice in 1900 and then there aren't any more credits until 1929 but then he acted for the next couple decades.