Watch Black Eyes

As the feature film was becoming dominant over the course of 1915, Edison, like other American producers, had clearly mastered the one reel format (as BLACK EYES demonstrates). This is an enjoyable domestic comedy about marital discord and reconciliation. Nothing is allowed to get too serious and all ends happily. The story is structured around parallels and coincidence, as Mr. and Mrs. Willard each seek their own entertainments on the sly but fail miserably in their deceptions. The actors are adept and keep the situations light and charming. As for the flash-frame between the opening credits? Seemingly from an earlier (or perhaps later) circulating print of the film.