The Candy Kid

In The Candy Kid, two rival candy stores fight over an attractive cashier — so one decides to blow his competitor to kingdom come!

The Candy Kid (1917) starring Billy West, Oliver Hardy, Leo White

Thee Candy Kid is a silent film comedy, starring Charlie Chaplin imitator Billy West, who does a very good impersonation. The basic story is a conflict between two candy stores, one doing well and the other poorly. The success of the first, Leo White’s, is due to his lovely, kindly cashier. The other has a gruff, unfriendly cashier who drives customers away. Then, Leo makes advances on the cashier — which she disapproves of. And leaves!

The other business, run by Oliver Hardy, sees the opportunity, and hires her. And all of the customers follow her! So what can Leo do? Why he plans to hire someone to blow it up! And Billy decides to apply for the job. But it requires a strong man. What can he do? Eat onions, of course! At least his breath is strong …

And the comedy of errors come fast & furious. Billy nearly sets off the explosives in Leo’s back room, gets a light for his bomb from a policeman, and throws it away when the policeman gets suspicious. It lands on the back of Oliver’s wife, but Billy knocks it away in time …. And it blows up in Leo’s face!

Then Oliver’s wife insists that Billy gets hired in the candy shop, uses a carpet beater as a fly swatter, hitting Oliver and other employees, ending the short film.