"The Rent Collector" is a comedy short from forgotten silent film star Larry Semon. While Semon was very popular in the day, today very few would recall his name...which is a shame as often his films were fun and highly acrobatic...and this one is no exception.
The story is set in a very mean town...with lots of big thugs who delight on beating up people and stealing. The biggest meanie is played by Oliver Hardy...who often played thugs in this point in his career. Into this nutty environment arrives a group of social workers. When one of them is accidentally left behind, Larry does what he often does in films...comes to the rescue of a lady and stands up to much tougher and stronger foes...defeating them using his wit and acrobatics.
Overall, a high energy and fun film...not one of Semon's best but still quite nice.