 The Bunnygraphs , as a genre , were representative of the cinema of the period , and were very successful , making Bunny the first American comic film star and Finch the first female star comedian . A Cure for Pokeritis , released February 23 , 1912 , was individually well @-@ received , including in showings outside the United States . The Thames Star , a New Zealand newspaper , described the film as " screamingly funny " . After John Bunny 's death , interest in his films led Vitagraph in 1917 to announce the re @-@ release of this film ( retitled A Sure Cure for Pokeritis ) , along with many of his other works , as " Favorite Film Features " . However , the comedy style of A Cure for Pokeritis has not aged well , especially in contrast to Mack Sennett 's slapstick films and the works of later comedians such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton . According to film scholars Donald McCaffrey and Christopher Jacobs , modern viewers " will hardly get a flicker of a smile " from the film , despite the skill of its actors . 
