You’ve probably seen parts of this silent comedy classic before, featuring an eccentric inventor and his magnetic car. Here’s the story behind it. 

Chances are you’ve seen little snippets of this old silent comedy reel—it’s been spliced into countless films and television programs over the years. The gag, in a nutshell: A clever inventor uses a magnet to propel his tiny car around, catching a tow from the cars passing by. We thought it might be fun to share the rest of the story.

The actor in the clip is Snub Pollard, a comedy star of the Hollywood silent movie era. Originally from Australia, he was a contemporary of Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, writing and performing in films for Hal Roach Studios. His best known movie was a 1923 one-reeler called It’s a Gift, in which he plays an inventor with some novel ideas,  including a new concept in personal transportation. The sketch is featured in the video below—enjoy!