I spent
lots of time taking Buster Keaton’s MGM talkies to task, as they well deserve,
but there’s a reason all of them – save Free and Easy, which is a crime against movies – are written up as The Good, the
Bad, and the Ugly posts. There is good there. This is
Buster we’re talking about, and he almost always wrestled at least one wonderful
scene or moment into these films. Here
are my favorites – you’ll notice they’re heavy on physical comedy. What does that tell you, MGM?
(Some of the pictures are pending. I couldn't find shots of all the pertinent scenes online, and since I'm moving this weekend, all my movies are in boxes right now.)
The Art of Seduction (Parlor, Bedroom and Bath)
Straitlaced
Reggie wants to convince the girl he loves that he’s a roguish playboy, but he’s
not sure how to go about it. A ringer is
brought in to teach him the seductive ropes, and he learns his script – verbal and physical – dutifully. It’s terrific slapstick, and Buster as hilarious
as he is athletic here, whipping his practice girl around with diligent gusto.
Dancing at the Company Show (Doughboys)
The
only way Elmer can see his girl is to join the company revue, already in
progress. In hastily-dressed drag, he
first fakes his way endearingly through the big group number, then goes full-on
deer-in-the-headlights when he’s pulled into the spotlight for a partner
dance. It’s half-dance, half-wrestle as Elmer
frantically tries to get away and his tenacious partner keeps an increasingly
tight grip on him. Some amazing tumbling from Buster.
Trying to Save the Show (Speak Easily)
Everything
goes wrong on the Broadway revue’s opening night, and Professor Post’s
fumbling, pedantic efforts to right the ship only add to the chaos. Buster is very funny as the stiff professor
getting caught up in the action; he punctiliously lectures the audience, runs onstage
at the slightest provocation, and ultimately winds up tangled in the
scenery. Some great gags here.
The Princess Rajah Dance (The Hollywood Revue of 1929)
I didn’t
review this film, which is mostly a bunch of MGM stars proving they can talk and
performing lavish numbers. In the midst
of the self-congratulatory ostentation comes Buster, in an act he created in
vaudeville and perfected overseas during WWI.
Wearing a DIY Arabian princess outfit – his skirt is decorated with
ladles and his headdress is adorned with a toothbrush, and so on – he does a
fantastic snake-charming dance (with a string of sausage links standing in for
his snake.) It’s equal parts acrobatic
and hysterical, and Buster just kills
it. Masterful.
Hiding the Dog (The Passionate Plumber)
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