This
film is from the tail end of Buster Keaton’s era of independent shorts, when, by
all accounts, he was getting itchy to move on to features and had waning
interest in the format. By his
standards, it’s certainly middling, although there are still some solid
sequences and good laughs to be had.
Thanks
to an ill-timed phone call, a broken window, and a judge who only speaks
Polish, Buster accidentally winds up marrying an abrasive woman who’s none too
keen on him (don’t you just hate it when that happens?) Because the logical next step after you
accidentally marry someone you don’t like is “be married to them,” Buster’s
less-than-blushing bride takes him home to meet the in-laws, a boorish clan
with more than its share of oversized brothers.
What follows is Buster’s misadventures as he halfheartedly tries to
ingratiate himself into his new “family;” the tiffs, the misunderstandings, and
the slapstick are all out in full force.
If I
had to pick a prevailing sensation for this short, it’s “disinterested.” It feels a bit like it’s just going through the
motions, a short-by-numbers rather than a short by Buster. It moves fluidly enough from sequence to
sequence (unlike some of his early mid-range shorts, he’s definitely learned
how to craft a film at this point,) but it doesn’t seem terribly excited about
getting there.
Which
isn’t to say there’s nothing good here.
There are certainly Bustery touches to be had – it’s just that they
flavor the short rather than saturate it.
Buster’s woes in trying to sort out his bed are top-notch, his strategy
for wrestling a little dinner for himself off the plates of his ravenous
in-laws is fun, and I just love the moment he shivers and turns up his collar
after they all give him the stink-eye (it’s such a little thing, but it makes
all the difference.) Oh, and I like it
when, having knocked out one of his brothers-in-law with a brick, he then uses
the same brick as a pillow for the unconscious man. In these moments, you can feel Buster’s
personality coming through.
In
general, it actually feels more like a Fatty Arbuckle short. This isn’t a comment on the lackadaisical
execution – the Arbuckle-Keaton shorts are mostly livelier, funnier, and more
creative than this – so I don’t mean it as a knock against Arbuckle. No, the similarity is in the style of the
slapstick. Much of Buster’s work focuses
on 1) expert tumbling and 2) creative evasions in chase scenes to get the
physical humor, but there’s not a lot of that here. Instead, there’s more Arbuckle-esque
fighting. Punches, kicks, flung objects –
this one’s down ‘n’ dirty, with a rougher quality that feels more reminiscent
of Arbuckle’s slapstick sensibilities than Buster’s. There’s a bit of a chase in the climax, which
perks up a little, but the main thrust is still on clobbering.
Overall,
okay. I’d say this short falls into the “good
for a silent movie” category, whereas Buster’s more signature stuff is just
plain “good” (or, let’s be honest, “amazing!”), no qualifications necessary.
Warnings
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