IMDb RATING
6.9/10
2.6K
YOUR RATING
An unimpressive but well intending man is given the chance to marry a popular actress, of whom he has been a hopeless fan. But what he doesn't realize is that he is being used to make the ac... Read allAn unimpressive but well intending man is given the chance to marry a popular actress, of whom he has been a hopeless fan. But what he doesn't realize is that he is being used to make the actress' old flame jealous.An unimpressive but well intending man is given the chance to marry a popular actress, of whom he has been a hopeless fan. But what he doesn't realize is that he is being used to make the actress' old flame jealous.
Jack Byron
- Giovanni Scarzi
- (as John Byron)
Joe Bordeaux
- Rumrunner
- (uncredited)
Ray Cooke
- The Bellboy
- (uncredited)
Mike Donlin
- Man in Ship's Engine Room
- (uncredited)
Pat Harmon
- Tugboat Captain
- (uncredited)
Sydney Jarvis
- Man in Audience Next to Elmer
- (uncredited)
Theodore Lorch
- Actor as 'Union Officer'
- (uncredited)
Hank Mann
- Stage Manager
- (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan
- Tough Sailor
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBuster Keaton wanted this film to be a full talkie, but MGM released it with only a musical score and sound effects. One thing that prevented this picture from being a full talkie was that MGM was late to the sound game and had only one full set of recording equipment at the time. Its Loew's Theater chain also was not yet fully equipped to show sound pictures. Plus, MGM's head of production reasoned Keaton's films were made with a lot of time-consuming improvisations and didn't think the added expense of using valuable, scarce sound equipment was worth it.
- GoofsIn the dressing-room, while attempting to trim the hair for his false beard, Elmer accidentally severs the left-hand shoulder strap of his tank-top undershirt and has no time to repair it. When he hurriedly changes back into his smart clothes after the performance, both straps are still whole.
- Quotes
Trilby Drew: What's that blonde hanging around you for?
Lionel Benmore: Can I help it if I'm good-looking?
- Crazy creditsRather than appear at the beginning, the MGM roaring lion opening appears after the conclusion of the film, but just before "The End" title, which immediately follows it.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Arena: Cinema: Christmas Special (1976)
- SoundtracksI'd Rather Be Blue Over You
(uncredited)
Music by Fred Fisher
Lyrics by Billy Rose
Played as background music at the cafe
Featured review
The story isn't much, but Buster packs every scene with so many gags that you don't mind. It's easy to see why he was so successful, until MGM stuck him with stories that were totally unsuitable.
The original score is fantastic, here - it includes a great deal of popular music and makes commentary on the situations, but the meaning will be lost on most modern viewers (I collect records from that period, so I recognize most all of it); even so, it moves the action right along and gives us a rare chance to experience a silent film just as it was presented to contemporary audiences. No cheesy piano accompaniment, here! The sound effects are well done, and used sparingly.
The shipboard scenes could have been trimmed a bit; they seem to drag. Otherwise, time flies during this movie - you won't regret watching it! Just compare it with the average sound 'comedy' which Hollywood produced until 1932 or so, and you'll realize how they lost the art of making good films for a while. It's a crime that Keaton wasn't given the chance to produce his own talkies, because he might have changed the whole concept of what made a good SOUND comedy! It's a wonder that audiences didn't rebel against the boring, static, yawnful talk-fests that early sound comedies became; maybe the novelty of Talkies really WAS enough to bring them into the theaters.
I'd haven given this a 10, except for the draggy ship scenes - but the ending is satisfyingly Keatonesque!
The original score is fantastic, here - it includes a great deal of popular music and makes commentary on the situations, but the meaning will be lost on most modern viewers (I collect records from that period, so I recognize most all of it); even so, it moves the action right along and gives us a rare chance to experience a silent film just as it was presented to contemporary audiences. No cheesy piano accompaniment, here! The sound effects are well done, and used sparingly.
The shipboard scenes could have been trimmed a bit; they seem to drag. Otherwise, time flies during this movie - you won't regret watching it! Just compare it with the average sound 'comedy' which Hollywood produced until 1932 or so, and you'll realize how they lost the art of making good films for a while. It's a crime that Keaton wasn't given the chance to produce his own talkies, because he might have changed the whole concept of what made a good SOUND comedy! It's a wonder that audiences didn't rebel against the boring, static, yawnful talk-fests that early sound comedies became; maybe the novelty of Talkies really WAS enough to bring them into the theaters.
I'd haven given this a 10, except for the draggy ship scenes - but the ending is satisfyingly Keatonesque!
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Matrimonio forzado
- Filming locations
- Hotel Carmel - 201 Broadway St, Santa Monica, California, USA(Lionel confronts Buster outside this hotel on the 2nd Street side - still in business in 2022)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 16 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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