Speak Easily (1932)
Maybe Hollywood thought it was a good idea, because Buster Keaton’s speaking voice was hesitant and coarser than was expected, to cast him in a role that might give him the opposite impression. In Speak Easily, Buster plays a stuffy, highly educated professor who talks in such big words, no one understands him. He even corrects the grammar of the slang “speak easy” into the title phrase. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work. I love Buster, but he can’t pull off being a college professor, and when he sounds like a midwestern truck driver, his highfalutin words sound like even he doesn’t understand them.
If you want to see Buster Keaton in a talkie, you’ve got plenty of other options. My favorite is Parlor, Bedroom and Bath, because his timing is good and his character makes total sense with the sound of his voice. Speak Easily is pretty silly and doesn’t translate well in the modern age. Also, the second lead is Jimmy Durante, the polar opposite of comedic style from Buster Keaton. Jimmy never used physical comedy and he liked to laugh at his own jokes, something Buster never did. It feels a little odd to see them join forces.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There’s a scene where Buster and Thelma get drunk, and for a few seconds cuckoo clocks spin around in a circle, and that will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "kelsey richardson" for posting!
More Buster Keaton movies here!
If you want to see Buster Keaton in a talkie, you’ve got plenty of other options. My favorite is Parlor, Bedroom and Bath, because his timing is good and his character makes total sense with the sound of his voice. Speak Easily is pretty silly and doesn’t translate well in the modern age. Also, the second lead is Jimmy Durante, the polar opposite of comedic style from Buster Keaton. Jimmy never used physical comedy and he liked to laugh at his own jokes, something Buster never did. It feels a little odd to see them join forces.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There’s a scene where Buster and Thelma get drunk, and for a few seconds cuckoo clocks spin around in a circle, and that will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "kelsey richardson" for posting!
More Buster Keaton movies here!