MovieChat Forums > Free and Easy (1930) Discussion > Buster Was Wonderful

Buster Was Wonderful

posted 17 years ago by DirectorOfActors
9 replies | jump to latest

I'm not really jazzed about the movie as a whole, but Buster was wonderful!
I loved that little song and dance! Buster is amazing, I never considered him a song-and-dance guy until I saw this movie, and he is amazing!
I will watch this movie purely for that song/dance scene and the very end shot of Buster looking devastated.
The rest of the movie is kinda cheesey, especially the scenes between Elvira and Larry Mitchell. The mother was just annoying and didn't make a lot of sense most of the time.
The scenes I enjoyed the most (other than the dance and the last shot) were the ones that contained "classic Buster". Such as, the scene where Buster is taking a beating from all those big women who are auditioning for the role that the mother gets. The one flip was so awesome!
It may just be my opinion, but I found that the multitude of cameos were fairly unnecessary and I was kinda bored while watching them.
I loved the final shot of Buster as he looks totally devastated, and I really felt the heartbreak. The best acting in the movie is in that single moment.
Anyways, to sum up, I loved the song and dance near the end, and Buster was amazing. Not his best, but still enjoyable. Not so much can be said for the entire movie, but he makes it bearable.

P.S. But I must say, during the dance, those weird pants and huge boots were absolutely hideous!

OK, that's my opinion. Do with it what you like...

[–] eyan_eyan2001 16 years ago

>I will watch this movie purely for that song/dance scene and the very end shot of Buster looking devastated

I totally agree! He looks wonderful and so sexy when he dances(at least he does to me). It's a bit hard for me to watch him looking devastated though as it is too heartbreaking...

[–] collin-reid 16 years ago

I am sure that is acting at the end. I think he is either very depressed to be in this movie or he was hung over as his drinking was becoming a problem with MGM.

[–] offyourrockers 15 years ago

Yeah, his life was beginning to unravel -- his wife divorcing him, taking his children away and changing their names, loss of creative control and his own studio, drinking problem. I'm glad he finally found happiness with Eleanor.
One wonders if he hadn't have signed with MGM, what other masterpieces he would have created.

http://www.getoffyourrockers.com

[–] rcleblanc 15 years ago

True. You could hear it in his voice that he was "gravelly'.

[–] Chrissie 15 years ago

I couldn't get past those godawful pants and that hideous makeup. Why not just hang laundry in the Louvre? Why not grind up prime rib and turn it into Armour Potted Meat Product?

Buster had the most amazing eyes in the business. He could say more with those eyes than most actors could express with voice, face, and body combined. And what does MGM do? Obscure those eyes behind goofy makeup.

Yeah, they were shooting for "the sad clown". But why hide his eyes? A decent makeup artist could have done a clown look that accentuated his eyes.

[–] Chrissie 15 years ago

If you want to see buster doing a breathtaking moment of heartbreak, watch "The Cameraman".

[–] MissyH316 12 years ago

I've not seen any of Buster's talking pictures from the 1930's and 40's because it hurts too much to see how they, as you said, turned prime rib into potted meat. Thank goodness for the loving re-interest in him as television came in vogue. Hah! Buster at least got the last laugh on them all, *I* think. :-)

But you certainly hit the nail on the head about "The Cameraman". Recently I told someone that if they think Chaplin had the market cornered on blending pathos with comedy, they were totally wrong!

"Think slow, act fast." --Buster Keaton

[–] Chrissie 12 years ago

Some of the Columbia shorts actually aren't bad, and have moments well worth watching. "Mooching Through Georgia" is my favorite, although for some inexplicable reason they use a stunt double for one brief shot -- not even a dangerous stunt!

"The Taming of the Snood" is a dumb movie, but the director allowed Buster to recreate a lot of his family's old table-centered vaudeville act with Elsie Ames, so it's well worth watching. I think Elsie was actually a good foil for Buster. Big Joe Roberts was *physically* larger than Buster, offering an amusing contrast. Elsie's *presence* was more blown up, again offering an amusing contrast.

[–] iwals 13 years ago

"I loved the final shot of Buster as he looks totally devastated, and I really felt the heartbreak. The best acting in the movie is in that single moment."

DirectorOfActors, you summed up my feelings for this film. I feel the ending uplifted the whole movie to the next level.

Nobody gets to be a cowboy forever.