Search - Parlour, Bedroom & Bath on DVD

Artistic Slapstick

M. Childress | NYC | 08/21/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This film raises slapstick to the level of art. Buster Keaton's elastic physicality is matched by that of Charlotte Greenwood. In one scene, Mr. Keaton raises Ms. Greenwood above his head, while kissing her. Later, Ms. Greenwood does the splits while "unconscious." Few stars would dare to attempt such things today.

This is one of Buster's first, rare talking films, and his voice is surprisingly deep and resonate. His mild-mannered shy guy routine (and his determination to break out of his shell) gives him appeal. The script has some snappy lines worth keeping up with.

What can I say? This movie made me and my friends laugh out loud.

"

OK example of a pre-code, bad vehicle for Buster

calvinnme | 09/09/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you ignor that this film is part of the downhill slide Buster Keaton's professional life is experiencing at the hands of MGM, this is a rather enjoyable example of a pre-code farce, particularly the last half of the film that is set at the hotel. The first half is rather slow and clumsy, and has a rather unbelievable premise - a wealthy young woman, Angelica, is only attracted to womanizing cads, and furthermore only wants to marry such a man. Normally, this would just be her problem, but her younger sister wants to marry, and due to custom cannot until the older sister does so. The younger sister's fiancee enlists Buster's character, Reggy, to play the part of international playboy and hopefully future husband for Angelica since Reggy is quite attracted to the older sister, but is completely inexperienced with women.

The second half of the film is the amusing part. It's set at a hotel where Buster is supposed to have a prearranged rendezvous with a woman and be discovered by Angelica, thus sealing his reputation as a cad and stealing her heart. Unfortunately, Buster takes the wrong woman to the hotel - and she's a woman who happens to have an insanely jealous husband. The woman Buster is supposed to meet, Charlotte Greenwood, is the funniest part of this film. She literally steals the "training session" scene she has with Buster. Cliff Edwards has some funny lines too as the hotel bell boy who keeps walking in on Keaton who is always in the embrace of a different woman each time.

It's just so sad to see MGM casting Buster once again as a clueless bumbling fool and doing their best to make it look ridiculous that Buster could ever be considered a ladie's man. Keaton does the best he can with the material he is given, but it makes you wonder what could have been if anyone had listened to his ideas about making comedies in the sound era.

As for film quality, I have never seen a copy of this film that was not unacceptably fuzzy. The only one I'd recommend is the copy that comes with "Industrial Strength Keaton". That copy has been restored and it shows. Plus it has a commentary track and there is a featurette included about Keaton's mansion, the Italian villa, which is the setting for the first half of the film."

GREAT CHANCE FOR A STICKY BEAK

Brigalow | Australia | 01/10/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Parlour, Bedroom and Bath is certainly no great Keaton moment on film. The main interest here is that miserly MGM trying to save money took up Keaton's offer to use his house in Beverly Hills as the house in the movie. And you get to look up real close, you see the garden furniture and beautiful steps leading to the pool, which have now been separated into two different housing lots I believe. The internal shots were not filmed in The Italian Villa, but rather back at the studio.

I always get the opinion that MGM saw Keaton as romantic light comedy player, sort of Cary Grant perhaps. Keaton on the otherhand though I am sure not unaware of his attractiveness to the opposite sex, would rather have just been allowed to be the comic genius is certainly was.

The premise is that Keaton who is tacking up advertising outside the Italian Villa is run over by Reginald Denny, who is a guest staying at the house. Keaton is taken back to the house to recover. Denny wanting to marry the younger of two sisters who refuses to marry him until her eldest and so far spinster sister marries first, decides to tell everyone that Keaton is in fact a great lover. On hearing this the eldest sister suddenly becomes interested and decides that she is to marry Keaton. Keaton's character is certainly no great lover and finally the elder sister finds that out herself, and the marriage is off. Denny can't have that and decides that he is going to teach Reggie to be the great lover, enter Charlotte Greenwood. This leads to some funny and some not so funny moments. I do like the chase scene towards the end of the movie and the bit where Keaton and Greenwood are standing behind a pole.

Keaton borrows from One Week with one of the scenes when he and Joan Peters are in a car (I did read that he got to play around with the car for a couple of weeks before the movie-it is such a great looking car too).

If you like farce you will like this, I've watched it perhaps three times and I always enjoy it, just that you know Keaton was capable of so much better.



"

Early Keaton Talkie Has Its Moments

Scott T. Rivers | Los Angeles, CA USA | 06/26/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Deprived of creative freedom, Buster Keaton had no say in the dialogue-heavy scripts MGM foisted upon him. "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath" (1931) was adapted from a stage farce - the type of frenetic humor he strongly disliked. Nevertheless, Keaton and director Edward Sedgwick transform the play into an uneven yet occasionally hilarious film. This early talkie finds the Great Stone Face mistaken for a notorious lover and forced to continue the charade. In a classic sequence, Charlotte Greenwood teaches Buster the art of "physical love" with impeccable timing. The movie also includes several imaginative routines that showcase Keaton's mastery of sound when MGM gave him a chance. Regrettably, those opportunities became fewer and farther between."