Un baiser SVP

Very poor effort from Buster Keaton, who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. The premise does offer some comic possibilities (Buster used as a patsy by a pair of lovers in a plan to get rid of the woman's husband), but there is more music than comedy (barely any comedy, really), and the production values / sound / image are atrocious. The only redeeming element is that Lupita Tovar (who lived to be 106!) is pretty hot, especially in some shots with wet hair and her bare back exposed. *1/2 out of 4.

Old Spanish Custom, An (1935)

BOMB (out of 4)

Extremely cheap British film about a stupid American (Buster Keaton) who flirts with another man's wife and then must do a Spanish custom by challenging him to a duel. This is an extremely bad film on all levels from the cheap production to the horrid direction to the screenplay, which really only allows Keaton to have water thrown on him. There's not a single laugh to be found but there's plenty of tears having to see Keaton doing stuff like this.

You can find this film on the Buster Keaton Laughsmith set.

I guess we can call this a "review" but I won't write about the plot, or anything much else in the film, because it's always better to let the film explain itself.

This isn't the best film from Keaton, but it is certainly a hidden gem. Keaton is 40yrs old and that means that he can only do so much physically, but that's quite a bit.



If one of the points of a review is to help the reader decide whether or not to give a film a look my advice is very short.

If you like Buster Keaton's silent films, you'll love this (and you'll get to find out the exact words the stereotypical-Giant-Male-bully says to the stereotypical-Tiny-Female-victim & her exact words back).

If you don't like Buster Keaton's silent films, well... Well, golly. That's a shame.

(Just kidding: If you don't like Buster Keaton's silent films, BUT you kinda-sorta want to "find out the exact words the stereotypical-Giant-Male-bully says to the stereotypical-Tiny-Female-victim & her exact words back," according to one of those weird 1920's Silent Movies then I can safely tell you this is the movie for you!)

As a life long Buster Keaton fan, I was excited to see this little known sound feature made in England. It is down right horrible! Even Buster's "A Modern Bluebeard" is better. The plot is barely enough for a two reel comedy. In a remote Spanish village, a jealous husband threatens to kill the next man who flirts with his wife. Of course, that man turns out to be Buster. That's it. Now it takes an hour to tell that story! The production values are so low on this film, that it makes Buster's Educational two reelers look like "A" prestige movies. There is an inept musical number in the middle of this mess which goes on far too long and is definitely there just to pad out the slim pickings of the plot. Buster, as always, is terrific, but there is not enough to support him. This film was remade as a Columbia two reel comedy in 1939; it was called "Pest from the West". This is a wonderfully funny film because it is over in 16 minutes. The slow pacing, shoddy sets, and lackluster direction really kill off "The Invader". I only recommend it to Buster fans who have seen everything else.

Keaton had a nervous breakdown about two months before this British made movie had a release in a few theaters in the U. S. as "As Old Spanish Custom." Nobody even bothered to review it.

Keaton sparkles in the film's many gags, but the film, at least the 50 minute version on the Internet Archive and Youtube, does not have enough time to develop thematically.

Lupitar Tovar (Dracula - Spanish Version - 1931) gives a nice performance as the object of Buster's affection/desire.

Even at this low point in his life, Keaton still had all his acrobatic skills and continued to be a master of slap-stick gag construction. Definitely worth seeing for Keaton fans.