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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
If you have about twenty minutes and you don't mind a movie that looks like it was found in a dusty basement, Casper's Night Out is worth a look. It is the kind of thing you watch when you're tired of modern movies that try too hard to be deep. Historians and people who like old-school slapstick will probably enjoy it alot. If you need a plot that makes sense or actors who don't bug their eyes out, you should probably stay away.
Bud Duncan is the main guy, Casper. He is *tiny*. I mean, he looks like a child wearing a suit, which makes his frantic energy even funnier. He spends the whole time trying to sneak away from his wife.
Thelma Hill plays the wife. She is much taller than him and looks very serious. She mostly just stands there looking intimidating while holding a broom or a rolling pin. It is a trope, I know, but she does it with this stony-faced commitment that I really liked.
There is a scene near the start where Casper tries to hide behind a curtain. The curtain is clearly too short for him. You can see his little feet sticking out the bottom, and he is just standing there shaking. It’s so simple, but it made me laugh out loud. 😂
The film quality is pretty rough. There are these white scratches that move across the screen constantly. Sometimes it looks like it’s raining inside their house. It adds a bit of charm, like you're watching something that almost didn't survive.
I noticed the makeup on their faces is incredibly white. It makes them look like ghosts in some of the darker shots. This was probably because of the film stock they used back then, but it gives the whole thing a slightly creepy vibe that I don't think was intentional.
It reminded me a bit of Motor Trouble. That one also had a lot of physical comedy, but it felt a bit more forced than this. This one feels like they were just having fun on the set.
There is a bit with a ladder that goes on for about three minutes too long. Casper keeps trying to climb it to get out a window. Every time he gets to the top, the ladder wobbles, and he has to start over. I think I counted four times before he actually made it.
One of the neighbors pops their head over the fence during a chase scene. He looks like he doesn't know he's in a movie. He just stares at the camera for a second and then vanishes. I love those little mistakes that stay in the final cut.
The intertitles—those black screens with the text—are actually pretty funny. One of them describes Casper as a "brave explorer of the night." Then it cuts to him tripping over a rug. It’s good timing.
If you’ve seen Crack Your Heels, you know the kind of rhythm this has. It’s fast and a bit messy. It doesn't care about logic.
The lighting in the outdoor scenes is wild. It was clearly filmed at noon, but they try to convince you it's midnight. The shadows are about ten feet long. It’s not very convincing, but it’s funny to watch them try.
I think Bud Duncan should of been a bigger star. He has this way of moving his hands that is very expressive. He doesn't even need to speak. You can tell exactly how nervous he is just by the way he holds his hat.
Thelma Hill's hat is another story. It is huge. It looks like a giant black pancake sitting on her head. I kept waiting for it to fall off, but it stayed perfectly still even when she was running.
It is definitely better than Your Best Friend. That one was way too sad for me. I prefer my old movies to be a bit more chaotic and silly.
The ending is very abrupt. Casper finally gets to the party, and then the screen just says "The End." No payoff, no big final joke. I guess they just ran out of film for the day.
I also spotted a cat in the background of the kitchen scene. It looked like it was trying to eat a piece of the set. Nobody noticed it. It’s my favorite part of the movie now.
If you're looking for something like London, this isn't it. That movie is way more serious and artistic. This is just a guy falling over furniture.
But sometimes that’s all you need on a Tuesday night. It’s a nice little distraction from the real world. 🍺
I wonder if they had to do alot of takes for the scene where he spills the soup. He looks genuinely surprised when it hits him. And cold. Very cold.
Anyway, give it a watch if you find it. It’s a neat little piece of history that doesn't take itself too seriously. It’s much more fun than Die Rothausgasse, which was a bit of a slog.
Just don't expect a masterpiece. It’s just a fun little mess. And that’s perfectly okay with me.
IMDb —
1927
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