Courting Trouble: A dusty bit of gender-swap comedy

Is this even worth your time?

Honestly, only if you are deep into the history of early sound comedies or have a weird obsession with Mack Sennett productions. If you are looking for a sharp, funny movie, keep walking. This is for the completists, the folks who like digging through the bargain bin of cinema history.

The plot is exactly as simple as it sounds: a man gets locked in his own house and has to do the chores while wearing a dress. It’s mildly exhausting just thinking about it. We’ve seen these gender-bending antics a thousand times before, and frankly, they did it better in The Farmerette.

There is a lot of movement in this movie, but very little of it actually lands. People are constantly rushing through doors or falling over chairs, but it feels more like they’re just trying to hit their marks before the film runs out. It’s not quite as chaotic as Hello, Baby, which at least had a bit of pep to its step.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Courting Trouble (1932) through its definitive frames.

Some odd notes I took:

• The wigs look like they were stolen from a dusty attic in 1928.
• There is a reaction shot involving a kitchen sink that lasts for an eternity. I think the actor forgot he was still on camera.
• The dialogue feels like it was written on a napkin five minutes before shooting started.

I found myself staring at the background furniture more than the actual actors. There is a lamp in the corner that seems to be the most expressive character in the entire cast. Seriously, it has more range than some of the humans here.

It tries hard to be funny, but it mostly just feels noisy. You can feel the desperation in the editing, cutting back and forth like it’s hoping a jump-cut will suddenly make a joke work. Spoiler: it doesn't.

If you've ever seen The Man Who Lost Himself, you’ll know that playing with identity can be fun. Here, it just feels like a chore. Watching someone pretend to scrub floors for thirty minutes isn't exactly high art. Maybe it’s just me, but I prefer my comedy without the feeling that the director was checking his watch every ten seconds. 🙄

It’s not a disaster, just a relic. It’s one of those movies that sits on the shelf, gathering digital dust, waiting for someone like me to click on it out of pure, unadulterated curiosity. Don't say I didn't warn you.