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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
You should watch this if you have an hour to kill and like seeing people get unnecessarily stressed out over simple misunderstandings. It’s perfect for a lazy afternoon when you don't want to think too hard.
If you hate old-fashioned stage plays where people hide in closets, you will probably loathe this. It is very loud for a movie that doesn't have much sound. 🎬
Douglas MacLean plays Billy, and man, this guy has a lot of energy. He spends the first ten minutes just grinning at everything like he’s won the lottery.
The whole plot is basically Billy trying to be a 'good friend' by acting as the third party in a fake affair so his pal can get a divorce. Back then, you needed a 'correspondent' to get a legal split, which is just wild to think about now.
Marie Prevost is in this too, and she looks like she is having a better time than anyone else. She has this way of looking at the camera that makes you feel like she’s in on the joke. 🤨
I noticed the sets look a bit flimsy. Like, if someone slammed a door too hard, the whole hotel room would probably fall over.
There is this one scene with a very small dog that almost steals the entire movie. I think it’s a Pekingese? It just sits there looking confused while humans scream at each other.
The physical comedy is hit or miss. Some of the falls look painful, but others are so obviously fake it’s kind of charming.
Most of the movie happens in a hotel, which is standard for these kinds of things. It reminded me a little bit of the energy in Madcap Madge, but with more suits and less teenage angst.
Billy gets stuck in a room with a woman who isn't his fiancée, and of course, his actual fiancée walks in. It’s so predictable, but I still felt a little nervous for him.
The timing is just a bit off in the middle section. A few scenes linger on MacLean’s face while he tries to look 'innocent' for way too long. It stops being funny and starts being a bit creepy.
I also kept thinking about Fashions for Women while watching the costumes. The hats in 1929 were really something else—they look like buckets pulled down over their ears.
One thing that bothered me was the lighting in the hallway scenes. It’s so dark you can barely see who is chasing who. Maybe they ran out of budget for extra lamps that day? 💡
It’s weird seeing a movie from this specific year. You can tell they were right on the edge of the sound era. It feels like it wants to be a talkie, but it’s stuck being silent.
If you’ve seen The Patent Leather Kid, this is the exact opposite of that. No heavy drama here, just people being idiots for our entertainment.
I liked the part where Billy tries to hide under a table and accidentally kicks a waiter. It’s classic slapstick that doesn't require a brain to enjoy.
The title says divorce is made easy, but this looks like the hardest way possible to end a marriage. Seriously, just talk to each other! But I guess 'People Having a Calm Conversation' wouldn't sell many tickets in 1929.
The ending comes out of nowhere. One minute everyone is fighting, and the next, it’s all perfectly fine. It felt like the director realized they only had two minutes of film left in the camera.
I’ve seen better farces, like A Camouflage Kiss, but this one has a certain scrappy charm. It doesn't try to be art. It just tries to be a distraction.
Also, Johnny Arthur plays the husband and his mustache is distractingly thin. I spent way too much time wondering if it was drawn on with a pencil.
In the end, it’s a decent watch if you’re into the history of comedy. Just don't expect it to change your life or anything. It’s just a guy in a suit running away from his problems. 🏃♂️
I'd give it a pass if you're looking for something deep like The Burden of Race. This is strictly for the giggles.
Actually, I think I liked it more because it was so short. If it was twenty minutes longer, I would have probably turned it off. Keep it brief, that’s my motto for 1920s comedies.
IMDb 5
1926
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