Excess Baggage (1928) - A silent movie about bruised egos and juggling

You should probably watch this if you’ve ever felt like you were standing in someone else’s shadow. It’s a great pick for fans of silent dramedies that don't feel too dusty or boring. If you can’t stand movies about fragile male egos, you might want to skip it entirely. 🤷‍♂️

William Haines plays a small-time juggler named Eddie who thinks he is the absolute center of the universe. He marries Elisa, played by Josephine Dunn, and they start a double act that actually seems to work for a bit.

The juggling scenes are actually pretty fun to watch. You can tell Haines really put in the work to look like he knew what he was doing with those props and balls.

The movie shifts when Elisa gets offered a solo contract that pays way better than their little act. Suddenly, Eddie isn't the star anymore.

He becomes the literal baggage mentioned in the title. It’s a bit heartbreaking to see him carry her capes and just wait around in the wings while she gets the applause.

I noticed one scene where he’s looking at his old posters in a dusty trunk. The lighting is just a bit too dark maybe, but you can see the real sadness in his eyes.

Haines is usually known for being a fast-talking smart aleck in his other films. Here, he is surprisingly vulnerable and it's a nice change of pace.

It reminded me a bit of the emotional weight you see in The Law of Compensation, though this one is less theatrical. The pacing gets a little wonky in the middle, though.

Their is a lot of time spent on theater hallways and people looking at contracts. I found myself checking the time once or twice during the long stretches of dialogue cards.

But the tension between the couple feels very modern. Success can really mess up a relationship, and this movie doesn't pretend it's easy or simple.

Josephine Dunn is great too. She doesn't play the wife as a villain for wanting a career of her own.

She just wants them both to be happy, but Eddie can't handle not being the big shot. It’s much more grounded than something like A Good Little Devil which feels way more like a fairy tale.

The ending feels a little rushed, like they realized they only had five minutes left of film. It just sort of... happens. 🎬

But the final shot of them together has a nice, quiet energy to it. It's not a perfect masterpiece, but it feels real in a way that surprised me.

I’d take this over a big flashy blockbuster any day of the week. It’s got heart, even if it’s a bit clumsy with the plot sometimes.