Watching Buster Keaton Speak French: A Weirdly Fun Experience

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for early talkies and Buster Keaton's specific brand of deadpan misery, then sure, give it a go. But if you’re looking for a smooth, high-budget comedy, you’ll probably find this a bit clunky. It's a curiosity for fans, not really a masterclass in pacing. 🛠️

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Le plombier amoureux (1932) through its definitive frames.

Watching Keaton in Le plombier amoureux feels a bit like looking at a distorted mirror. You know the moves—the way he holds his body, that specific look of mild concern he gives the camera—but hearing him speak French is a total trip. It’s jarring for about five minutes, and then you just sort of roll with it.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Le plombier amoureux (1932) through its definitive frames.

The plot is basically thin as paper, which is fine. It’s mostly just an excuse to throw Buster into fancy rooms where he doesn’t belong. He’s a plumber, they’re posh, and you can guess the rest. It’s not quite as inventive as his silent stuff, like Choo-Choo!, but there’s a charm to the messiness of it all.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Le plombier amoureux (1932) through its definitive frames.

Some random observations from the couch:

• Jimmy Durante is in this, and he is loud. The contrast between his frantic energy and Keaton’s stillness is the only reason to stay awake in the middle act.
• There is a scene where a door gets stuck that felt like it went on for three lifetimes. I swear, the guy operating the door was just winging it.
• The lighting in some of these shots is honestly kind of rough. It looks like they were filming in a basement with a single candle sometimes.

It’s funny how much harder Keaton has to work here to sell the jokes without the luxury of pure pantomime. Sometimes he hits the mark, and other times he looks like he’s just waiting for the lunch bell to ring. I honestly preferred the vibe in Buster's Picnic, where everything felt a bit more spontaneous and less like a studio mandate.

Don't expect the same level of physical genius you get in Should Men Walk Home?. This is a studio trying to squeeze every last drop out of a star while the industry was still figuring out how to handle sound. It’s awkward, it’s a bit uneven, and it’s definitely not perfect.

Still, there’s something undeniably sweet about seeing these old relics. Even if the jokes don't land as hard as they did in 1932, there’s a human rhythm here that beats most modern comedies. It doesn't over-explain itself. It just exists. And that's enough for me today. 🎞️