The Eligible Mr. Bangs is just 20 minutes of Edward Everett Horton being nervous

If you have twenty minutes and you like watching a man look constantly startled by the very idea of existing, then you should watch this. You’ll enjoy it if you like those old silent comedies where the humor comes from a guy's face rather than a house falling down on him. If you need big explosions or a plot that actually makes sense, you will probably hate it. It’s a small thing, really. Not much happens, but that’s kind of why I liked it.

Edward Everett Horton is the main reason to even hit play. He has this specific way of moving his hands where it looks like he’s forgotten he has fingers. He plays Mr. Bangs. The name itself is already a bit much, isn't it? He is supposed to be 'eligible,' which I guess in 1921 just meant you had a suit that fit and didn't yell at people in the street.

Mostly, he just looks like he wants to hide behind a curtain. There’s a scene where he’s trying to talk to a woman and his eyes just... dart around. It’s not 'cinematic' in the way people talk about now. It’s just funny because we’ve all been there at a party where we don't know anyone. I felt that in my soul.

Johnny Arthur shows up too. He’s got a totally different energy. A bit more pointed, a bit more 'on.' I kept thinking about His Blooming Bloomers while watching this, mostly because of the way men in the 20s seemed to occupy space so awkwardly. They always look like they are wearing someone else's clothes.

I noticed a scratch on the film during the middle that looked like a tiny bird flying across the screen. It was probably just dust or a hair in the gate. But I watched that one spot for three minutes instead of the actual plot. The lighting in the indoor scenes is pretty harsh, too. It makes everyone look like they haven’t slept in a week, which, honestly, fits the mood of a guy trying to get married against his will.

Some stuff I noticed while watching:

• The hats are absolutely massive. Everyone is wearing a hat that looks like it weighs ten pounds.
• There is a reaction shot of Mabel Forrest that lingers about four seconds too long. It gets weirdly uncomfortable.
• The furniture looks incredibly heavy. Like, you'd need a team of horses to move a chair.
• Horton does this thing with his collar that feels very improvised.

It reminds me a bit of The Right to Lie but without the heavy drama. It's much lighter. There is no deep message here about the human condition or whatever. It is just a guy being a guy. A very, very nervous guy. 📽️

"I'm not sure if he's trying to flirt or if he's having a medical emergency, but it's entertaining either way."

The pacing is a bit weird near the end. It just sort of... stops? I wasn't ready for it to end, but I also didn't know what else could really happen. Maybe he just goes home and sits in a dark room to recover from all the social interaction. I’ve done that. It’s relatable.

I think Edward Everett Horton is a genius of the double-take. He doesn't even have to move much. Just a slight shift in his eyebrows and you know exactly how much he hates the situation he is in. It’s much better than The Wonderful Chance if you prefer watching people be silly instead of watching people be serious.

The movie gets noticeably better once you stop trying to figure out the stakes. There are no stakes. It's just Bangs trying to survive a conversation. Its almost like a horror movie but with more lace and better manners. I wonder if they had to do a lot of takes because Horton kept laughing. He seems like he’s on the edge of breaking character a few times.

Anyway, give it a look if you’re bored on a Sunday afternoon. It won't change your life or anything. But it might make you feel better about your own social skills. At least you probably don't look as terrified as Mr. Bangs when someone says hello to you. Or maybe you do. No judgment here.

One more thing—the way the titles are written is actually kind of snarky. Whoever wrote the intertitles for this had a very dry sense of humor. They seem to like making fun of Bangs as much as we do. It’s a nice touch that keeps it from feeling too dusty.

Check it out if you find it. It's a weird little time capsule of 1920s anxiety. 🎩