Buster rutscht ins Filmland (1930)

Buster rutscht ins Filmland: Directed by Edward Sedgwick. With Buster Keaton, Anita Page, Trixie Friganza, Robert Montgomery. A bumbling manager tries to get a small town beauty contest winner into the movies.

“Free And Easy is another variation on the Merton of the Movies type film where unknown schnook goes to Hollywood and winds up a comedy star. It worked fine for Glenn Hunter on stage and Stu Erwin on the screen. The lead in Free And Easy was a part that was perfect for Eddie Cantor. But Buster Keaton got it and it wasnu0026#39;t quite right for him.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eKeaton, known in Hollywood as the Great Stone Face, was one of the greatest pantomimists the screen ever knew. Why you would star someone in a film that has musical numbers, though you would not classify it as a musical is beyond me. That title song which Keaton croaks would have been perfect for Eddie Cantor.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn watching it I thought I recognized the plot of this film. It was part of the story line of Pepe, the great Cantinfas all star production from thirty years later. Keaton is in love with young Anita Page who is the young screen hopeful from his home town. But sheu0026#39;s got eyes for the flawed young movie star Robert Montgomery.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLike Pepe, a number of folks on the MGM lot made guest appearances as themselves. One of the most interesting was William Haines who at that time competing with Robert Montgomery for juvenile parts. Haines of course was one of the first film stars outted as gay and his fall was a lucky break for Montgomeryu0026#39;s career.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBest in the film is Trixie Friganza, a great vaudeville star who played Pageu0026#39;s number. She really harries and harasses poor Keaton. Page has won some kind of contest and for reasons I canu0026#39;t explain the Chamber of Commerce of their hometown has appointed Keaton as her agent and manager. Like they have the right and the power. No wonder Trixieu0026#39;s mad at him.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf youu0026#39;ve seen Pepe, you know how this turns out.”