Too Many Kisses

"Too Many Kisses" has attracted a lot of attention in recent years because Harpo Marx appears in this silent comedy. I attended a rare screening of "Too Many Kisses" in the same building where it had been filmed 70 years earlier (originally the Paramount studio in Astoria, New York, now the American Museum of the Moving Image), and a lot of Marx Brothers fans had come to AMMI from as far away as California for this brief glimpse of Harpo.

This film is quite funny. "Too Many Kisses" stars Richard Dix as the playboy son of a New York industrialist. Dix's father (Frank Currier) wants Dix to get away from his many girlfriends and buckle down to work, so Currier sends Dix to an obscure village in Spain to find samples of a rare mineral. (I'll call this mineral McGuffinite, because it's in the movie only as a plot device.) When Dix gets to Spain, he runs afoul of the local police chief, played by William Powell in an excellent performance. Powell is remembered for the suave leading roles he played in the sound era, but in silent films he was typecast as a villain. In "Too Many Kisses", Powell has a secret which he tries to keep Dix from discovering. (You'll find it out a lot sooner than Dix does.)

Harpo Marx has a VERY small role as the village idiot in this Spanish burg, who gets beatings from the local bully. Harpo makes his first appearance (in one brief close-up) about 25 minutes into the film, then he isn't seen again until much later. Harpo's physical appearance and behaviour in this silent movie are very similar to his later starring roles, except that in "Too Many Kisses" he just occasionally speaks. Harpo has TWO lines of dialogue in this film, and it's slightly jarring to see Harpo Marx talk on screen. Of course, we don't hear his voice: we see his dialogue in the silent-film intertitles. He does some unfunny comedy bits, such as trying to pour wine into his mouth while holding the flask at arm's length. Harpo *IS* funny in a later scene, when he gets revenge against the bully.

The German actor Paul Panzer, who plays Pedro in this film, had a long career as a silent-screen baddie: he played the main villain in the famous silent-film serial "The Perils of Pauline".

The funniest sequence in "Too Many Kisses" is the balcony scene, in which Dix and Powell try to woo the same señorita (with neither man aware of the other's presence). Also funny is a fight scene at the end of the film, when Dix's father shows up to find out why Dix hasn't found any McGuffinite yet. Harpo isn't in these scenes. I'm a Marx Brothers fan, but ... really, Harpo has almost nothing to do in this film. I'll score "Too Many Kisses" 7 out of 10. Think of Harpo's presence as a bonus in a film which is an excellent vehicle for its star Richard Dix.

The comedic team, the Marx Brothers, were the talk of Broadway during the mid-1920s. Their "I'll Say She Is' show consisted of sharp verbal humor mixed with song numbers and improvisational comedy. It was the highlight of the 1924-1925 New York City theater season. Evolving their act from the many years on the vaudeville circuit, the Marx Brothers, besides a lost quickie 1921 short 'Humor Risk,' never appeared, solo or as a group, in film until January 1925's "Too Many Kisses." Harpo Marx was the first brother to make an appearance in cinema, albeit brief but memorable, signifying his great potential in future on-screen endeavors.

Harpo, born Adolph, later changed to Arthur, was the second oldest of the Marx brothers. His self-taught skill playing the harp morphed into his known name, Harpo, during his vaudeville days. His stage and movie career is known for his lack of speaking. Several versions handed down give a reason behind his muteness. One account is a theater critic in 1914 wrote Harpo was brilliant on stage until he opened his mouth. Groucho claimed it was after a Winnipeg, Manitoba, act when the theater's owner paid them in pennies. As they left, Harpo yelled he wished the theater would burn down. It came true: that night a fire did destroy the venue. He learned to shut his mouth after that.

In "Too Many Kisses," Harpo does speak. It's the only time, with the exception in a group song in 1931's 'Monkey Business' and in a brief microphone appearance in 1936's 'The Great Ziegfeld,' he says something on film. As The Village Peter Pan, Harpo exclaims according to the title card "You sure you can't move?" Since this is a silent film, Harpo's lips are seen moving as he asks the question to a belligerent all tied up. The only other Marx Brothers who made a film appearance before their 1929 'The Cocoanuts' was Zeppo in 1925's 'A Kiss In The Dark.' "Too Many Kisses" is also a rare Richard Dix comedy. He plays a rich businessman's son whose paramour exploits forces his father to send him on a long trip to the Basque region of France. There he falls in love with a local beauty (Frances Howard), who is also pursued by Julio (William Powell), a local soldier. Dix, previously appearing in a number of Westerns, applies a light-hearted touch in his rivalry with Powell. Actress Francis Howard, recently signed to a five-year contract with Paramount Pictures, married producer Samuel Goldwyn, 20 years her senior, on April 23, 1925, soon after completing "Too Many Kisses." She was able to cancel her contract to devote time to her new family.

"Too Many Kisses" also has the distinction of being one of the first movies to be part of a double bill. The film 'French Pastry' front-ended the Harpo movie. The idea of showing two movies back-to-back became especially popular during the Depression when theater owners were vying for customers by offering a two-for-one evening of entertainment.

Wealthy businessman Richard Gaylord, Sr. Is tired of paying off ladies from the many escapades of his irresponsible playboy son Richard Gaylord, Jr. (Richard Dix). He decides to send his son to the Basque region of France where he believes the local women wouldn't touch a stranger outside their culture. Local nobility Yvonne Hurja (Frances Howard) is desperate to avoid the attention of Don Julio, Captain of the guard (William Powell). Julio quickly sees outsider Richard Jr. As a romantic rival.

This is the earliest William Powell film that I've seen. It's fun to see him do some silent film acting. His voice is arguably his greatest asset and he has no access to it here. I would have liked more of him, but he's not the lead. Nothing against Richard Dix. This is pretty good.

Frank Currier is a mining engineer who has a huge worldwide operation. He spends his profits buying off women whom his son, Richard Dix, has captivated. To save some of the money, he ships Dix off to Basque country under the supervision of Joseph Burke. The Basque women, Burke informs him, never have anything to do with non-Basque men. Unfortunately, no one has told Basque beauty Frances Howard, and the two are soon canoodling. This upsets policeman/bandit William Powell, who arranges for his death..... futilely as it turns out, because Dix is the star of this movie, and how deadly do you expect your thugs to be when one of them is Harpo Marx in a biretta instead of a battered top hat?

This movie has been sought for many years because of Harpo's appearance. It was listed confidently as 'lost' until it turned up in a 16mm. Print in Irvin Willat's estate. The copy that played last night on Turner Classic Movies was in beautiful condition. Alas, while the romantic parts are good, the comedy bits aren't that funny. Well, it's one to check off the list.

Richard Dix plays a wastrel bon-vivant who is heir to his father's business if he can reform his ways and prove himself worthy. He must keep away from the ladies, for which he has a proclivity. He is sent to The Basque region of the Pyrenees to close a deal for some valuable minerals. Naturally, he encounters a lovely senorita (Frances Howard) who is betrothed to a volatile local tough (William Powell). Funny situations occur, which include Harpo Marx (!), Dix and Powell.

It could have been a better film with a different lead than Dix, who does not seem cut out for comedy. He was, first and foremost, an action hero, and the bulk of the storyline hinges on William Powell, who carries most of the film. It has value mainly as a Hollywood antique to see some stars before they became famous, as the theme has been done many times and often better than "Too Many Kisses".

6/10 - The website no longer prints my star ratings.