Mixed Magic

Mixed Magic (1936)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

This here is certainly a bit step up from many of the Buster Keaton shorts that he did at Educational but just don't be expecting anything that rivals his golden days. In this film he plays Elmer, a broke man who happens upon a magician (Eddie Lambert) who is looking for an assistant to help with his tricks. Elmer gets the job but at the first show he manages to mess up just about every trick. Of all the Educational pictures up to this point, this film here closely resembles a silent picture. While there's all sorts of dialogue, the screenplay at least lets Buster do his magic in terms of using his body and going through a wide range of visual gags. There are some big laughs to be found here including a terrific bit where the female assistant (Marlyn Stuart) has a trick done where the magician stabs her in the head with a sword. Elmer thinks that this was real and faints only to wake up and cause more trouble. Another very funny scene happens when Elmer walks into a restaurant with money only for spaghetti but does a trick of his own to get some extra food. Keaton is in top-form here as he manages not only to make for a rather memorable character because he plays the part of an idiot so well and it comes so natural. Keaton was a brilliant mind so it's rather funny him playing someone so stupid but he does it without fault. I thought both Lambert and Stuart were good in their parts and mixed it up well with Keaton. This film was released by Kino as part of their "Lost Keaton" set and while the picture quality on all sixteen shorts were somewhat rough, this here features some jumps in the dialogue to where you can't here some of the talk. Not too distracting but it is there.

Why do I say that? Because this film is quite funny and full of Keaton pratfalls, but you have to turn off the sound to appreciate it. With sound, I find it embarrassing, even cringing to watch, but turn off the sound and, surprise! A good Keaton film! Or maybe more correctly, some good Keatonesque series of events: as a whole movie it obviously lacks the cohesive organization of a really good early Keaton silent, but it pops along at a good pace with one thing happening after another, and lots of good sight gags and physical comedy. The bit with the curtains is particularly interesting to watch when the sound is not distracting from the visuals. These Educational films really need to be restored and recirculated!