Skinner's Dress Suit

but a social comedy, about how, while clothes don't make the man, they allow you to disguise who you are. This comedy is neatly performed with a fairly high-brow air. It is interesting to watch Arthur Lake in a small role, as this sort of role, played for pure slapstick, is the sort of thing he performed for twenty years as Dagwood in the BLONDIE series and tv show.

I saw this silent film under ideal circumstances, at a film festival using a tinted print accompanied by live & perfectly melded musical interpretation and with an appreciative audience. So with out hesitation I gave it a 10 out of 10 because it could not have been any better. The performances of the leads where charmingly enchanting, the plot simple and easy to identify with the comedy situation were refreshing. I walked out of this screening actually feeling refreshed when I over heard a fellow lucky viewer quoting the great William K. Everson who said of the title, "this is the kind of sublime film comedy that could not be repeated today." Later I would track down a fuzzy copy on VHS polluted with music that did not match the action. Search high and low for it, and if it's playing at a festival SEE IT! You can thank me later...

The stars were competent enough (although director William A. Seiter indulged his somewhat miscast star, Reginald Denny, with far too many close-ups), but the three people I enjoyed most were Arthur Lake (up to his usual Bumstead shenanigans in the office), Betty Morrissey (an office worker with zing), and Lionel Braham (as the pugnacious but wife-tamed Jackson). E.J. Ratcliffe and Ben Hendricks, Jr., also contributed some laughs.

I enjoyed the way the script cleverly turned the tables, and I'm not at all surprised the film was so popular on first release.

In all, a well-staged and nicely produced effort that would benefit by a bit of astute trimming whenever Reg Denny is on-screen.

Two timeless business adages are the basis for this film: "It's not what you know, it's who you know" and "Clothes make the man." Skinner is an office clerk in need of a raise, because his wife has expensive tastes. However, his boss refuses, and, when the firm loses an important contract, his situation worsens when he is let go. Unfortunately, Skinner cannot tell his wife the truth, and, because he lets her believe that he did receive a substantial raise, she begins spending and spending and spending. "Skinner's Dress Suit" is an amusing silent comedy that shows off the talents and skills of its leading man, Reginald Denny. The six-foot Denny, who had been a boxer in his youth, displays an unexpected agility on the dance floor; whether trying out steps in the office, aping the moves he describes to his wife over the phone, or doing the Savannah Shuffle in a crowded ballroom, Denny was obviously nimble and light on his feet. Also noted for his baritone voice, perhaps he should have pursued musicals when talkies arrived.

Denny is paired with pert Laura La Plante as Honey Skinner, who sees her big, handsome husband as successful and pushes him to complete that image with a new business suit. Properly attired, Skinner projects success and begins to make useful contacts at various affairs he and his wife attend. The supporting cast, which includes Arthur Lake and Hedda Hopper, is solid, and director William A. Seiter, who was married at the time to the leading lady, La Plante, had extensive experience directing comedy. Seiter's skill shows in the pacing and in the sight gags. In one especially funny scene, Denny is dancing in the office, a secretary points to the boss standing behind him, and he imitates her hand movements, thinking she is illustrating dance moves. While the story is slight and predictable, the cast, especially Denny and La Plante, enhance the material and make "Skinner's Dress Suit" a charming, entertaining, and, unfortunately, little-known film.

After knowing its reputation for ages, I finally got around to seeing this. It lives up to its reputation. Beautifully controlled, very funny, and very simple, full of lovely little gags that are natural and convincing -- you never see anybody working here, it's all subtle and believable and very entertaining.

It's a plain, sitcom-y story about a suburban husband and his ambitious wife who pushes him to ask for a raise at the worst possible time and things just go downhill from there. He lies to her that he actually got a raise, she starts spending money they don't have, and it just gets worse until the inevitable happy ending.

Denny and Laura La Plante are wonderful, and William A. Seiter's direction is just terrific. It's a film that really ought to be seen by anyone doing comedy even today -- every character's every thought and every reaction to the situations is just so clear and well-paced that it just plays like gangbusters. Really a joy from beginning to end.

The only downside is the score on the new Kino print in their Reginald Denny Collection. The restoration is beautiful, but the score's not great: it calls far too much attention to itself and does not really punctuate the action like an original score should.

This film was remade three years later as a sound film - "Skinner Steps Out" - starring Glenn Tryon and Merna Kennedy. That film is rarer as I've only seen it at Capitolfest in Rome, NY about ten years ago.