General Nuisance

I hadn't thought it possible for anybody to put Buster Keaton into a film more inane and humiliating than "Free and Easy", but I stand corrected. I had to force myself to sit through this dreary dreck, in the mostly vain hope that Keaton would sooner or later give me something worth watching.

That one thing worth watching does show up in the middle of an otherwise grim song-and-dance routine with Elsie Ames. Alas, the moment ends quickly, and we're back to Buster playing somebody so clueless he makes Rain Man look as canny as a Mafia don.

I can't fathom what it is about this film that makes people pick it out as one of the better (or perhaps less dismal) of the Columbia shorts. "Mooching Through Georgia" is actually fun, and "She's Oil Mine" and "The Taming of the Snood" are the others most likely to give Keaton fans something they can watch without being embarrassed for Buster. This one left a bad taste in my mouth.

I would guess that the dividing line between those who find it palatable and those who find it more of a cinematic emetic would be whether or not the viewer enjoys Three Stooges comedy. If you do, you'll probably like "General Nuisance". If not, spare yourself the ordeal.

For some reason, Jules White had paired Buster Keaton with Elsie Ames in 6 of the 10 shorts he made at Columbia Pictures. Ames was a bizarre burlesque dancer/comedienne who had worked at the studio's shorts department, as well as her husband Nick Arno (who has a small role in this short as an army doctor). Essentially, Buster is a millionaire who is smitten with an army nurse (Dorothy Appleby) and does everything he can to get hurt on the premises so Appleby can treat him, but he's constantly running into her friend (Ames). On the plus, there is an outlandish amount of slapstick in this, including a song-and-dance number between Buster, Elsie, and a stack of spitoons.

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the great Buster Keaton was out of work and in desperate need for money so he made a string of forgettable short films for Columbia Pictures. Although he was a comic genius during the silent era, his career in sound movies was mostly horrible due to the industry's unwillingness to simply let him do what he did best and they insisted in trying to force him into uncomfortable molds that just didn't work. Sadly, because Keaton was lousy with money, he was so hard up for cash and unwilling to balk with the studios that he made some dreadful film and TV appearances that probably made him ashamed to look in the mirror. This is a stark contrast to Chaplin and Lloyd who made far fewer sound films but chose them much better. Plus, they knew when to walk away and retain much of their dignity. This is particularly true of Harold Lloyd, who never would have appeared in American-International movies such as BEACH BLANKET BINGO or a particularly wretched episode of "The Twilight Zone" like Keaton did.

As for the Columbia shorts, they were directed and produced by Jules White who was also responsible for the Three Stooges shorts. This is very, very obvious when you watch the Keaton shorts as the plots look indiscernible from the Stooges' films--with the same gags, sound effects and style. In fact, in some cases, Keaton does the same plots the Stooges had first done and this isn't surprising. That's because Columbia OFTEN repeated plots and many of the Stooges' later shorts for the studio are remakes of their earlier films! While Stooges die-hards might excuse this and think ALL of their films are gems, this is definitely NOT true--the remakes are definite duds. As for Keaton fans (and I am definitely one--having seen more of his silent films than practically anyone on the planet), they will also usually admit that his sound films were pretty poor and the Columbia films were at best passable entertainment. Plus, the Stooges' style is a horrible thing to try to fit the great Keaton into. It's akin to putting Greta Garbo in a Marx Brothers film!!!

Sadly, while GENERAL NUISANCE is a poor outing, it's probably better than most of the Columbia outings. So, if you don't like this film, you should probably steer clear of the rest! Like so many of their films, the film co-stars the rather untalented and annoying Elsie Ames and Dorothy Appleby.

This time Buster falls for Dorothy and decides to join the army because she likes men in uniform! While having Keaton in a military film is dumb since he's 46 and looks 46, this can be forgiven given that many other comedians did similarly improbable army films in 1941! The portly Lou Costello (age 34) did BUCK PRIVATES. The 49 year-old and morbidly obese Oliver Hardy did GREAT GUNS and Stan was 51 at the time! So, in hindsight, it was not only a great year for war comedies but Keaton was more believable than most of the rest--though Bob Hope at 38 and in better shape was probably best cast in CAUGHT IN THE DRAFT which, amazingly enough, was ALSO released in 1941!

Fortunately, some of Keaton's old physical humor is used in the film. While a few of the stunts appear to involve stunt men, many clearly don't and it's nice to see he can still take a fall or do a back-flip. Unfortunately, much of the plot is downright stupid (such as a man who thinks people are cows and he wants to butcher them) or straight from a Stooges film (such as the many 'antics' in the hospital). The results are at best interesting and at worst embarrassing. Truly a dull little film and I suggest unless you are a glutton for punishment you stop here with this film and not see any more--they don't get any better!

BEING ONE OF those less than super-budgeted shorts that Jules White produced while he was the head of Columbia Pictures' Short Subjects Department, this picture, GENERAL NUISANCE, is nonetheless fairly well known; at least among those of us who entered the World during that period affectionately known as "The Post War Baby Boom."

THE REASON FOR this is a sort of indirect, unintentionally generated cause. It was included with the package of 2 reelers released to the television market by Columbia Pictures. In addition to Mr. Keaton's work, the package contained the work of Andy Clyde, Harry Langdon and some others. It also had the multitude of shorts made by the 3 Stooges; which was the main driving force behind the success of the films to a generation of rug-rats who were totally unfamiliar with them.

ALL AROUND THE country, just about every TV market had its own THREE STOOGES Show. In our case, here in Chicago, it was WGN TV, Channel 9, which had daily a daily Stooges program beginning in early in 1959. In filling out the programming time, the station would also include other comedy shorts, the Keaton Columbia shorts were among them.*

AS FOR THIS picture, it has much to recommend it. Inspite of the fact that it had this shoestring budget and that Buster Keaton was viewed as somewhat of a has been, the short is a fine example of what even a little picture could be.

TO BEGIN WITH, there is a great deal of similarity in premise and structure to so many of the now considered brilliant. As for a plot, it's virtually thread-bare, involving the rich man, Buster, and his car being broken down. He meets two ladies (Dorothy Appleby and Elsie Ames, who are nurses heading for the nearby Army Camp. The rich guy, this Peter Hedley Lamar, Jr., decides to enlist in order to get next to Nurse Dorothy; although it is Nurse Elsie who has eyes for him.

THE MOVIE WAS released about 3 months before Pearl Harbor was attacked and the Nation was "celebrating" our first Peacetime Draft. Just about every standard sort of "in the Army Now" gag was employed; especially when it came to the area of medical examinations.

THE STUNTS WHICH are employed both by Keaton and Miss Ames are outstanding and demonstrated how Buster's physical skills had not diminished. Elsie Ames also does some fine work in this area and must have had background in gymnastics and eccentric dance.

AS FAR AS the contrast between the two girls, it was strictly clichéd. Miss Appleby was (at least on screen) the "pretty" and more desirable. Elsie Ames' characterizations were that of the less glamorous but man crazy type as comic relief. The two would reprise these roles in several of the Columbia Keaton two reelers.

IT IS WELL known how Keaton was a true genius when it came to comedy production and the construction of the sight gag. But that was not where his talents ended. He also enjoyed word play as exemplified by his use of the written word in title cards, such as: 4 Flushing Place (fore flushing) in COPS (1922), name of ship Damfino (damed if I know) in THE NAVIGATOR and others.

IN THIS LATTER day production, he gave his character the name Peter Hedley Lamar (obvious lampoon of actress Hedy Lamar). Well, that must b where Mel Brooks got the name for Harvey Korman's character in BLAZING SADDLES (1974).

BUT THAT'S OKAY, Mel, we forgive you. We know you did it to honor Buster!

NOTE * In addition to the Stooges and the Columbia Shorts, we were treated to RKO Short subjects with Billy Gilbert, Benny Rubin and Gil Lamb.

General Nuisance (1941)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Columbia short with Buster Keaton playing a man who falls for a girl but she's only interested in men in the Army so Keaton joins with plenty of gags to follow. I had heard the Columbia Keaton films were pretty bad but this one here was pleasant enough, although it's certainly a long way from The General. There's plenty of nice one-liners from Keaton and he's good at the old time slapstick but there's plenty of more violent humor, ala The Three Stooges, that Keaton really can't pull off.