Too Many Kisses

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.

Unless a print turns up of the 1921 Humor Risk, this film is the earliest one to feature any of the Four Marx Brothers, in this case, Harpo. He's only in a few scenes and he's pretty amusing in them. The star of this one is Richard Dix who plays a playboy son of a millionaire boss who wants to take his son away from all the women he fooled around with and also to get him to look for some valuable minerals in another country. Since the women in this other country supposedly wouldn't marry anyone outside of their region, Dix would have no chance there to woo anyone but then that wouldn't be very exciting, would it? Anyway, his rival there is played by William Powell who played quite a bit of villainous roles during this period. He has a great presence that would serve him well in the future in the talkies when he switches sides. In summary, Too Many Kisses is a worthy comedy/drama for anyone interested in these early silent films. P. S. The version I watched was a restored one from 2020 that had a score composed and performed by Bill Marx, Harpo's son.

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.

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.

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.