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As a life long Buster Keaton fan, I was excited to see this little known sound feature made in England. It is down right horrible! Even Buster's "A Modern Bluebeard" is better. The plot is barely enough for a two reel comedy. In a remote Spanish village, a jealous husband threatens to kill the next man who flirts with his wife. Of course, that man turns out to be Buster. That's it. Now it takes an hour to tell that story! The production values are so low on this film, that it makes Buster's Educational two reelers look like "A" prestige movies. There is an inept musical number in the middle of this mess which goes on far too long and is definitely there just to pad out the slim pickings of the plot. Buster, as always, is terrific, but there is not enough to support him. This film was remade as a Columbia two reel comedy in 1939; it was called "Pest from the West". This is a wonderfully funny film because it is over in 16 minutes. The slow pacing, shoddy sets, and lackluster direction really kill off "The Invader". I only recommend it to Buster fans who have seen everything else.

The Invader is practically a silent movie, and most of the dialogue could have been taken care of with a few well-placed title cards like in the olden days. For the first twenty minutes of the movie, the leading man doesn't even talk. Finally, when Buster Keaton opens his mouth, he stammers over the word "Senorita" when trying to speak Spanish to Lupita Tovar. It turns out she speaks English, so he doesn't have to worry for the rest of the movie. He does try to woo Lupita by singing, but his rival throws things at him until he stops, pouts, and stalks off the screen with his guitar under his arm.

Let's face it, there's no reason you'd rent this movie unless you're a die-hard Buster Keaton fan and want to watch all his movies. If you've accidentally stumbled upon this movie and haven't seen much or any of him, don't bother with this one. It's not very good, and even if you love Buster-which I absolutely do-you're better off watching something better.

Old Spanish Custom, An (1935)

BOMB (out of 4)

Extremely cheap British film about a stupid American (Buster Keaton) who flirts with another man's wife and then must do a Spanish custom by challenging him to a duel. This is an extremely bad film on all levels from the cheap production to the horrid direction to the screenplay, which really only allows Keaton to have water thrown on him. There's not a single laugh to be found but there's plenty of tears having to see Keaton doing stuff like this.

You can find this film on the Buster Keaton Laughsmith set.

Keaton had a nervous breakdown about two months before this British made movie had a release in a few theaters in the U. S. as "As Old Spanish Custom." Nobody even bothered to review it.

Keaton sparkles in the film's many gags, but the film, at least the 50 minute version on the Internet Archive and Youtube, does not have enough time to develop thematically.

Lupitar Tovar (Dracula - Spanish Version - 1931) gives a nice performance as the object of Buster's affection/desire.

Even at this low point in his life, Keaton still had all his acrobatic skills and continued to be a master of slap-stick gag construction. Definitely worth seeing for Keaton fans.

Sound is sometimes mostly just a flavor, as Buster Keaton proves by making another splendid film defined chiefly by his reliable penchant for sight gags and physical comedy. Clearly neither Keaton nor the filmmaker were quite done with silent sensibilities, for dialogue could generally be substituted here with intertitles without missing anything. It should be said that 'The invader,' also known as 'An old Spanish custom,' perhaps lags at times, with less robust or consistent humor than the star at his best; simply put, not every bit lands. There's a reason the man's career tapered off after the advent of talkies. (Well, okay, multiple reasons.) Yet even if the result falls short of the utmost heights we assume of the actor, still I think overall this is rather enjoyable, and a fine diversion for a mere hour.

Yes, it's distinctly uneven, and light in content even by the standards of the era. For such faults, one can hardly miss the fact that the plot development, climax, and ending feel abrupt and even forced. The stunts that the star is known for are also less noteworthy here. But even for all that still the picture earns plenty of laughs, and the plot is suitably smart. Between Keaton's comedic timing and aloof, nervous disposition in-character, Adrian Brunel's practiced direction, and the writing, all the necessary ingredients are present for a duly entertaining farce. All those behind the scenes put in good work in terms of costumes, sets, and the like. For a Keaton vehicle to not totally land still means it's no worse off than being "average" by the standards of other contemporary fare, and indeed, there are a lot worse movies from the 1930s that one could spend time with.

This is hardly essential in the same way as 'Go west,' 'The general,' or any of Keaton's many other silent classics. This may not be especially memorable in the grand scheme of things, at least not by comparison. But the feature only wants to have fun, and despite any weaknesses, I believe it handily achieves that goal. Sure, there are other films that should claim priority for any viewer, but if you're looking for something light and frivolous, 'The invader' neatly fits the bill. Don't go out of your way for it, but this is quite nice for a quick view.