Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton were the top comedy actors of early filmdom, each with his own characteristic persona. And, among all of the early and later comedians, none played a better dumb straight face role than Keaton. Not until Peter Sellers came along was there another actor who could so well mix straight face with buffoonery, slapstick, screwball antics and clever - but ever so short, lines.
Keaton proved to be as good in the talkies as he had been in the silent movies. But for the stripping of his creative freedoms in new contracts after the advent of sound, he might have given us many more years of great comedic roles. Thankfully, recent generations are coming to see the genius and talent of this great entertainer.
It is tempting, as some reviewers have alluded, to judge Keaton mostly on his slapstick scenarios, which were often so prominent in his best silent films. But, Keaton was so much more than falling down comedy. And he continued to show his broader genius into his first talkies, as this film shows - even as the studios kept imposing more and more strictures that would eventually relegate him to small and then bit parts. When given good scripts and a fine supporting cast with good roles, Keaton and company could make smashing comedies. This is one such film, with Reginald Denny, Charlotte Greenwood and some others helping build the comedy.
In Parlor, Bedroom & Bath, we see Keaton at his deadpan best. Just listen, look and laugh. How anyone can watch this film and not howl during a good half dozen segments is beyond me. The film itself is wacko from the start. So, put the best wacko actor of the time in it and all you have is a great laugh vehicle to enjoy time and again.
PB & B pokes fun at a lot of aspects and stations of life. The rich and trivial, success and workaholics, glamor and the plain, marriage and love, fidelity and infidelity - all get a little treatment with humor and slapstick. It's too bad for those few folks who may have watched this film and just don't know how to laugh. Sometimes, we have to look for the genius and great in the simple. And there's plenty of that in this film. I wish all who watch it anew the same or more laughter from the head and the heart that I have had.
Here are some favorite lines from this film. This IMDb page for the move has many more under the Quotes section.
Jeffrey Haywood, "I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll marry Angelica myself." Virginia Embrey, "What?" Jeffrey, "Yeah, and then I'll poison her and marry you." Virginia, "Where are you going? Jeffrey, "Where am I going? To get the poison."
Jeffrey Haywood, to Reginald Irving, "I might fix it so she could be the mother of your children." At that, Reginald faints.
Jeffrey Haywood, "Listen, Polly, we've always been good friends, haven't we?" Polly Hathaway, "Yes. But you're scaring the friendship out of me."
Reginald Irving, offering to pay the farmer for their ride to the hotel on his hay wagon after their car lost a wheel, "How much do I owe you?" Hay wagon driver, "Ya think two dollars would be too much?" Reginald, "Yes." Wagon driver, "Well, then give me a dollar."
Polly Hathaway, "You have all the passion of an infuriated clam."
