Topic: Doughboys (1930) - Buster Keaton

[metaldams]

      An OK film, and good for an MGM Keaton talkie.  Like most MGM Keatons the problem with this one is lack of an all-time classic chase we're accustomed to and simply the Elmer character himself.  The former is what it is and will go without saying in future MGM reviews.  MGM wasn't about to risk Keaton with STEAMBOAT BILL, JR. type spectacle for insurance reasons and the risk of losing a star.  As stated before, these MGM films, while not loved today, were big money makers in their day, during the height of the depression, no less, so you can't blame MGM.

      The Elmer character though is just too simple for the crafty Keaton we're used to.  His flat out obsession in this film is Mary, played by Sally Eilers.  Their relationship goes back and forth due to an annoying immature lack of communication in various ways on both ends, and it's hard to take the romance seriously the way we do in THE CAMERAMAN as a result.  The worst part, and possibly the low point in the film, is when Elmer goes through Mary's window.  The dialogue is painfully awkward, just them asking each other how they're doing several times for lack of knowing what to say to each other.  It just serves to make Elmer seem bumbling and incompetent, I really hate that scene.  I do want to add Edward Brophy is good as the drill Sgt., but there are times he's talking so much over Keaton it seems like a precursor of things to come.  Keaton could do dialogue, and again, his few lines in LIMELIGHT show Chaplin knew what to do with Keaton more than MGM.  A sharp Keaton character has a dry wit that could deliver a line fantastically, it's just sad in these MGM films, we're missing that sharp Keaton character.

      But hark, all is not lost, there are some good scenes.  There's the scene where the army has trouble undressing Keaton at the recruiting office, later done with Curly in RHYTHM AND WEEP.  Keaton shows great physical agility here, my only complaint is the scene is not stretched out longer, as the potential is there.  Also for great physical ability is Keaton in drag in the U.S.O. like stage scene being tossed around in that dance number, doing sunset flips, airplane spins, and other various bumps to keep any wrestling fan satisfied.  It should be noted Keaton in real life served in WWI and entertained the troops.  Supposedly DOUGHBOYS is the MGM talkie Keaton had the most input with, and I can imagine him drawing from his real life experience in this scene.  Also has to be said for me, Sally Eilers in that little outfit during the stage scene is enough to make me act like a wolf in a Tex Avery cartoon. Day-um!

      The two really good parts are Keaton fooling Edward Brophy and his interaction with the German soldiers.  The former is a rare case of Elmer being smart and funny like the old Keaton.  He takes sign that says "Mount Pleasant H.S.," cuts out the M and P, puts the letters on his arms to be appear to be an MP.  Instead of his Sgt. chasing Keaton for seeing his girl, he momentarily tricks him into thinking Elmer's an MP to make the Sarge, also out against orders, run away from him. 

      The whole prisoner scene is excellent and the highlight of the film.  First off, with good MGM production values, the look of Europe and the bunkers is top notch.  Secondly, the idea of Keaton going into the German bunker, having one of them be his servant from home, make friendly with them, take food orders for them, and even have them offer ammunition is hysterical.  Keaton in real life said the German people themselves were good people and it was a shame he had to fight them.  But yeah, no hateful propaganda of the enemy, this was 1930, also the same year the anti war masterpiece ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT was released.  War films between the two World Wars fascinate me.  There is also this one bit where a silent, serious looking Keaton rises up from a bunker in a briefly peaceful stillness before Edward Brophy yells something.. that brief moment reminds me of silent Keaton.

      Cliff Edwards, who later voiced Jiminy Cricket is in this film, and the musical bits are fun.  There are some good bits in this film, but it's not enough visual Keaton comedy and too much of the Elmer like romance thatweighs this thing down..,and yeah, Brophy and Keaton together, at times, if not always, do clash.


6/10

[Umbrella Sam]

So, I think it is interesting to note that this is another film in which Keaton plays a rich character who has to adapt to some major change, much like in BATTLING BUTLER and SEVEN CHANCES. I note this because all of the previous examples brought decent, but not great results. This is the exact same situation, but compared to the films from the past two weeks, this is a very welcome change.

So the main plot of this film deals with Keaton accidentally enlisting in the army while also trying to win the affection of a girl who doesn’t initially want anything to do with him. Her reasons are understandable, considering Keaton seems to have not really made anything of himself on his own, though the beginning could have been cut a little bit. They show her rejecting him twice, only to give an explanation the second time, so the first rejection feels very pointless; we could have easily figured out the problem based off the explanation she gives.

Once Keaton actually enters the army, the film becomes more episodic, dealing mostly with the soldiers’ adaptation to the army. One thing I like about some of these army films are the friendly atmospheres between soldiers. The collegiality here does feel pretty genuine, especially when they’re performing the song when they’re first on the ship.

DOUGHBOYS also benefits from a strong supporting cast. Sally Eilers is good as the girl who is hard to get. In addition to this, she’s also able to make the character likable and as a result I do want to see them get together in the end. After the last two weeks’ films, they finally figured out how to put together a good romance again. Edward Brophy also is a very good choice for the drill sergeant and does some physical comedy with Keaton, such as when they’re in France after Keaton was late.

Then there’s Cliff Edwards. Today he’s most known for being the voice of Jiminy Cricket and unlike Edward Brophy, Edwards eventually became so unreliable for film roles that he had to rely on reprising his Disney role as his sole source of income in his later years. However, at this time Edwards was mainly known for his stage persona, Ukulele Ike, and proved himself as being talented at playing the ukulele, singing, and doing comedy, and Edwards does all three here. Honestly, my favorite moments are whenever he’s on screen. He’s very full of spirit in his performances and his falsetto voice is a lot of fun to listen to. If you get a chance, try to check out some of his songs as Ukulele Ike, because he really was a very talented performer.

While the Elmer character is still pretty inept here, he’s not nearly as bad as in FREE AND EASY and here I think you can argue that it’s somewhat understandable since he grew up in a rich household and as a result he’s entering something he has never had any experience in before.

Unfortunately, the film is still not perfect. Truth be told, the film is still really not all that funny. There’s some funny stuff like Keaton taking the orders for the German soldiers, but as a whole the film is just mildly entertaining. It’s not as reliant on dialogue as FREE AND EASY was, but there are some visual gags that never really go anywhere, such as when they’re practicing target practice and I think the episodic nature has to do with that. It often feels like the film is moving too fast; before you know it, Keaton is suddenly moving on to another task before we were really able to take in what exactly was going on before. Also, while the Elmer character here isn’t too bad, there still are some moments that are just a bit too hard to sit through in just how dumb he really is, like when he ends up in that French girl’s bedroom.

DOUGHBOYS does not compare to Keaton’s best work, but there are enough positives in here that I can actually say that it’s an OK film to check out once. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that this may end up being the best film we’ll be seeing in a while.

7 out of 10

[Dr. Mabuse]

"Doughboys" was inspired by Buster Keaton's WWI experiences. Unlike the majority of his MGM talkies, the studio allowed Keaton more creative input for this military comedy. Directed by Edward Sedgwick, "Doughboys" has some classic moments — Buster's performance in drag and his scat-singing with Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards — that make up for the dead spots. Though Keaton was fond of "Doughboys," it's a far cry from "The General."

6.5/10