Free and Easy (1930)

A bumbling manager tries to get a small town beauty contest winner into the movies.

Director:

Edward Sedgwick

Writers:

Richard Schayer (scenario), Paul Dickey (adaptation),

Stars:

Buster Keaton, Anita Page, Trixie Friganza

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Buster Keaton	...	Elmer J. Butts
Anita Page	...	Elvira Plunkett
Trixie Friganza	...	Ma Plunkett
Robert Montgomery	...	Larry Mitchell
Fred Niblo	...	Himself - Director Niblo
Edgar Dearing	...	Officer
Gwen Lee	...	Participant in Bedroom Scene
John Miljan	...	Participant in Bedroom Scene
Lionel Barrymore	...	Director in Bedroom Scene
William Haines	...	Himelf - A Guest
William Collier Jr.	...	Himself - Master of Ceremonies
Dorothy Sebastian	...	Participant in Cave Scene
Karl Dane	...	Participant in Cave Scene
David Burton	...	Himself - Director Burton

Storyline

Gopher City Kansas hosts a beauty contest. The winner, Elvira Plunkett, and her mother go to Hollywood. The Chamber of Commerce also provides Elvira with an agent, Gopher City's own Elmer J. Butz. Elmer likes Elvira and the shy Elvira likes him, but Mrs. Plunkett, a formidable woman, has little use for hapless Elmer. On the train west, they meet movie star Larry Mitchell, who takes a shine to Elvira and helps her meet MGM directors once they get to Tinsel Town. Elmer, meanwhile, wants to help Elvira with her career and he also wants to be her man. Movie stardom does come to the Gopher City entourage, but to whom is a surprise. And who will win the lovely Elvira's hand?

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Plot Keywords:

train | studio cop | camel | explosion | chauffeur | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

22 March 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

Easy Go

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The three main characters of the film - Elmer Butts, and Elvira and Ma Plunkett - come to Hollywood from Gopher City, Kansas. Trixie Friganza, who plays Ma Plunkett, was in fact from Kansas.

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Goofs

At approx. 1h 25min in, after the clown is pulled up, the circle of girls waits for him to come back; they turn to run off stage; cut to new film, they are still waiting for clown to return, then they turn to run off stage again.

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Quotes

Elmer Butts: Oh woe is me, the queen has swooned, after you.
Fred Niblo: The queen didn't swoon after me!
Elmer Butts: She swoon after me?
Fred Niblo: She didn't swoon after anybody!
Elmer Butts: Then why all the excitement?

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Connections

Featured in That's Entertainment! (1974)

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Soundtracks

"You've Got Me That Way"
(1930) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by William Kernell

User Reviews

Keaton's Starring Talkie Debut

Not really that bad but very bizarre. Buster Keaton in his starring talkie debut had talent and charm to spare, but the film is so weird. MGM had taken control of Keaton as had the Talmadge family, but he's game here as a hayseed manager accompanying Miss Gopher City (Anita Page) to Hollywood along with her stage door mother (Trixie Friganza). Some really funny stuff among the not-so-funny. MGM tosses in some guests stars like William Haines, Robert Montgomery, Lionel Barrymore, Dorothy Sebastian, Karl Dane, Gwen Lee, John Miljan, William Collier, and directors like Fred Niblo and Cecl B. DeMille, who chats up yes men about his future leading lady: Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Marion Davies, or Bebe Daniels. Lots of MGM name dropping and studio in jokes. Keaton is actually very good in his transition to sound, but the film meanders away and around the bend. He's surprisingly good in a dance number with an excellent young woman (is she Marion Shilling?) to "Free and Easy," which I like more every time I see it. Keaton could DANCE! And Ann Dvorak is in the chorus. Friganza steals several scenes. Page is beautiful. Montgomery gets his voice dubbed in a singing number. Niblo is hilarious as himself, but Buster Keaton, the great and wonderful silent comic, is the reason to watch Free and Easy. He's funny and light and tragic all at once. Was there anyone EVER like Buster Keaton? Around the time of filming he was being screwed by ex-wife Natalie Talmadge and her family as well as by MGM--the same studio that screwed William Haines, John Gilbert, Lillian Gish, Bessie Love, Anita Page and scores of others. See this film. Give it a chance and just watch BUSTER KEATON.