What-No Beer? (1933)

Two men decide to cash in on the end of Prohibition by selling watered down beer.

Director:

Edward Sedgwick

Writers:

Robert E. Hopkins (original story), Carey Wilson (screen play),

Stars:

Buster Keaton, Jimmy Durante, Roscoe Ates

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Buster Keaton	...	Elmer J. Butts
Jimmy Durante	...	Jimmy Potts
Roscoe Ates	...	Schultz (as Rosco Ates)
Phyllis Barry	...	Hortense
John Miljan	...	Butch Lorado
Henry Armetta	...	Tony
Edward Brophy	...	Spike Moran
Charles Dunbar	...	Mulligan
Charles Giblyn	...	Chief

Storyline

Although he has never met her, Elmer Butts loves Hortense secretly and from afar. He dreams of making a million dollars so he can buy her a Rolls automobile and marry her. With prohibition apparently on the verge of ending, Elmer's friend Jimmy Potts gets an idea to make them both rich by opening a brewery just before the legalization of alcoholic beverages. Their timing is off, and the police raid them, but their inept brewing has created a beer with no alcohol, so they are let off. But it has also resulted in a cheaply made beer, and bootlegger Spike Moran realizes that he can vastly increase his profits by partnering with Elmer and Jimmy. But none of them reckons with the competitor, another bootlegger, gangster Butch Lorado. Butch has a girlfriend....Elmer's dream girl, Hortense.

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Plot Keywords:

beer | bootlegger | police | brewery | gangster | 

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Taglines:

HAVE YOU HEARD THE GOOD NEWS YET? When it was announced that a picture would be produced, based on the return of beer, the public besieged theatres with inquiries about it. It's here now with those funny "Speak Easily" boys bringing you 100% laughs from 4% beer.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 February 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amor... e Cervejas

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Mickey's Gala Premier (1933)

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Soundtracks

"Happy Days Are Here Again"
(1929) (uncredited)
Music by Milton Ager
Played by a band at the end

User Reviews

Train Wreck on Film

I love Keaton, but there is nothing here that resembles Buster Keaton. That any could find this a good film is totally beyond me. It is sad and painful to watch.

It is hard to imagine a worst partner for Buster then Jimmy Durante. Durante spends most of the movie yelling and waving his arms frantically. All poor Buster can do is stand around displaying his deadpan face. The attempts to inject physical humor into this are about as artless and unfunny as it gets.

If you like watching train wrecks, go for it. For me I will watch The General again. I would much prefer to remember him in that.