The E-Flat Man (1935)

Elmer and his girlfriend run away to elope and spend their trip trying to dodge the police who are on their trail after they mistakenly make their getaway in a police car.

Director:

Charles Lamont

Writers:

Glen Lambert, Charles Lamont

Stars:

Buster Keaton, Dorothea Kent, Broderick O'Farrell

Cast

Cast overview:
Buster Keaton	...	Elmer
Dorothea Kent	...	Elmer's Girl
Broderick O'Farrell	...	Mr. Reynolds
Charles McAvoy
Si Jenks	...	Farmer
Fern Emmett	...	Farmer's Wife
Jack Shutta

Storyline

Elmer and his girlfriend run away to elope and spend their trip trying to dodge the police who are on their trail after they mistakenly make their getaway in a police car.

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 August 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

L'uomo del mi minore

Company Credits

Production Co:

Educational Films Corporation of America

Technical Specs

Runtime:

20 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Crook #1: I couldn't find any aspirin but here's some potassium cyanide. Think this will cure the boss's toothache?
Crook #2: Yeah, permanently.

User Reviews

Another Sad One from Keaton

E-Flat Man, The (1935)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Here's yet another very unfunny Buster Keaton film that he did at Educational Pictures. This time out Elmer (Keaton) and his girlfriend (Dorothea Kent) are about to elope but while they're sneaking out of her house a robbery is taking place next door. The thieves head off in Keaton's car and the future husband and wife team accidentally take a police car. The couple hear that they're wanted by police so they go on the run but soon the police learn the truth but our young couple don't get the news that they're no longer wanted so they just keep running. THE E-FLAT MAN is yet another dud from Keaton and Educational. I think it's fair to say that no one should go into any of these Educational pictures expecting anything near his classic silent pictures but at the same time I don't think it's too much to ask that they at least deliver a few laughs but sadly that never happens. This is a pretty flat story from start to finish as the screenplay really doesn't offer us anything we haven't seen countless times before. Fans of Keaton's THE SCARECROW will see a similar scenes here but you'll also see how badly it doesn't work here. There's even a spoof of the hitchhiking scene from IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT but it too falls flat on its face. We even get a bizarre ending on board a train that comes out of no where and ends just as fast without the joke ever paying off. The one saving grace is that Keaton and Kent at least has some nice chemistry together. Keaton's performance is somewhat lacking but Kent is so cute and charming that she'll at least put a smile on your face.