comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...
John Monk Saunders
John Monk Saunders (November 22, 1897 – March 11, 1940) was an American novelist, screenwriter, and film director.
Early life and career
Born in Hinckley, Minnesota, to Robert C. Saunders and Nannie Monk Saunders, his family (6 children) mov ...
story "A Maker of Gestures."Progressive Silent Film List: ''Too Many Kisses'' at silentera.com
Plot
Richard Gaylord Jr. is a modern
Lothario
Lothario is a male given name that came to suggest an unscrupulous seducer of women, based upon a character in ''The Fair Penitent'', a 1703 tragedy by Nicholas Rowe.
who has so many sweethearts that his father does not know what to do with him. Tired of paying to get his son out of one romantic entanglement after another, Richard Gaylord Sr. sends his son to the
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
region of France, believing that the women there will only accept attentions from their own people.
Almost immediately, local girl Yvonne Hurja becomes infatuated with Richard, who she sees as being able to help her break free from the unwanted attention of local guardsman Julio. A rivalry grows between Richard and Julio.
Cast
Reception
A review in ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
'' read, "This is an excellent selection for any exhibitor ..Dix, as Richard Gaylord, is dashing and pleasing in every scene. His admirers especially will derive gratification from his work".
A ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' review noted: "Incidentally 'Harpo' Marx, of musical comedy fame (Marx Brothers), does a half-wit that makes him a screen possibility for comedies who will bear watching".
Legacy
This film is notable for being the earliest surviving film to feature
Harpo Marx
Arthur "Harpo" Marx (born Adolph Marx; November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, mime artist, and harpist, and the second-oldest of the Marx Brothers. In contrast to the mainly verbal comedy of his brothers Grou ...
of the
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...
. It is the only film in which he did not star alongside his brothers. (His youngest brother Zeppo starred in the similarly-titled'' A Kiss in the Dark'', released only three months later). Harpo plays the Village Peter Pan, and technically has speaking lines (albeit not heard, since this is a silent film) for the first and last time in his career.
The film has been restored by the Film Preservation Society, its television premiere coming on
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...
on November 29, 2020 before its release to
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
the following day. Harpo's son Bill Marx composed and recorded a new soundtrack for this restoration.