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An unimpressive but well intending man is given the chance to marry a popular actress, of whom he has been a hopeless fan. But what he doesn't realize is that he is being used to make the ac... Read allAn unimpressive but well intending man is given the chance to marry a popular actress, of whom he has been a hopeless fan. But what he doesn't realize is that he is being used to make the actress' old flame jealous.An unimpressive but well intending man is given the chance to marry a popular actress, of whom he has been a hopeless fan. But what he doesn't realize is that he is being used to make the actress' old flame jealous.
Jack Byron
- Giovanni Scarzi
- (as John Byron)
Joe Bordeaux
- Rumrunner
- (uncredited)
Ray Cooke
- The Bellboy
- (uncredited)
Mike Donlin
- Man in Ship's Engine Room
- (uncredited)
Pat Harmon
- Tugboat Captain
- (uncredited)
Sydney Jarvis
- Man in Audience Next to Elmer
- (uncredited)
Theodore Lorch
- Actor as 'Union Officer'
- (uncredited)
Hank Mann
- Stage Manager
- (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan
- Tough Sailor
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Edward Sedgwick
- Buster Keaton(uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBuster Keaton wanted this film to be a full talkie, but MGM released it with only a musical score and sound effects. One thing that prevented this picture from being a full talkie was that MGM was late to the sound game and had only one full set of recording equipment at the time. Its Loew's Theater chain also was not yet fully equipped to show sound pictures. Plus, MGM's head of production reasoned Keaton's films were made with a lot of time-consuming improvisations and didn't think the added expense of using valuable, scarce sound equipment was worth it.
- GoofsIn the dressing-room, while attempting to trim the hair for his false beard, Elmer accidentally severs the left-hand shoulder strap of his tank-top undershirt and has no time to repair it. When he hurriedly changes back into his smart clothes after the performance, both straps are still whole.
- Quotes
Trilby Drew: What's that blonde hanging around you for?
Lionel Benmore: Can I help it if I'm good-looking?
- Crazy creditsRather than appear at the beginning, the MGM roaring lion opening appears after the conclusion of the film, but just before "The End" title, which immediately follows it.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Arena: Cinema: Christmas Special (1976)
- SoundtracksI'd Rather Be Blue Over You
(uncredited)
Music by Fred Fisher
Lyrics by Billy Rose
Played as background music at the cafe
Featured review
Buster's last silent
After talking pictures came out, there was a brief experiment with sound, which would logically make sense, but to illogical movie audiences didn't catch on. There are a few movies out there that attempted to ease audiences into talking pictures by creating a silent movie with sound effects, like applause, laughter, crashes, honking horns, etc. The change from silents to talkies was overwhelming, and audiences wanted it all! Why am I giving you this history lesson? Because Spite Marriage, Buster Keaton's last silent film, was a silent picture with sound.
In this one, he plays a hapless Romeo, devoted to stage actress Dorothy Sebastian. He sees her every performance and brings her bouquets of roses. The only trouble is Dorothy's in love with her costar; but when he marries someone else, she gets even by marrying Buster out of spite. The story jumps around quite a bit, so you might think you're seeing three movies in one. The first part of the film takes place in the theater, in the second part, Buster falls in with a crowd of gangsters, and in the final third, Buster and Dorothy are the only survivors on a sinking ship. While it might seem random, you won't have time to question it because you'll be mesmerized by Buster's incredible stunt work. He hangs from a rope on the mast, repeatedly gets thrown overboard only to catch himself on the boom and leap back on deck, and even falls into the sail and has to pull himself back up. Dorothy is a real trouper, participating in many of his stunts and gags, including the famous bedroom skit, recreated later by Buster and his wife onstage and by Donald O'Connor and Ann Blythe in The Buster Keaton Story. This movie feels like a very fond farewell to Buster Keaton's silent pictures, with all the elements of his famous films thrown together: a lovesick hero, dangerous stunts, funny gags, and a ship. Really the only thing missing is a train, but you can find one in almost every other of his movies.
In this one, he plays a hapless Romeo, devoted to stage actress Dorothy Sebastian. He sees her every performance and brings her bouquets of roses. The only trouble is Dorothy's in love with her costar; but when he marries someone else, she gets even by marrying Buster out of spite. The story jumps around quite a bit, so you might think you're seeing three movies in one. The first part of the film takes place in the theater, in the second part, Buster falls in with a crowd of gangsters, and in the final third, Buster and Dorothy are the only survivors on a sinking ship. While it might seem random, you won't have time to question it because you'll be mesmerized by Buster's incredible stunt work. He hangs from a rope on the mast, repeatedly gets thrown overboard only to catch himself on the boom and leap back on deck, and even falls into the sail and has to pull himself back up. Dorothy is a real trouper, participating in many of his stunts and gags, including the famous bedroom skit, recreated later by Buster and his wife onstage and by Donald O'Connor and Ann Blythe in The Buster Keaton Story. This movie feels like a very fond farewell to Buster Keaton's silent pictures, with all the elements of his famous films thrown together: a lovesick hero, dangerous stunts, funny gags, and a ship. Really the only thing missing is a train, but you can find one in almost every other of his movies.
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- Jan 23, 2019
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Matrimonio forzado
- Filming locations
- Hotel Carmel - 201 Broadway St, Santa Monica, California, USA(Lionel confronts Buster outside this hotel on the 2nd Street side - still in business in 2022)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 16 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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