Even from the outset it doesn't make a strong impression. The opening scene is kind of rushed and disjointed as written and as directed, and bears a measure of racism in this picture for the first and not the last time. We're then given a musical number that manages to be both more over the top and more dull than a straightforward musical, less fun than we might get were the inclusion purely parodical (a la Monty Python), and more weirdly ill-fitting for this 30s comedy than I think has readily come across in any other similar instance; for good measure, toss in a tiresome fatphobic quip in this same scene, which is likewise the first and not the last we'll get here. In the third scene to greet us we've some witty dialogue and sight gags as the "baron" tells some tall tales, but these rather get lost in the mix as the actors seem more intent on their delivery, and their adopted accents, than on comedic timing. Next follows a musical number, "Clean as a whistle," that's more in line with 30s fare, albeit with highly suggestive imagery that's quite surprising for this period in Hollywood - which makes it the most striking and memorable part of 'Meet the baron' so far. Finally we get some meaningful humor as we broach the half-hour mark, which incidentally is the first real scene here to feature The Three Stooges (who only have a few minutes collectively).
In the most generous estimation it takes more than one-third of the runtime for this to start to be entertaining, and even then the dispensation is wildly uneven. That unevenness flows from the same issues that the picture has already demonstrated up to this point. Apart from the Stooges, whose supporting roles are characterized predominantly by slapstick, the actors on hand continue to seem much more concerned with their performances than with the comedy we're supposed to be getting. I guess there's nothing wrong with an actor focusing on, well, acting - or maybe there wouldn't be, if the cast weren't necessary to supply the vitality of the jokes and gags that writers Norman Krasna and Herman J. Mankiewicz too often do not. The feature really is enjoyable in fits and starts, yet between Krasna and Mankiewicz's screenplay, Walter Lang's direction, and/or the jumbled priorities of the players, a preponderance of these sixty-eight minutes pass by mostly unremarked. As if to illustrate the point, aside from the conception of "Clean as a whistle," the facet that most grabs one's attention here is the sharp editing of James E. Newcom, which at some points shows a degree of splendid imagination. To be sure, there's some fine wit on hand that should inspire laughter, but by one means or another that wit just flops as this presents.
It's well made according to the standards of 1933, including stunts and effects, costume design and art direction, and hair and makeup. Appreciable as such elements are, though, they only count for so much when the proceedings can't truly provide a good time. Those issues that reared their head from the beginning continue to crop up through to the end, from questionable musical sensibilities, to the emphasis of acting over comedy, to writing and/or direction that just outright fail the would-be humor. The result is a film we can "watch" without specifically engaging, for it neither requires nor inspires active attention. With all this having been said, it's hard not to feel disappointed; there was definitely potential in the concept, but in execution the movie just casually, indifferently trundles along to the finish line. I'm glad for those who get more out of this than I do, but I'm surprised I managed to stay awake through the runtime for as dull and unfunny as it mostly was. For all the other timeless classics that are out there for one to check out, it just doesn't seem particularly worthwhile to bother with 'Meet the baron.'
In the most generous estimation it takes more than one-third of the runtime for this to start to be entertaining, and even then the dispensation is wildly uneven. That unevenness flows from the same issues that the picture has already demonstrated up to this point. Apart from the Stooges, whose supporting roles are characterized predominantly by slapstick, the actors on hand continue to seem much more concerned with their performances than with the comedy we're supposed to be getting. I guess there's nothing wrong with an actor focusing on, well, acting - or maybe there wouldn't be, if the cast weren't necessary to supply the vitality of the jokes and gags that writers Norman Krasna and Herman J. Mankiewicz too often do not. The feature really is enjoyable in fits and starts, yet between Krasna and Mankiewicz's screenplay, Walter Lang's direction, and/or the jumbled priorities of the players, a preponderance of these sixty-eight minutes pass by mostly unremarked. As if to illustrate the point, aside from the conception of "Clean as a whistle," the facet that most grabs one's attention here is the sharp editing of James E. Newcom, which at some points shows a degree of splendid imagination. To be sure, there's some fine wit on hand that should inspire laughter, but by one means or another that wit just flops as this presents.
It's well made according to the standards of 1933, including stunts and effects, costume design and art direction, and hair and makeup. Appreciable as such elements are, though, they only count for so much when the proceedings can't truly provide a good time. Those issues that reared their head from the beginning continue to crop up through to the end, from questionable musical sensibilities, to the emphasis of acting over comedy, to writing and/or direction that just outright fail the would-be humor. The result is a film we can "watch" without specifically engaging, for it neither requires nor inspires active attention. With all this having been said, it's hard not to feel disappointed; there was definitely potential in the concept, but in execution the movie just casually, indifferently trundles along to the finish line. I'm glad for those who get more out of this than I do, but I'm surprised I managed to stay awake through the runtime for as dull and unfunny as it mostly was. For all the other timeless classics that are out there for one to check out, it just doesn't seem particularly worthwhile to bother with 'Meet the baron.'