''Parlor, Bedroom and Bath'' is an American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

comedy film starring

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

, released by

Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American film and television production and distribution company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. Metro- ...

in 1931. It was Keaton's third talking picture after his successful silent career. The film was released in the United Kingdom as ''Romeo in Pyjamas''. Two foreign-language versions were made at the same time: ''Buster se marie'' in French, and ''Casanova wider Willen'' in German. It is the remake of a 1920 film of the

same name ''Same Name'' is an American reality television series in which an average person swaps lives with a celebrity of the same first and last name. It premiered on July 24, 2011 on CBS. The series received low ratings, and CBS pulled it after four-ep ...

, based on the play by

Charles William Bell Charles William Bell (24 April 1876 – 8 February 1938) was a Canadian playwright, lawyer and politician, born in Hamilton, Ontario. He was Rocco Perri's lawyer. Bell attended Hamilton Collegiate Institute and University of Trinity College, T ...

and Mark Swan, which opened on Broadway in New York City on Christmas Eve, 1917 and ran for 232 performances.''Parlor, Bedroom and Bath'' as produced on Broadway at the Theatre Republic, December 24 1917 to July 1918; IBDb.com
/ref> ''Parlor, Bedroom and Bath'' was filmed partly at Keaton's own house. The film is in the public domain due to the copyright not being renewed.

Plot

Jeffrey Haywood ( Reginald Denny) wants to marry Virginia "Ginny" Embrey (

Sally Eilers Dorothea Sally Eilers (December 11, 1908 – January 5, 1978) was an American actress. Early life Eilers was born in New York City to a Jewish-American mother, Paula (or Pauline) Schoenberger, and a German-American father, Hio Peter Eilers (a ...

). However, Ginny refuses to marry unless her older sister, the hard-to-please Angelica (

Dorothy Christy Dorothy Christy (born Dorothea J. Seltzer, later Dorothy Rucker; May 26, 1906 – May 21, 1977) was an American actress. She was sometimes billed as Dorothy Christie. Early years Christy was born Dorothea J. Seltzer on May 26, 1906, in Readin ...

) marries first as she's afraid that Angelica will become an old maid. Angelica, in turn, finds every man she knows too dull and predictable, not wild and exciting, so prefers to stay single. One day, Jeff hits mild-mannered and timid Reggie Irving (played by Keaton) with his car and brings him to the Embrey mansion to recuperate. Angelica thinks that Reggie's handsome, so Jeff lies, telling her that he's a notorious, wealthy playboy chased away from Europe's playgrounds. Angelica's intrigued, particularly when different women, hired by Jeff, visit Reggie and fight over him. Reggie's alarmed by this turn of events, as he thinks that Angelica's beautiful, but is inexperienced with wooing women. He tries to flee, but is captured and re-concussed by the Embrey groundskeepers at Jeff's direction. Angelica continues nursing him, falling in love. Worried that Angelica will find Reggie dull, Jeff asks Polly (

Charlotte Greenwood Frances Charlotte Greenwood (June 25, 1890 – December 28, 1977) was an American actress, comedian and dancer. Born in Philadelphia, Greenwood started in vaudeville, and starred on Broadway, movies and radio. Standing almost six feet tall ...

), a society journalist, to write rumors about him. Also, he reserves a room for Polly and Reggie at the Seaside Hotel, intending that she'll will teach him how to woo and Angelica will catch them together, proving that Reggie's not dull. Nita Leslie ( Joan Peers), a family friend, believes the rumors Polly's been writing and, furious that her husband Fred prioritizes work over their marriage, declares to the Embreys that she'll go to an hotel "with the worst man I know." She sees Reggie packing his car and drives away with him. After a disastrous trip to the Seaside Hotel, Nita and Reggie check in to their suite as Mr and Mrs John Smith. Nita becomes frightened that she is at an hotel with a terrible man and hides in the bedroom, despite his pleading from the parlor that Angelica needs to catch them together. Then, Polly bursts into the suite and comically attempts to teach him to woo. Sadly, Reggie's a limp fish, lacking passion. The Embreys and Fred arrive, Fred shooting at Reggie for running away with Nita. Polly collapses, and everyone flees, shouting, "Murder!" with Fred pulling Nita out of the room before locking Reggie in the parlor with the "body." He hides her in a closet before the police arrive. When they find her, Polly wakes from her faint, and Reggie escapes. Everyone runs around the hotel, becoming mixed up, and Reggie and Angelica end back in his hotel suite together. He kisses her passionately, and she melts into his arms.

Cast

as Reginald Irving *

as Polly Hathaway * Reginald Denny as Jeffrey Haywood *

Cliff Edwards Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American pop singer, musician and actor. He enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop sta ...

as Bell Hop *

as Angelica Embrey * Joan Peers as Nita Leslie *

as Virginia Embrey *

Natalie Moorhead Natalie Moorhead (born Nathalian Morehead, July 27, 1901 – October 6, 1992) was an American film and stage actress of the 1920s and 1930s. She was known for distinctive platinum blond hair. Early years Moorehead grew up in Pittsburgh. ...

as Leila Crofton *

Edward Brophy Edward Santree Brophy (February 27, 1895 – May 27, 1960) was an American character actor and comedian, as well as an assistant director and second unit director during the 1920s. Small of build, balding, and raucous-voiced, he frequently portr ...

as Detective *

Sidney Bracey Sidney Bracey (born Sidney Bracy; 18 December 1877 – 5 August 1942) was an Australian-born American actor. Born into an acting family, he began a stage career in Australia, on Broadway and in Britain usually as leading men in musicals and ...

as Butler * Walter Merrill as Fredrick Leslie

References

External links

* * * {{Edward Sedgwick 1931 films 1930s English-language films Sound film remakes of silent films Remakes of American films American black-and-white films Films directed by Edward Sedgwick 1931 comedy films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films American comedy films 1930s American films English-language comedy films

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links