The Suitor

Recently, Turner Classic Movies showed a bunch of films by Pierre Étaix--the first time they've been seen in this country in decades. Because the films have been tied up in legal disputes, most Americans have no idea who Étaix is--and I was quite curious.

Etaix proves himself the true heir to Buster Keaton in this, his first feature. This is just a fantastic series of escalating gags.

I was lucky enough to see twice this excellent film -and YOYO- in Buenos Aires, 20 years ago. Two main influences can be traced down in this film, which is like a great homage to silent comedies: first, of course, as Etaix himself put it, that of Buster Keaton (SEVEN CHANCES, SPITE MARRIAGE, CAMERAMAN), but also, it must be said, that of Harry Langdon (TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP & LONG PANTS).

This French slapstick farce seems to have disappeared from the Earth, which is a shame since I remember it as extremely funny and well made (I saw it as a teenager at a film festival in the mid-sixties).It's a remake of the Buster Keaton silent feature "Seven Chances," about a shy young man who must get married within a few days in order to inherit a fortune.