The Saphead

Director: Herbert Blaché and Winchell Smith
Year Released: 1920
Rating: 2.5

Wealthy, pampered Bertie (Buster Keaton) tries to impress the girl of his dreams by pretending to be a cad (one who drinks and gambles), which alienates him from his father - later, there's a conspiracy by Bertie's brother-in-law to convince everyone Bertie and a dead-woman had an illegitimate child together (which they didn't; it was the brother-in-law). Basically one of the more 'dramatic,' less 'comical' Keatons - it's based on two stage plays - that doesn't allow Buster to flip, spin and run around until, of all places, he gets to Wall Street (!?), where he has to flip, spin and run around buying his father's stock back. As a story, it's basically canned and inconsequential (the side characters are barely distinguishable, as are the ladies) with one of those last acts that conveniently solves all the picture's problems quickly (the brother-in-law dies of a heart attack when he needs to be out of the movie). Still, it's not that bad a picture - or at least I don't think so - just not one of Keaton's trademark slapstick-y adventures.