The comedic team, the Marx Brothers, were the talk of Broadway during the mid-1920s. Their "I'll Say She Is' show consisted of sharp verbal humor mixed with song numbers and improvisational comedy. It was the highlight of the 1924-1925 New York City theater season. Evolving their act from the many years on the vaudeville circuit, the Marx Brothers, besides a lost quickie 1921 short 'Humor Risk,' never appeared, solo or as a group, in film until January 1925's "Too Many Kisses." Harpo Marx was the first brother to make an appearance in cinema, albeit brief but memorable, signifying his great potential in future on-screen endeavors.

Harpo, born Adolph, later changed to Arthur, was the second oldest of the Marx brothers. His self-taught skill playing the harp morphed into his known name, Harpo, during his vaudeville days. His stage and movie career is known for his lack of speaking. Several versions handed down give a reason behind his muteness. One account is a theater critic in 1914 wrote Harpo was brilliant on stage until he opened his mouth. Groucho claimed it was after a Winnipeg, Manitoba, act when the theater's owner paid them in pennies. As they left, Harpo yelled he wished the theater would burn down. It came true: that night a fire did destroy the venue. He learned to shut his mouth after that.

In "Too Many Kisses," Harpo does speak. It's the only time, with the exception in a group song in 1931's 'Monkey Business' and in a brief microphone appearance in 1936's 'The Great Ziegfeld,' he says something on film. As The Village Peter Pan, Harpo exclaims according to the title card "You sure you can't move?" Since this is a silent film, Harpo's lips are seen moving as he asks the question to a belligerent all tied up. The only other Marx Brothers who made a film appearance before their 1929 'The Cocoanuts' was Zeppo in 1925's 'A Kiss In The Dark.' "Too Many Kisses" is also a rare Richard Dix comedy. He plays a rich businessman's son whose paramour exploits forces his father to send him on a long trip to the Basque region of France. There he falls in love with a local beauty (Frances Howard),who is also pursued by Julio (William Powell),a local soldier. Dix, previously appearing in a number of Westerns, applies a light-hearted touch in his rivalry with Powell. Actress Francis Howard, recently signed to a five-year contract with Paramount Pictures, married producer Samuel Goldwyn, 20 years her senior, on April 23, 1925, soon after completing "Too Many Kisses." She was able to cancel her contract to devote time to her new family.

"Too Many Kisses" also has the distinction of being one of the first movies to be part of a double bill. The film 'French Pastry' front-ended the Harpo movie. The idea of showing two movies back-to-back became especially popular during the Depression when theater owners were vying for customers by offering a two-for-one evening of entertainment.

. . . (that's about a $1.2 million "breach of promise" settlement, adjusted for inflation) during the first scene of TOO MANY KISSES, Junior G. soon protests "But Dad, all I did was kiss her!" When a Tinsel Town character or Real Life Hollywood starlet is introduced to the American Public as a "Betty," it's always been a lead pipe cinch that she's some sort of gold-digger, strumpet, money-crazed opportunist, street-walker, con woman, harlot or otherwise depraved dolly. When Warner Bros. was casting the title role of JEZEBEL in the 1930's, their casting department naturally chose the first random "Betty" it stumbled across. A TOO MANY KISSES newspaper headline indicates that Ms. Vernon is the SEVENTH wicked wench to winch Big Bucks out of Pop Gaylord's checking account. Doubtless the first half dozen extortionists also spelled their given names B-E-T-T-Y, or variations there of.

"Too Many Kisses" (1925) stars Richard Dix and Frances Howard, though many will want to watch this to see a speaking (silent, of course(!),but nevertheless speaking) Harpo Marx. His character plays almost as it would in the future talkies he made, but he lacks a top hat - substitute a beret - and he's not quite as off-the-wall; well, almost not quite as... Others in this romantic comedy are William Powell - who easily gives the best performance as the nasty - Frank Currier, Joseph Burke, and Albert Tavernier, plus the henchmen and several others who fill out scenes. In a story that could only happen in the mind of film scenarists, this is about a man who can't avoid falling for women, making promises to them - such as a firm marriage - then being constantly sued for breach of promise, costing his father a fortune. His father is extremely wealthy, but the costs to pay off his son's suiters are beginning to take a toll, if not on his wealth necessarily, on his anxiety and health. SO - he sends his son off to the Basque country in the Pyrenees between France and Spain where the women only marry other Basque men...only other Basque men... Here, Dix meets Frances Howard, but he also meets her suiter, Powell, the chief of police, the capo di tuti capi, and an expert knife thrower, should the need - or the wish - arise. You can already see where this is going. It's pleasant going, beginning with a very mildly comedic engine rev-up. But the film progresses very incrementally, building and building quite well, with a mixture of comedy, drama, romance, and a good dollop of comedy/drama - with Harpo Marx served up as well. Dix is an actor who has a fine range, though narrow individual style of presenting that range. Known mostly as a tough character in sagas, nevertheless he began in a host of different types of films, from "The Ten Commandments" (1923) to rough-house comedies like "The Shock Punch" (1925),and originally served in a new takeover position after Wallace Reid died as a follow-up actor in Reid's type of film in things like "The Lucky Devil" (1925). He's best remembered now, perhaps, as the star in the series of films where he played "The Whistler" (1944-47).

This is on a new Blu-Ray from the Film Preservation Society, highly toned, with a few titles tinted, and a lovely musical score by Bill Marx, Harpo's son.

Just as a side note, I find it curious that I have five DVDs or Blu-Rays of Dix movies from 1925. Why so many from that year are available when he made so many films from as far back as 1917 seems odd to me. He's not an actor too many people remember anymore, though he certainly deserves to be better known. His output, though perhaps not in the "classic" category, with perhaps the exceptions of "The Ten Commandments" (1923) and the lesser "Cimarron" (1931),still are good watching today. Dix becomes a tad ripe after his silent days, but gets back into the swing of things with the really good "Whistler" series.