Free and Easy | 1930 | Comedy

Title: Free and Easy | 1930 | Comedy Director: Edward Sedgwick Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Starring: Buster Keaton, Anita Page, Trixie Friganza, Robert Montgomery, Lionel Barrymore, Fred Niblo, William Haines, Gwen Lee, John Miljan, Dorothy Sebastian, Karl Dane, William Collier Sr., Jackie Coogan, Cecil B. DeMille Based on: Original screenplay by Richard Schayer, Paul Dickey, Al Boasberg Release Date: March 22 1930 Runtime: 92 minutes Format: Black and white with sound Country: United States Language: English Genres: Comedy Musical --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Elvira wins beauty contest in Gopher City 00:10:00 Train journey to Hollywood and meeting Larry Mitchell 00:20:00 Arrival at MGM and studio tour antics 00:30:00 Elmer’s film set misadventures 00:45:00 Film within a film and musical numbers 01:00:00 Romantic tensions and final resolution --- Summary: Free and Easy is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film and the first starring talking role for Buster Keaton, in which small-town gas station attendant Elmer J. Butts accompanies beauty contest winner Elvira Plunkett and her overbearing mother to Hollywood for her screen test. On the train they meet movie star Larry Mitchell, and upon arrival at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lot Elmer’s bumbling efforts to help Elvira achieve success lead to a series of comic misadventures among studio sets and sound stages. Cameos from real Hollywood figures and musical sequences emphasize the behind-the-scenes mayhem of early sound filmmaking. --- Background: Directed by Edward Sedgwick and produced by MGM, Free and Easy was released during the early sound era and served as Buster Keaton’s first leading role in a talkie. The screenplay was crafted to showcase studio life and the contrast between a naive outsider and the Hollywood machine, with numerous cameo appearances by contemporary stars and directors integrated into the narrative. --- Trivia: Free and Easy marks Buster Keaton’s first starring talking picture. The film includes cameo appearances by MGM personalities including William Haines, Cecil B. DeMille, Jackie Coogan, and Lionel Barrymore. A Spanish language version of the film titled *Estrellados* was released in the same year by MGM. The movie was originally titled *On the Set* during production. Musical numbers and studio lot sequences make the film both a comedy and an early musical piece reflecting the transition to talkies. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: March 22 1930 Original Studio / Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Not applicable --- Hashtags: #FreeAndEasy1930 #BusterKeaton #EarlyTalkie #ClassicComedy #PublicDomain #MGM