A stone-faced, hopelessly clumsy American millionaire (Buster Keaton) docks his yacht in Spain, falls for a fiery señorita, and proceeds to wreck everything in sight in a cascade of pratfalls, misunderstandings, and romantic chaos.
An Old Spanish Custom, aka, The Invader (1936) starring Buster Keaton
Synopsis
A wealthy but bumbling American yachtsman (Buster Keaton) sails into a Spanish port. He immediately becomes smitten with a fiery, seductive local woman (Lupita Tovar). Initially, he’s using him to deal with an abusive boss, who wants to force her to marry him, and another suitor.. Keaton’s character is soon pulled into her web of deceit, leading to a series of comedic mishaps, misunderstandings, and physical comedy as he tries to navigate the situation while pursuing love.
Routines
- Buster trying, and failing, to serenade his lady fair. With flower pots (among other things) falling on his head! So, he moves across the courtyard … But he’s standing on a cellar door, which opens, knocking him off! So he aggressively closes it, hitting the man opening it, causing a slapstick fight.
- The duel, towards the end, is quite hilarious.
- Buster, the captain on board the ship, performing his own wedding ceremony!
Cast of Characters
- Buster Keaton (Sherlock Jr., Cops) … Leander Proudfoot
- Lupita Tovar (Dracula 1931 Spanish version) … Lupita Melez
- Lyn Harding (Goodbye Mr. Chips 1939) … Gonzalo Gonzalez
- Esme Percy (Pygmalion 1938) … Jose
- Andreas Malandrinos (The Fearless Vampire Killers) … Carlos the barman
- Clifford Heatherley … Cheeseman
- Hilda Moreno … Carmita
- Webster Booth … Cantina Singer
Trivia
- Lupita Tovar nearly drowned in an accident on the set when she fell into the water. Buster Keaton jumped in to rescue her, but instead began to struggle too, and a crew member had to dive in and save them both..
- “The Invader”, the alternate title of the movie, is shown to be the name of the yacht on which Buster arrives in Spain.
- Remade as Pest from the West (1939).
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