This being a comedy directed by Jules White, the first thing we establish is that Buster Keaton's character is a half-wit. This is a basic problem with his sound studio pictures. The real Keaton character is not an idiot triumphing over fate by luck, but a dreamer, out of step with the chaotic world, who triumphs -- or sometimes sinks --by stoic perseverance. He learns his lesson in the school of hard knocks. 

But this is 1940, not 1927, and Buster is toiling in the Columbia short subjects department, not building features with his hand-picked crew. And he's got Jules White, who thinks that sheer pain frequently applied is the only source of comedy. So there is a constant struggle between Keaton, backed by his co-director from THE GENERAL, Clyde Bruckman, as writer, and Jules White as producer-director. 

Unhappily, Jules White wins. People get sat on, people get hit on the forehead by shoes with loud sound effects. But Keaton wins a few battles. He still takes a fall beautifully and he has a nice little sequence trying to undress in an upper berth. So don't expect a classic, but do expect some wonderful little bits.

Just ignore the parrot.

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

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The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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Buster, a reporter, takes a train trip and winds up innocently involved with a gangster's wife.

Buster Keaton and Dorothy Appleby in Pardon My Berth Marks (1940)

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Buster Keaton, Dorothy Appleby, and Beatrice Blinn in Nothing But Pleasure (1940)

Buster Keaton and Elsie Ames in General Nuisance (1941)

Buster Keaton, Elsie Ames, Dorothy Appleby, Don Beddoe, Bruce Bennett, Lynton Brent, John Tyrrell, and Evelyn Young in The Spook Speaks (1940)

Buster Keaton, Elsie Ames, Monte Collins, and Harry Semels in She's Oil Mine (1941)

Buster Keaton and Dorothy Appleby in The Taming of the Snood (1940)

Buster Keaton in Pest from the West (1939)

Buster Keaton in So You Won't Squawk? (1941)

Buster Keaton and Harley Wood in Mooching Through Georgia (1939)

Buster Keaton, Elsie Ames, and Dorothy Appleby in His Ex Marks the Spot (1940)

Buster Keaton in Love Nest on Wheels (1937)

Buster Keaton and Rose Kessner in Blue Blazes (1936)

Buster Keaton and Harold Goodwin in Jail Bait (1937)

Buster Keaton in Pardon My Berth Marks (1940)

Pardon My Berth Marks

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