Noises Off is Peter Bogdanovich at his zaniest, but the picture is screwball without substance. The cast is more than capable and willing to give it their all, and the film garners lots of laughs. But the rush of energy that propels this movie forward moves so quickly that by the end, Noises Off has run out of fuel. Like the Michael Frayn play on which it is based, the picture is structured around three different performances of the first act of a play-within-the play called Nothing On. Initially, we witness the tech rehearsal turned dress rehearsal the evening before opening night, followed by a disastrous showing in Palm Beach before rounding out with a bigger brouhaha in Cleveland. Each show reveals the personal lives of Nothing On‘s actors and stagehands and illustrates the intersection of personal life and professional obligation. Naturally, pandemonium ensues, but that is not to say that things are necessarily confusing or upsetting. Indeed, this movie delivers some genuinely nice fights, in the sense that nothing is truly at stake; the arguments are completely superficial and wonderfully ridiculous. Unfortunately, the abrupt ending simply puts a happy face on whatever disagreements had arisen, making the conflict within this acting ensemble rather arbitrary.

Leading the troupe is director Lloyd Fellowes (Michael Caine), whose exasperation and sarcasm mask his fear and insecurity about the play’s ability. The rest of the cast, which includes Carol Burnett as Dotty, John Ritter as Dotty’s secret lover Garry Lejeune, Christopher Reeve as airheaded Fred and Marilu Henner as rather normal Belinda, show their enthusiasm for the material, especially Ritter, who is more than capable of providing the zany energy required, which leaves the supporting roles of Denholm Elliott (as alcoholic Selsdon) and Julie Hagerty (as lovestruck Poppy) to pick up laughs where they can. Yet, Elliott and Hagerty’s subtle comedy is the perfect counter to the outrageous behavior of Burnett or Ritter or even Caine, who has to chew the scenery for comic effect at several points. Because these are movie actors, more so than stage actors they are able to maintain their comic timing and energy for the duration of a lengthy shoot as opposed to sudden bursts onstage in a clockwork manner, giving weight to the cast and their chemistry. Thus, experienced actors like Reeve and Henner bring the right kind of balance to those more well-versed in burlesque comedy like Burnett, Ritter and Hagerty.

In interviews, Bogdanovich stated his affection for these particular characters as opposed to those in The Last Picture Show and Texasville. Regarding the sad and drifting figures of Anarene, Bogdanovich said, “But those characters are really Larry’s (McMurtry) characters. And I feel empathy and sympathy and interest in them as human beings. But I think I know the people in Noises Off better… I really like actors. I like show people.” This feeling is palpable as Bogdanovich’s camera fluidly moves across and through the stage, as we see the ongoings both in front of and behind the curtain. There is a real sense of empathy for the characters’ problems, regardless of how trivial and infantile they are. Indeed, one of the funniest bits involves the actors feuding with each other during a live performance, which forces them to argue silently on the backside of the set. In this way, Bogdanovich illustrates the thin veneer between fiction and reality for those in show business and the thick skin required to be successful in both.

The comedy in Noises Off, which consists of misunderstandings, accidents, and coincidences, has its roots in Shakespeare. Therefore, it makes sense that this style continues to find life on stage as well as in a movie about stage life. It’s almost as if this type of comedy is made for the ridiculous and outrageous, which are certainly two major components of show business. Still, given Bogdanovich’s affection for these kinds of people and their problems, the movie never pushes too far into sentimentalism or pathos. The beginning and end, which are mere framing devices, do take away from what is eccentric about the story. Yet, the spirit of the story remains in a very silly tale told through what Jonathan Rosenbaum calls “the cold-blooded mechanics of choreographing one-trait characters.” In this case, as Bogdanovich knew after multiple failures, less is definitely more.

Within the context of Bogdanovich’s oeuvre, this is a slight work, but it is definitely funnier than the disastrous Illegally Yours and even What’s Up, Doc? which was more successful but too often relied on the style of far superior movies without manufacturing the desired emotions. Here, the superficiality of the characters and their situations is part of the humor and because they are actors, the audience understands the vapidity. Yet, like all comedies, the style is particular enough that some viewers may not laugh as loudly as others. Watch at your own risk.