Speak Easily is noted today primarily because of the presence of Buster Keaton and fans of the incredible silent era clown will want to seek it out; however, they should be warned that, as with all of the talkies he made in which he starred, Easily is a big disappointment. That's not to say that it is bad or totally without merit. Granted, its plot is entirely too typical, the kind of misunderstanding-as-set-up-for-comedy that was ground out frequently but which, when not given an inspired treatment, usually came across as ridiculous; nevertheless, it does provide Keaton with a few opportunities to demonstrate his unique talent, most notably in a delectable drunk scene in which Thelma Todd also gets to show that she too knew her way around physical comedy. But most of Easily doesn't take advantage of the qualities that made Keaton a silent star; for the most part, it's the kind of role that any number of performers could have played. Easily is one of three pairings of Keaton and Jimmy Durante, and while it should be a match made in heaven -- Keaton's stoniness and Durante's exuberance being theoretically perfect foils for each other -- the two don't create sparks here. As an average comedy of the period, Easily is quite watchable; as a Keaton vehicle, however, it's a letdown.