Too Much Johnson

Too Much Johnson

Directed by Orson Welles

Produced by Mercury Theater

201367 min5.4 / 10

A spirited silent slapstick farce built on mistaken identities and physical comedy, designed as theatrical spectacle rather than introspective cinema.

This film was not intended to stand by itself, but was designed as the cinematic aspect of Welles' Mercury Theatre stage presentation of William Gillette's 1894 comedy about a New York playboy who flees from the violent husband of his mistress and borrows the identity of a plantation owner in Cuba who is expecting the arrival of a mail order bride. The film component of the performance was ultimately never screened due to the absence of projection facilities at the venue. Long-believed to be lost, a workprint was discovered in 2008 and the film had its premiere in 2013.

Questions people ask

  • Is Too Much Johnson sad? No. Less sad than 97% of films.

  • Is Too Much Johnson easy watching? Yes. More comforting than 88% of films.

  • Does Too Much Johnson end with hope? Yes. More hopeful than 81% of films.

  • Is Too Much Johnson violent? Not especially. Less violent than 73% of films.

  • Is Too Much Johnson scary? Not especially. Less frightening than 58% of films.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

19/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Conventional, and it does not land.

Rarity48

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise12

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love7

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like Too Much Johnson

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Too Much Johnson

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Too Much Johnson, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Too Much Johnson, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Too Much Johnson, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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