Buster Keaton
Posted: December 13th, 2010, 7:07 pm
I'm slowly and systematically re-watching the films of Buster Keaton. My plan was to watch them in the order they were released, but instead am watching them in the order in which they were produced (which is pretty close to the order of release).
Starting at the beginning with the films Keaton made with Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, this is the first time watching them in order of production and they reveal far more than the way I've seen them previously. The two Kino DVD sets featuring many of the films aren't presented in any particular order, a problem rectified in the Image 2-disc Best of Arbuckle-Keaton Collection but which is also missing an important short (The Cook). So I've been watching the films from the amazing box set from Eureka's Masters of Cinema series: Buster Keaton: The Complete Short Films 1917-1923. The films are, for the most part, the most complete available (the exception is the Arbuckle/Keaton short Moonshine, which is presented incomplete in the MoC collection as well as the Image set, due to the poor image quality of the only surviving 16mm dupe. However, that dupe, as bad as it is--and it's awful--is used in the Kino collection Vol. 1, which is great, because as awful as the print is, the film is a surreal hysterical treat.)
While re-watching the films of Buster Keaton in the order in which they were produced, it becomes abundantly clear that Roscoe Arbuckle was very influential in regards to Keaton's outlook on filmed comedy, including the surrealism that often differentiates Keaton from other comedians, particularly the other "big two". Keaton's interest in the camera and with the exploits that could be done with film that could not be done on stage also prompted him to encourage Arbuckle to try new things. Of course on his own Keaton pushed that cinematic quality much further (The Playhouse being an obvious example), but in watching the Arbuckle/Keaton shorts in sequence, there is a clear evolution from broad slapstick to more complex and character-driven comedies. Oh, and they are funny. Really funny.
A few things about Arbuckle:
The Butcher Boy, the first Keaton film, is also the first film Arbuckle made after leaving Keystone and working in the Joseph Schenck-produced series of Comique shorts. Like Keaton would have when Arbuckle moved on to make features, Arbuckle had complete control over his films, as well as a bigger budget than he'd gotten at Keystone. There were 22-Comique shorts in all, with Keaton featured in 14 of them. Of those 14, all survive except one, A Country Hero (1917). Most of the remaining Arbuckle-only Comique films (made when Keaton was in the army overseas) are lost as well, which is a real shame, for these films are as important to understanding and appreciating Arbuckle as the Mutuals are to Chaplin. The two solo Arbuckle films that do survive, A Reckless Romeo (1917)--available on the DVD The Cook and Other Treasures, and the brilliant Love (1919), found in The Forgotten Film of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle collection, show that Arbuckle clearly was in his comedic prime and my guess is, if the other Comique films are ever found, Arbuckle may join his rightful place alongside the 'big three' . (Or 'four', if you include Langdon, which I do. Chase, too. And Linder. Let's say top ten, just to be safe.)
While these Comique shorts aren't short on slapstick, they are quite a bit more developed than most Keystone films and many are quite ambitious. Arbuckle as a comedian-director was very generous, often giving Keaton and/or (other Comique regular) Al St. John plenty of solo screen time, allowing their own comedic talents to shine in his film. I can't think of a Chaplin film in which Chaplin himself isn't at least on-screen for the laughs. Nor a Lloyd. Nor a solo Keaton. Yet, in these Arbuckle films, it happens a lot.
Finally, while being a big man, Arbuckle rarely uses his size as the easy joke or almost any joke at all. There are no "can't fit through a door" gags and generally his size is used as a juxtaposition--usually with Keaton (and not unlike how it was used in his wonderful Keystone shorts with the diminutive--and oh-so adorable--Mabel Normand).
As for the films themselves, they all have wonderful moments and many are, what I would consider at least, "classic". As with most two-reelers of the time, many of the films start with a location or subject in which gags can then originate from. Usually after a reel or so (or when the gags have been used up), the "plot" shifts to another locale for more gags, etc. Their first pairing (and Keaton's film debut) The Butcher Boy (1917) is a good example as Keaton--already sporting his soon-to-be trademarked porkpie hat--plays a customer in Arbuckle's grocery, getting a lot of screen time and plenty of laughs, particularly doing his "molasses bit" not to mention the spectacular pratfall he takes. After a reel or so in the shop, the action then moves to a girls' school(!), which, among other things, allows Arbuckle to dress in drag (something he was prone to do in films), complete with a wig of long curls (ala Mary Pickford?), so that the film can conclude with Arbuckle getting the girl. As suggested above, as the series of shorts progress, the plots becomes more important, but not at the expense of the laughs.
I won't bore you with my thoughts on all of the films...just a few of them:
His Wedding Night (1917). Probably the "worst" of the Arbuckle/Keaton shorts is still wildly funny and well worth seeing if only to see Keaton himself in drag and over-emoting all over the place. Smiles, tears, the whole works. Surely the oddest performance by Keaton I've seen and I'm glad that he more-or-less stayed with the 'stone-face' persona. Still, it's pretty great to see him out of character…and boy is he really out of character here.
Moonshine (1918) Quite simply a stunner. Way ahead of its time in just about every way. There are just so many smart gags and comedic risks taken in this film. Inside jokes, asides, the playing of form--this is a film where Roscoe and Buster often break character and discuss the scenes they are playing in, and in one instance, Arbuckle insists they just cut to the climax, which they then do. It's a special film and it's a shame that the print is so abysmal.
Out West (1918) and Backstage (1919) are both great fun and have a lot of dark humor.
The Cook (1918) Easily the funniest short in the collection. Filled with some amazing and hysterical kitchen gags (Arbuckle was great at tossing ingredients and catching them behind his back), but when he and Keaton break into their Egyptian dance (ala Theda Bara's Cleopatra?), well, like I said the funniest short….
Starting at the beginning with the films Keaton made with Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, this is the first time watching them in order of production and they reveal far more than the way I've seen them previously. The two Kino DVD sets featuring many of the films aren't presented in any particular order, a problem rectified in the Image 2-disc Best of Arbuckle-Keaton Collection but which is also missing an important short (The Cook). So I've been watching the films from the amazing box set from Eureka's Masters of Cinema series: Buster Keaton: The Complete Short Films 1917-1923. The films are, for the most part, the most complete available (the exception is the Arbuckle/Keaton short Moonshine, which is presented incomplete in the MoC collection as well as the Image set, due to the poor image quality of the only surviving 16mm dupe. However, that dupe, as bad as it is--and it's awful--is used in the Kino collection Vol. 1, which is great, because as awful as the print is, the film is a surreal hysterical treat.)
While re-watching the films of Buster Keaton in the order in which they were produced, it becomes abundantly clear that Roscoe Arbuckle was very influential in regards to Keaton's outlook on filmed comedy, including the surrealism that often differentiates Keaton from other comedians, particularly the other "big two". Keaton's interest in the camera and with the exploits that could be done with film that could not be done on stage also prompted him to encourage Arbuckle to try new things. Of course on his own Keaton pushed that cinematic quality much further (The Playhouse being an obvious example), but in watching the Arbuckle/Keaton shorts in sequence, there is a clear evolution from broad slapstick to more complex and character-driven comedies. Oh, and they are funny. Really funny.
A few things about Arbuckle:
The Butcher Boy, the first Keaton film, is also the first film Arbuckle made after leaving Keystone and working in the Joseph Schenck-produced series of Comique shorts. Like Keaton would have when Arbuckle moved on to make features, Arbuckle had complete control over his films, as well as a bigger budget than he'd gotten at Keystone. There were 22-Comique shorts in all, with Keaton featured in 14 of them. Of those 14, all survive except one, A Country Hero (1917). Most of the remaining Arbuckle-only Comique films (made when Keaton was in the army overseas) are lost as well, which is a real shame, for these films are as important to understanding and appreciating Arbuckle as the Mutuals are to Chaplin. The two solo Arbuckle films that do survive, A Reckless Romeo (1917)--available on the DVD The Cook and Other Treasures, and the brilliant Love (1919), found in The Forgotten Film of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle collection, show that Arbuckle clearly was in his comedic prime and my guess is, if the other Comique films are ever found, Arbuckle may join his rightful place alongside the 'big three' . (Or 'four', if you include Langdon, which I do. Chase, too. And Linder. Let's say top ten, just to be safe.)
While these Comique shorts aren't short on slapstick, they are quite a bit more developed than most Keystone films and many are quite ambitious. Arbuckle as a comedian-director was very generous, often giving Keaton and/or (other Comique regular) Al St. John plenty of solo screen time, allowing their own comedic talents to shine in his film. I can't think of a Chaplin film in which Chaplin himself isn't at least on-screen for the laughs. Nor a Lloyd. Nor a solo Keaton. Yet, in these Arbuckle films, it happens a lot.
Finally, while being a big man, Arbuckle rarely uses his size as the easy joke or almost any joke at all. There are no "can't fit through a door" gags and generally his size is used as a juxtaposition--usually with Keaton (and not unlike how it was used in his wonderful Keystone shorts with the diminutive--and oh-so adorable--Mabel Normand).
As for the films themselves, they all have wonderful moments and many are, what I would consider at least, "classic". As with most two-reelers of the time, many of the films start with a location or subject in which gags can then originate from. Usually after a reel or so (or when the gags have been used up), the "plot" shifts to another locale for more gags, etc. Their first pairing (and Keaton's film debut) The Butcher Boy (1917) is a good example as Keaton--already sporting his soon-to-be trademarked porkpie hat--plays a customer in Arbuckle's grocery, getting a lot of screen time and plenty of laughs, particularly doing his "molasses bit" not to mention the spectacular pratfall he takes. After a reel or so in the shop, the action then moves to a girls' school(!), which, among other things, allows Arbuckle to dress in drag (something he was prone to do in films), complete with a wig of long curls (ala Mary Pickford?), so that the film can conclude with Arbuckle getting the girl. As suggested above, as the series of shorts progress, the plots becomes more important, but not at the expense of the laughs.
I won't bore you with my thoughts on all of the films...just a few of them:
His Wedding Night (1917). Probably the "worst" of the Arbuckle/Keaton shorts is still wildly funny and well worth seeing if only to see Keaton himself in drag and over-emoting all over the place. Smiles, tears, the whole works. Surely the oddest performance by Keaton I've seen and I'm glad that he more-or-less stayed with the 'stone-face' persona. Still, it's pretty great to see him out of character…and boy is he really out of character here.
Moonshine (1918) Quite simply a stunner. Way ahead of its time in just about every way. There are just so many smart gags and comedic risks taken in this film. Inside jokes, asides, the playing of form--this is a film where Roscoe and Buster often break character and discuss the scenes they are playing in, and in one instance, Arbuckle insists they just cut to the climax, which they then do. It's a special film and it's a shame that the print is so abysmal.
Out West (1918) and Backstage (1919) are both great fun and have a lot of dark humor.
The Cook (1918) Easily the funniest short in the collection. Filled with some amazing and hysterical kitchen gags (Arbuckle was great at tossing ingredients and catching them behind his back), but when he and Keaton break into their Egyptian dance (ala Theda Bara's Cleopatra?), well, like I said the funniest short….