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Summary: Remarks on The Art of Buster Keaton Video
Review: The three box set of Buster Keaton videos contains a number of his better works. I particularly liked One Week, Sherlock Jr. (wonderful), Our Hosptitality, and My Wife's Relations. Our Hospitality contains some daring river and waterfall scenes shot not too far from where we live in the Sierra mountains of California. Sherlock Jr. is one of his top notch films. The Three Ages is perhaps one of the weaker films in the package. One Week involves Buster in an attempt to build a new house from a kit. It's quite funny, and particularly relevant to anyone who has attempted to build a home or perform major home repairs.
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Summary: Buster the Lamb
Review: This collection contains the first 3 films Buster made following the filmmaking apprenticeship he experienced under Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle from 1917-19. After seeing the dissatisfying results of "The High Sign", he was hired to do "The Saphead" while thinking up a better idea for his 2-reeler debut, which eventually came to be "One Week".THE SAPHEAD (1920): "The Saphead" is based on the play "The Henrietta", which had been a hit on Broadway and starred Douglas Fairbanks in the role of Bertie "the Lamb" Van Alstyne. Fairbanks had recommended Buster for the role in this filmed version, retitled "The Saphead". Buster's role doesn't start until about 10 minutes into the movie, where we see him wolfing down a big meal and being overly pampered by valets and servants. Bertie the Lamb is the son of a wealthy man who thinks his son is spoiled and soft. Because Bertie has read a book that states that the modern girl is more interested in a dangerous guy than a safe guy, he goes to a gambling parlor and then tries to get himself arrested. In this scene, fans of Buster's are given a rare treat: He opens his mouth and shows his teeth, which almost develops into a full smile! What a cutie!! "The Saphead" is actually a drama that's peppered with the subjects of infidelity, illegitimate children, death, suicide, and financial ruin. The only comedic moments in the film are supplied by Buster, who is allowed to practice his trademark pratfalls in a few scenes, which help illustrate the depth of his inept character, the Lamb. But because of his role, the film is worth watching simply because he's in it. THE HIGH SIGN (1920): "The High Sign", a 2-reeler that was shelved after its completion in January 1920, was actually released to the public after Buster had an unforeseen accident that derailed his filmmaking schedule, thus leaving him without a release to fulfill his contract obligations in April 1921. Buster intended "The High Sign" to be his 2-reel debut under his new contract, but was unsatisfied with the results, believing that his debut should have stronger material. "The High Sign" features him as a shooting gallery employee who is forced into the role of "button man" for a group of low-rent gangsters, who use a "high sign" for a password. Although "The High Sign" wasn't up to Buster's standards, it's as good as most of the 2-reelers he made in the future, and I think it deserved a better reason to be released than as an alternative because of the consequences caused by a broken foot. ONE WEEK (1920): "One Week" is the second 2-reeler Buster made, which did pass his quality control inspection. It's also, to this day, one of his most popular 2-reelers, so he was correct in releasing it first. "One Week" is about newlyweds who are gifted with a house-building kit. Not knowing that the jealous former suiter of his bride has sabotaged the construction directions, they build what turns out to be a cockeyed house (and throughout the film, they don't seem to notice that anything is wrong with it). The gags center around this dysfunctional building until the end, when we get to see one of the most famous scenes of Buster's career (involving a train).
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