1922 - THE FROZEN NORTH, Buster Keaton's spoof of Western films

Western films have been around since almost the beginning of narrative cinema.  John Ford and Raoul Walsh started their careers directing silent westerns.  The silent movie days fostered some big stars, Tom Mix, George O'Brien and William S. Hart actors who have faded in time except to the rabid silent film scholars I guess.

The background on this film is very interesting.  Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle a silent comedian had been accused of the rape and death of an actress at a Hollywood party.  Although Arbuckle had been acquitted for her death not one but three times he was convicted in the press which finished off his career.  One of the chief accusers of Arbuckle was actor William S. Hart who had never meet Arbuckle or was even familiar with the Arbuckle trials.  This angered Buster Keaton, he owed his start in film to Arbuckle.  Keaton decided to go after Hart.  What better way than to ridicule him in a movie. Thus we have the genesis for The Frozen North.

This is another amusing short film from Keaton who is at the peak of his talents.  Even in the early days of silent film western films had already settled into a series of cliches.  Keaton took these cliches and used them for some amusing gags.  Keaton plays a western character who frequently shoots first and asks questions later if at all.  The Frozen North is up to Keaton's usual high standards with his famous deadpan humor.

What is kind of fascinating about this film is Keaton's spoof of William S. Hart.  I've seen a couple of Hart's films (Hell's Hinges was actually quite a good one) and can say that Keaton's mockery of Hart is right on the mark.  Keaton wears a shrunken version of Hart's famous cowboy hat.  Keaton even has a cut out of Hart from a poster that figures into a very funny bit in a saloon.  Apparently William S. Haft was not amused.  Of course these insider jokes don't really mean much anymore but overall The Frozen North has some very funny stuff in it.  The Frozen North is available on YouTube.

The film was written by Buster Keaton and Edward Cline, the running time is 18 minutes. 

1920 - NEIGHBORS, Buster Keaton's version of Romeo and Juliet

After sitting through the almost 3 hour version of Romeo and Juliet called West Side Story it is a relief to see Buster Keaton's version of Romeo and Juliet.  Let's face it West Side Story gets mighty pretentious at times for a musical.

Keaton's film is set in the courtyard of a tenement building where Buster is in love with the girl next door. As in Shakespeare's story the families are feuding and Buster and the girl are forced to see each other on the sly.  There are a lot of very impressive slapstick scenes.  The tenement courtyard isn't really conducive as a location for humor.  However Keaton and his co-director Edward Cline came up with some really amazing stuff.  The film climaxes with Buster balancing the girl on his shoulders while being chased by her family.  What makes this chase special is that Keaton is on the top of two other individuals as they are being chased down the street.  Apparently these men were part of an acrobatic act.

 

The worst thing I can say about this film is that it has some stupid blackface humor which I never care for.  I did spot Buster's father Joe Keaton playing who else but Buster's father.  Neighbors gets the job done as another version of Romeo and Juliet and Keaton does Shakespeare one better, he has a happy ending instead of all that young love suicide stuff in the original.  Let's see the Bard top that.  Neighbors is available on YouTube.

 

The film was written by Buster Keaton and Edward Cline, the running time is 18 minutes.  

1943 - CRAZY HOUSE, from the guys that brought you Hellzapoppin'

Olsen and Johnson are back in another comedy for Universal Pictures.  Edward Cline who had directed W. C. Fields was in charge this time.  The results are disappointing.

For whatever reason the anarchaic spirit of Hellazpoppin' seems to be lost this time.  Olsen and Johnson are still up for any type of gag they can think of but their timing seems way off.  The film is also overloaded with musical numbers and singers, from Alan Jones to Count Basie.  There is also an extremely overbearing performer called Cass Daley who is featured in some very stupid specialty numbers

This Olsen and Johnson production actually has some sort of plot.  Having been kicked out of Universal Studios they set up a film at Miracle Pictures (If it's a good picture it's a Miracle).  The chance to take some major shots at Hollywood never materializes, the musical numbers just keep coming and coming and coming.

The film does have a few decent moments which come mostly at the end when they are previewing their picture for an audience.  Only in these scenes do Olsen and Johnson get to show their madcap vaudeville stuff.  Olsen and Johnson were comedians who appeared to work best without the structure of a formal script.

80 minutes.