Next Four Shorts: Fatty Arbuckle & Buster Keaton

I enjoyed writing about the rest of Buster Keaton’s independent comedy shorts, so I might as well keep it up.  I’ve already done my top five picks on the Arbuckle-Keaton stuff and, since I have eight to go, I’ll give you four today and four more next week.  There really is a lot of funny stuff to be had here.

The Butcher Boy (1917)

Buster’s screen debut!  Fatty works in a butcher shop/general store, where he slices cuts of meat between battling a rival for the affections of the girl he loves.  Buster plays an unsuspecting customer who causes a little havoc of his own before getting caught in the crossfire of the dueling would-be lovers.

Best Buster Bit:  Buster’s first onscreen stunt – taking a sack of flour to the face.  As Buster later described, the force of it puts his head where his feet had been.  Talk about suffering for your art!

His Wedding Night (1917)

Fatty and another man fight over the same girl (sound familiar?)  Serious (funny) business this time around, as the rival actually tries kidnapping her – little does he know, though, he’s in fact run off with Buster, who models the wedding dresses he delivers.

Best Buster Bit:  After discovering that the wedding dress has fallen out of its box, Buster, in looking around for it, checks his pockets.  For a wedding dress.  Such glorious little moment. 

Coney Island (1917)

More of Fatty trying to woo a girl, now with Buster playing his rival.  Lots of clowning around on the rides, the midway games, and the beach.  Noteworthy for Buster’s blatant delight when Fatty accidentally winds up with a women’s bathing suit.

Best Buster Bit:  Buster gets a job as a lifeguard and, stepping out of the changing rooms, does a backflip for absolutely no reason at all – love it.

Moonshine (1918)

Fatty and Buster play a pair of revenue agents on the prowl for bootleggers.  This has a different comedy style than the other Arbuckle shorts I’ve seen, and really, most silent films I’ve seen.  It’s super meta, with the intertitles constantly breaking the fourth wall.  One of my favorites is when Buster explains that all the extras went to lunch, offering to go find them before Fatty decides they can do the explosion scene without them.

Best Buster Bit:  After Busters takes a plunge in the river, Fatty literally hangs him up to dry.  From a tree branch.  Upside-down.  By his ankles.  Ha!