Top Five Gags: Back Stage

September 7^th, 1919 – the day Back Stage was released. It’s been nearly a year since I last did a 100 Years of Buster Keaton post, and it was only recently that it occurred to me why: this would’ve been the stretch of time when Buster was serving in World War I. While Fatty Arbuckle continued to make shorts throughout 1919, this would have been the first he made after Buster returned home. A classic, and for good reason. Tons of great gags (and stunts!), but these are my favorites (spoilers.)

The Traveling Star

The stagehands are used to dealing with actors’ egos at the theatre. They have a single star attached to a pulley system that they use to hang it over each dressing room door in turn. That way, each arriving actor thinks they’re the star. Ha!

Unfortunate Sign Placement

Fatty has pasted up a wall ad for a new show, involving the famous actress Miss Gertrude McSkinny performing in The Little Laundress. However, the placement of the words on the ad, combined with its position right next to a sliding door, means that when the door is open, half the sign is covered and what remains are the words “Miss Skinny Will Undress Here at 2 P.M.” I love me a good sight gag.

Dancing Fails

This whole sequence is terrific. The stagehands are trying to imitate a dancer in the show. Fatty gets in on the action first, doing pretty well until he crosses his ankles and they get stuck that way, leaving him teetering. But Buster’s contribution is great, too. Attempting a complicated move, he winds up staggering around the backstage area in a precarious limbo position, unable to straighten back up. The cherry comes when Fatty winds up with a broom to knock him off his feet; as Buster sits up, he shakes Fatty’s hand in a matter-of-fact display of gratitude.

Wrestling with the Barbell

More awesome physical comedy from Fatty and Buster. After getting an electrical current to hit the barbell as the strongman is lifting it, they’ve knocked him out and are now struggling to get the barbell off him. Neither is up to the task, and Buster of course ends up trapped on the ground with the barbell lying across his neck. His gravity-defying attempts to free himself are a total Buster move, while Fatty’s efforts to help are well-meaning but wildly ineffective.

The King and Queen

You can’t talk about Back Stage without talking about this sequence. Everything about Fatty and Buster playing the king and queen in the show is a delight: their overly-dramatic posing, Fatty catching the leaping Buster in his arms, and the two of them lounging by their “throne” with Buster systematically yanking out Fatty’s leg hairs. There’s also Buster’s amazing series of no-handed cartwheels, which isn’t really a gag but still deserves mention just for being so damn cool.