December 22nd, 1920 – the day Neighbors was released. That’s right, The Scarecrow and Neighbors both came out on the same day. I guess Buster was more than ready to get his shorts out there! Tremendously funny and brimming with great gags. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that there are a few racist jokes in this one, which is disappointing. However, today is about the short’s best qualities, not its problematic ones. Here are my favorite gags (spoilers.)
Riding the Clothesline
Eager to get away from Virginia’s father, Buster climbs out of the third-story window and slides across the clothesline back into his neighboring tenement, where he promptly slides down the banister, shoots out the second-story window, and rides that clothesline back in through the window of Virginia’s tenement, barreling into her father on the landing. Flawlessly-executed circular gag!
Caught Unawares
One tiny, awesome moment within the larger running-from-the-cops gag sequence. Given a temporary respite, Buster has stopped to watch a baseball game through a crack in the fence when another cop comes up behind him. When he turns and notices the cop’s presence, Buster collapses in shock, then tries to drag himself away by his hands, his still-limp legs trailing behind him. Great visual!
The “Fly-Swatter”
Buster’s “patented” invention to get back at Virginia’s father. He attaches a long wooden board to the door in the fence between their tenements, the board swinging on a fulcrum whenever someone goes through the door, smacking them on the bottom. Buster has plenty of fun goading Virginia’s father into chasing after him through the door, but the real action starts as more people show up on either side of the fence, with dads and cops alternately being swatted on the bottom, knocked on the head, and caught under the chin. This is a great example of the weird elegance that Buster’s work brings to slapstick, wry cleverness mixed with superb timing and technical precision.
The Broken Suspenders
When Buster’s suspenders break minutes before his own wedding, he’s left desperately trying to hold his pants up at the altar. Is this an easy gag? Sure, but it’s Buster, so the way he does it is impeccable. Whether it’s awkwardly groping through his pockets for the ring with one hand while holding his pants with the other, swiping the preacher’s belt to set off even further hijinks, or the embarrassed preacher deciding to then conduct the ceremony while sitting on the floor, every moment here is gold. As a bonus, I love how clearly you can read the panic in Buster’s expression despite his trademark stone face; I still don’t know how he managed to act the way he did, but it works every time.
The Escape
Obviously, this sequence had to be included! In the climactic getaway, Buster reaches the third story of Virginia’s tenement by standing on the shoulders of two friends. They walk repeatedly between the two tenements, climbing in through the windows of either building to hide as needed, and ultimately make a wobbly break for it with Virginia slung over Buster’s shoulder, still atop the other two. The coordination here is a blast, and I love seeing how Buster’s co-conspirators are taken out one by one. By far, the most iconic scene in Neighbors and one of my favorite moments from all of Buster’s independent shorts.
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