December 22nd, 1920 – the day The Scarecrow was released. I feel like this is a too little meandering to make the cut into the top tier of Buster Keaton’s independent shorts, but it’s fantastically funny and displays a lot of personality, as well as Buster’s easy confidence as a filmmaker. Here are my favorite bits from this fun romp of a short (spoilers.)
The One-Room House
Topnotch mechanical gags from Buster. I love all the space-saving Rube Goldberg device in Buster and Joe’s house, from the record player that doubles as a stovetop to the bookcase that unhinges to reveal a fridge. Also delightful is the wonderfully-synchronized breakfast they share, neatly passing the strung-up condiments between them. Somewhere out there, I feel there must be a Buster Keaton fan who’s recreated as much of this as possible in their studio apartment, and the thought of that just makes me happy.
The Second-Story Chase
Mistakenly thinking that Luke the dog is rabid (he just ate a cream pie off the window sill, so his mouth is covered with whipped cream,) Buster tears off at full pelt, followed doggedly (pun intended) by Luke. He climbs a ladder up to the top of a partially-constructed building, where Luke chases him around the perimeter atop the four walls. There’s one gap in the construction that’s too wide for Luke to jump across, so Buster decides he’s safe for the moment and sits down to take a smoke break. When Luke finally manages to clear the gap, Buster resigns himself to his fate, blowing a solemn kiss to the camera with two hands before falling backwards off of the wall. I love it so much!
Starting a Fight
Since Buster lost his clothes after tumbling through a hay baler (as you do,) he’s taken the clothes off of a scarecrow. This serves the added purposes of allowing him to pose as the scarecrow so he can hide from Sybil’s father. But when Joe (his romantic rival) and Sybil’s father (who wants to keep Buster away from his daughter) have a conversation in front of the scarecrow, Buster can’t help meddling. While their backs are turned, he kicks one, then the other, in the seat of the pants, making each think that the other kicked them. Best of all, he leaps into the air to kick both of them at the same time, really setting them at each other’s throats. Bonus points for how seamlessly Buster flops back into “scarecrow position” every time they turn toward him.
Crossing the River
Such a classic Buster move. With Joe and Sybil’s father now chasing him, Buster has to get across a river but doesn’t want to get his shoes wet. So what does he do? Why, he rolls up his sleeves and walks across on his hands, of course! I feel like this is a moment that tells you just about everything you need to know about Buster Keaton.
Picking Up the Preacher
Now with Sybil in tow, Buster continues to flee from Sybil’s father and Joe. They pilfer a motorcycle and side car together, and they just so happen to run into a preacher crossing the street. He tumbles back onto the side car, so naturally, it’s only right that he marry them then and there, with Buster taking a gear off the motorcycle to serve as the wedding ring and steering with his feet as he twists it onto Sybil’s finger. It’s a little thing, but I also love when Buster first notices the preacher on the side car and briefly looks up at the sky, wondering if the preacher dropped out of it. Ha!
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