Customer Reviews

The Art of Buster Keaton, Boxed Set 1 (The Saphead / Three Ages / Our Hospitality & Sherlock Jr.) [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The three box set of Buster Keaton videos contains a number of his better works. I particularly liked One Week, Sherlock Jr. (wonderful), Our Hosptitality, and My Wife's Relations. Our Hospitality contains some daring river and waterfall scenes shot not too far from where we live in the Sierra mountains of California. Sherlock Jr. is one of his top notch films. The Three Ages is perhaps one of the weaker films in the package. One Week involves Buster in an attempt to build a new house from a kit. It's quite funny, and particularly relevant to anyone who has attempted to build a home or perform major home repairs.

Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of Keaton's work. This is why it pains me to say that "The Saphead" is weak, and not just by Keaton's standards. As much as I love this man - skip this film. That said, I gave this DVD three stars because of the short features which follow it. "The High Sign," described by one reviewer as "a lark," is actually one of my favorites. Filled with enough gags for any short comedy, Keaton's acting is a pleasure and the plot is the sort of comedy/conspiracy narrative G. K. Chesterton might have made if silent films were his thing - I'm always reminded of "The Man Who Was Thursday." "One Week" is another wonderful short. With the famed, surreal hobby-kit house and a perfect ending, it is another must see Keaton short.

So here's the problem: is it worth getting The Saphead just for the two shorts? If you're a Keaton fan and want to fill out the collection then go ahead, you won't regret it. If you're not a big fan, but like Keaton at his best, go for a DVD of more consistent quality - I recommend the Our Hospitality/Sherlock Jr. double feature.

This collection contains the first 3 films Buster made following the filmmaking apprenticeship he experienced under Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle from 1917-19. After seeing the dissatisfying results of "The High Sign", he was hired to do "The Saphead" while thinking up a better idea for his 2-reeler debut, which eventually came to be "One Week".

THE SAPHEAD (1920): "The Saphead" is based on the play "The Henrietta", which had been a hit on Broadway and starred Douglas Fairbanks in the role of Bertie "the Lamb" Van Alstyne. Fairbanks had recommended Buster for the role in this filmed version, retitled "The Saphead".

Buster's role doesn't start until about 10 minutes into the movie, where we see him wolfing down a big meal and being overly pampered by valets and servants. Bertie the Lamb is the son of a wealthy man who thinks his son is spoiled and soft. Because Bertie has read a book that states that the modern girl is more interested in a dangerous guy than a safe guy, he goes to a gambling parlor and then tries to get himself arrested. In this scene, fans of Buster's are given a rare treat: He opens his mouth and shows his teeth, which almost develops into a full smile! What a cutie!!

"The Saphead" is actually a drama that's peppered with the subjects of infidelity, illegitimate children, death, suicide, and financial ruin. The only comedic moments in the film are supplied by Buster, who is allowed to practice his trademark pratfalls in a few scenes, which help illustrate the depth of his inept character, the Lamb. But because of his role, the film is worth watching simply because he's in it.

THE HIGH SIGN (1920): "The High Sign", a 2-reeler that was shelved after its completion in January 1920, was actually released to the public after Buster had an unforeseen accident that derailed his filmmaking schedule, thus leaving him without a release to fulfill his contract obligations in April 1921. Buster intended "The High Sign" to be his 2-reel debut under his new contract, but was unsatisfied with the results, believing that his debut should have stronger material. "The High Sign" features him as a shooting gallery employee who is forced into the role of "button man" for a group of low-rent gangsters, who use a "high sign" for a password. Although "The High Sign" wasn't up to Buster's standards, it's as good as most of the 2-reelers he made in the future, and I think it deserved a better reason to be released than as an alternative because of the consequences caused by a broken foot.

ONE WEEK (1920): "One Week" is the second 2-reeler Buster made, which did pass his quality control inspection. It's also, to this day, one of his most popular 2-reelers, so he was correct in releasing it first. "One Week" is about newlyweds who are gifted with a house-building kit. Not knowing that the jealous former suiter of his bride has sabotaged the construction directions, they build what turns out to be a cockeyed house (and throughout the film, they don't seem to notice that anything is wrong with it). The gags center around this dysfunctional building until the end, when we get to see one of the most famous scenes of Buster's career (involving a train).

THE SAPHEAD is not a true "Buster" feature. This was Buster's first feature but he is playing a role that is not 100% the Buster character. He does not have his later degree of creative control in this movie. There are some very funny moments at the stock exchange. Lots of screen time without Buster. This is a good movie but not a great one.

ONE WEEK is Buster's first short (that was released) and it a great one. Buster and his wife build a house and the results are less than perfect.

THE HIGH SIGN is the first Buster short he produced. It is another great one. There are some very funny scenes in the shooting gallery. The High Sign also contains a rare moment wher Buster gives the high sign to the viewer.

THE SAPHEAD is a rather dull romantic comedy. I'm guessing that if it didn't have Buster Keaton in the title role, this film wouldn't have seen a DVD release for another twenty years. From a historical viewpoint, I suppose we must be grateful to the film, as it established Keaton as a bankable star, thus enabling him to go to bigger and better things. But judging the film on its own merits, I can only say that I was completely bored by it.

The movie has a few major flaws. The most annoying is the fact that Keaton (although the star) doesn't have enough screen time, and the other characters are one-dimensional and simply not interesting. The script is adapted from a play by the name of THE NEW HENRIETTA, and I can only hope that the material was funnier on the stage, because it certainly didn't translate well to the screen. The story takes too long to set itself up, the plot isn't terribly inspired, and, worst of all, most of the jokes aren't all that funny. Keaton does his best with what he has to work with, but, truthfully, there isn't much to this. He livens things up a bit on a handful of occasions, but for the most part, he is overwhelmed by the leaden script.

Also included on the DVD are two short movies. Unlike the main feature, these two were co-written and co-directed by Buster Keaton himself. The difference couldn't be any more staggering. Give the man some creative control, and he turns out material a thousand times better. While the main feature is slow, ponderous and dull, these two shorts are fast-paced and hilarious.

The first short film is THE HIGH SIGN. By cheating his way through at a shooting gallery, Buster finds himself employed as both a bodyguard and a hit man. The movie culminates in a large house with multiple revolving walls and trapdoors. Buster and company leap through them with reckless abandon. I'm quite torn by watching this. Part of me wants to admire the craftsmanship and the effort that went into designing the physical gags and the intricate set. The other part of me just wants to be engulfed by the sheer entertainment.

The second short on the disc, ONE WEEK, starts with a fun gag involving Buster Keaton and his new bride attempting to exit one car and enter another -- while both automobiles are still moving. In any case, the newlyweds have been given a house as a wedding-gift. But there's one catch. The "house" is a kit, a do-it-yourself construction job. Thanks to some sabotage from the wife's ex, Buster builds himself a bizarre structure, with several features not found in ordinary homes. Anyone who knows anything about Buster Keaton's style of comedy should salivate at the thought of his baffled but determined character given over to that premise. And the result here is wonderful. The production crew built a giant house prop worthy of Keaton's comedy, and there's a fun gag that involves the moving of an unwieldy piano that rivals the problems that beset Laurel and Hardy in their Oscar-winning short film THE MUSIC BOX.

The picture quality is quite good considering that the material is over eighty years old. The DVD cover claims that the soundtracks are a modern recreation of the original scores, and while I can't independently verify that, it seems appropriate enough. I'm hesitant as to whether I should really recommend this DVD given that I was so utterly bored by the main feature. The two extras (of about twenty minutes each) are worthy of purchase though. Perhaps I should say that this disc will mainly be of interest to Buster Keaton fans. People looking for a solid introduction to the man's work should probably choose one of the other entries in the Art Of Buster Keaton DVD series.

"The High Sign" is the gem herein. It's a delightful romp wherein Keaton's character is introduced thusly: "Our hero came from Nowhere---he wasn't going Anywhere and got kicked off Somewhere." It's a 20 minute short that was Keaton's second solo effort in this category; one moreover which he co-wrote & co-directed (unlike "Saphead" in which he had no similar imput). Ultimately he gets hired to be a wealthy man's bodyguard right before being roped into joining a gang who gives him the task to kill that same wealthy individual as his initiation rite. A cut-a-way view of a house is the set for the mile-a-minute frenzied finale herein; as Keaton flies through windows, doors, and trap doors trying to resolve the above predicament into which he stumbled. It's Keaton at his best. Do make it a point to see this short. I wouldn't suggest you buy this disc, however, as the 78 minute feature is not really even a 'Keaton film' & is not something even Buster fans will want to watch multiple times. So, borrow this disc if you can & save your money for discs that include some of Keaton's greats instead: "The General," "Sherlock Jr.," and/or "The Cameraman." Cheers!

OUTSTANDING! This is a three video set. The features are The Saphead, Three Ages, Sherlock Jr. and Our Hospitality. The shorts are The High Sign, One Week, The Goat and My Wife's Relations. This is a GREAT box set (as are Box 2 and Box 3). Three Ages is "Buster's" first feature. Sherlock Jr. is awesome. The Goat is Buster's funniest short and maybe the funniest short ever made, period!

The Saphead is an underrated film. Many Keaton fans consider it to be one of his worst silent features. It is true that it lacks the comic ingenuity of his later films and does not, on the whole, show the athletic Buster flinging himself about performing ever more mind-boggling stunts. Nevertheless, The Saphead is an extremely funny film. The comedy depends not so much on various gags, but on the story and the way that Keaton looks and acts. This makes it an unusual Keaton film. It is partly because of the fact that The Saphead is unlike Buster's other films, that I found it so interesting. Although he is the main character of the film, he is part of an ensemble cast and thus there is the chance to see Keaton's interaction with other fully developed characters. This interaction is often hilarious. Buster's persona, in this film, is fully developed and his character is similar to that which appears in films like The Navigator and Battling Butler. In the Saphead, Keaton shows just how expressive his stoneface could be. The incredible thing about this film is that Buster can be so funny when he does nothing. Even when he stands still and just looks, I found myself laughing. It may be that The Saphead is not one of Keaton's very best films, but it is unusual and judged by its own standards works well. The tinted print used for this DVD is fairly good. There are times when it is a little dark and faded, but for the most part the images are clear.

This DVD also includes two of Keaton's best short films The High Sign and One Week. These films show a more familiar Keaton and have some incredible comic stunts. The High Sign also features a cameo from the wonderful Al St. John, familiar from Buster's films with Roscoe Arbuckle. These two films are surreal and weird. The High Sign has Buster getting involved with a bizarre secret society the Blinking Buzzards, while One Week shows Buster's disastrous attempt to build a house with faulty plans. The result is a house which Picasso might have designed. Both these films have very good black and white prints with very little apparent damage.

THE SAPHEAD (1920, 70 minutes, written, produced and directed by someone else) was Buster Keaton's introduction as a major star in feature-lengths. Though he had little creative room, did not produce, write, or direct, he serves his purpose well enough to have gone on with his proper career. Here he plays Bertie (the name is not by chance), the spoiled son/heir of a rich tycoon. He proves he has the acting chops to blend into this film.

Though it is a good work all around, a good condemnation of senseless greed, I dislike it immensely. This started off as a melodramatic play, and if not for BK's presence that is exactly what it would be. That is the reason Douglas Fairbanks refused to reprise his role as Bertie this film - but he suggested Keaton for the part. Fairbanks had more sense than anyone except Roscoe Arbuckle. BK is used as no more than very little comic relief, and is almost a punching bag compared to the rest ...

... I absolutely hate all that, and it is prescient of what would happen to Buster after 1928 when he went under contract with MGM. It was his undoing. But at least from his silent shorts to his stunning, original feature-lengths, he got a good 8 years in there of freedom. Without that, who knows where any of us would have ended.

This film is BK's first major role in a feature-length and was, I suppose, a necessary humiliation. It's the only reason I reviewed this rotten contrivance, and I leave it to you to decide if you want it. I'll say this: to me personally, it is an insult and I will never own it.

Those two stars are for you and only you, Buster Joe.

This feature film, Saphead, is one of the lesser known Keaton movie. In my opinion it is less funny than most of his work. He's a hapless guy who's the butt of everyone's joke. Never the less anything by Buster is wanted.