Starring Buster Keaton.
Featuring Joe Roberts, Sybil Seeley, and Joe Keaton.
Directed by Buster Keaton and Edward Cline.
Synopsis
"Set the table"
"The Scarecrow" begins at daybreak, on a bright sunny day. In the "one room house" Buster and Joe Roberts get ready for another day working on the farm.
Buster has toothache. With Joe's assistance, the annoying tooth is pulled out by tying a piece of string to the said tooth and the door handle, before slamming the door shut.
After breakfast at the magic table (see picture above and review below), the pair set the house in order, and then leave for work.
On the way, they bump into Sybil Seeley. Both Buster and Joe are vying for her affection.
Buster and Joe almost come to blows before Sybil's father and farm owner (Joe Keaton) breaks it up.
Sybil shows Joe Roberts her dance moves, whilst the family dog eats the pie that Sybil has made for her father.
Buster is heartbroken to see Sybil arm-in-arm with his rival and walks away.
The "mad dog" starts chasing Buster. The pair end up atop the ruins of an old farmhouse.
Terrified of the unfolding events, Joe Roberts goes to purchase a variety of medicines and gauzes to assist Buster.
The chase eventually concludes with Buster and the dog calling a truce amidst a huge pile of hay, Buster having lost most of his clothes in the process.
Poor old Joe Roberts is knocked down by a car in the road in the process, and uses the gauze and splints that he purchased for Buster on himself.
Meanwhile, Sybil is still dancing away. She accidentally kicks her father in the jaw before fainting upon the sight of a returning Buster in his underwear.
Sybil's father chases Buster, crashing into Joe Roberts in the process.
Buster takes refuge in the fields, adopting the clothes of the scarecrow.
Pretending to be a scarecrow, Buster overhears Joe's marriage proposition to Sybil. She turns it down, and gets a kiss from scarecrow Buster!
Buster, still in disguise, manages to set up a fight between Joe Roberts and Sybil's father, before they catch him in the act.
Another chase ensues. Buster pauses to tie-up his shoelace. Sybil enters, and seeing Buster down on one knee, accepts his unplanned marriage proposal!
The pair flee on horseback, and then a motorcycle and sidecar.
They speed round a corner, crashing into a parson crossing the road. Lodged in the sidecar next to Sybil, the pair are married by the parson, just as they crash into a river.
Buster has toothache. With Joe's assistance, the annoying tooth is pulled out by tying a piece of string to the said tooth and the door handle, before slamming the door shut.
After breakfast at the magic table (see picture above and review below), the pair set the house in order, and then leave for work.
On the way, they bump into Sybil Seeley. Both Buster and Joe are vying for her affection.
Buster and Joe almost come to blows before Sybil's father and farm owner (Joe Keaton) breaks it up.
Sybil shows Joe Roberts her dance moves, whilst the family dog eats the pie that Sybil has made for her father.
Buster is heartbroken to see Sybil arm-in-arm with his rival and walks away.
The "mad dog" starts chasing Buster. The pair end up atop the ruins of an old farmhouse.
Terrified of the unfolding events, Joe Roberts goes to purchase a variety of medicines and gauzes to assist Buster.
The chase eventually concludes with Buster and the dog calling a truce amidst a huge pile of hay, Buster having lost most of his clothes in the process.
Poor old Joe Roberts is knocked down by a car in the road in the process, and uses the gauze and splints that he purchased for Buster on himself.
Meanwhile, Sybil is still dancing away. She accidentally kicks her father in the jaw before fainting upon the sight of a returning Buster in his underwear.
Sybil's father chases Buster, crashing into Joe Roberts in the process.
Buster takes refuge in the fields, adopting the clothes of the scarecrow.
Pretending to be a scarecrow, Buster overhears Joe's marriage proposition to Sybil. She turns it down, and gets a kiss from scarecrow Buster!
Buster, still in disguise, manages to set up a fight between Joe Roberts and Sybil's father, before they catch him in the act.
Another chase ensues. Buster pauses to tie-up his shoelace. Sybil enters, and seeing Buster down on one knee, accepts his unplanned marriage proposal!
The pair flee on horseback, and then a motorcycle and sidecar.
They speed round a corner, crashing into a parson crossing the road. Lodged in the sidecar next to Sybil, the pair are married by the parson, just as they crash into a river.
Review
"Mad dog!"
Ahhh, "The Scarecrow"! The first Keaton film reviewed on Magnolia's Musings and one of my favourite Keaton shorts.
It has all of the trademarks of the great Keaton shorts: Hilarious slapstick antics; a fast paced story; unpredictable events; and Buster taking lots of falls.
There's a magical charm about Keaton's films; he is eminently watchable and a pleasure to watch. It's something similar to the feelings that I get watching Laurel and Hardy: feelings of awe, admiration, and respect - you know instantly that Keaton, like Laurel and Hardy, was immensely talented.
Upon first watching Keaton's short silent films, there were a couple of things that struck me. Firstly, I was blown away by the incredible originality of Keaton's work, with films taking unexpected twists and turns, and secondly, the frenetic pace of his films. He's running; always running, dashing around avoiding the bastions of authority whilst creating mayhem in his wake.
And Keaton is, quite simply, a terrific actor. I don't really want to say much about Keaton's trademark 'stoneface' here - there are too many people better qualified than I am who have written eloquently about his acting talents. All I do want to say is that Keaton was an attractive chap, and I've always felt 'old stoneface' has a special kind of charm which draws the viewer onto his side. Basically, what I'm saying is: I've never found the 'stoneface' persona alienating or unlikeable.
So let me get to grips with the amazing film "The Scarecrow". One of the very first moments in the film epitomises the incredible slapstick and the jaw-dropping originality of Keaton. I'm talking about the "one room house".
You can't help but smile when watching Keaton and Joe Roberts move about in the one room house - it's a golden moment of cinema, in my opinion. It's a beautifully worked gag, where condiments and food can be passed between the duo via a series of ropes and pulleys. Even the little train which contains food and butter is a magical touch, with Keaton and Roberts turning a cog to pull the train towards their side of their table, when required.
But if the viewer thinks the dining table shenanigans are a nice gag, they're in for a gasp of surprise when they see Keaton and Roberts set about putting away the breakfast plates and items. I know I was certainly impressed with how well-thought out the "one-room house" really is, with its recycled food that goes to the pigs. Water that is tipped away to create a mini duck pond. Plates washed and flipped to reveal a hanging wall plaque ("What is home without a mother"). A bed that becomes a piano. It's like the ultimate green, hipster house.
And as well as this magical opening to the film, you have a well-developed love interest with the lovely Sybil Seeley, probably my favourite leading lady in the Keaton shorts. She's feisty and sassy, showing open disdain when her father sends her back into the house after he's prevented Keaton and Roberts from lamping one another. She also has killer dance moves and can be sweet and caring too, especially when it comes to Buster!
And occasionally, she pulls weird faces....
One of my favourite moments in the film is the epic chase featuring Buster and a dog. It's an absolute joy to behold!
Unless I'm an absolute mug, that was one well-trained dog! The dog climbing the ladder, that was real, right?
To see Buster and the dog racing around the ruins of the old farmhouse is wonderful - what a great moment, and the fact that the chase eventually takes the pair into the "one room house" is a brilliant touch.
Buster's attempts to get away from the "mad dog" inside (and outside) the house are pure genius, which eventually sees him jump into the wash basin and tip himself outside of the house and (he thinks) out of the dog's reach.
Even though it comes quite late in the film, the moments where Keaton disguises himself as a scarecrow leads to some hilarious slapstick fun, especially when he ends up kicking ass!
There are still more magical moments in the film, particularly when Keaton walks on his hands across a shallow river to avoid getting wet feet, all the more funny once you know the ending which sees Keaton get drenched!
And isn't the marriage proposal a really tender moment?! Anybody else find that bit heart-warming, especially because of Keaton and Sybil's facial expressions?
But they aren't out of the woods fields yet, of course! Buster's attempts to get away on the horse are marvellous, as is the moment when Joe Roberts tips up the car in the air attempting to chase the two eloping lovers.
Finally, how can you not laugh at the ending, with the wedding ring consisting of a nut from the motorbike and the trio ending up in the river?
Although, does anybody else think that poor old Sybil looks genuinely terrified just before they reach they river?! I feel that Buster spitting out water just before the film ends is the perfect way to reach a conclusion, happily in the arms of his new wife.
What a film!
What do you think of "The Scarecrow"? What Keaton film should I review next?
And, what do you want to see reviewed in the coming months? I'm thinking of changing the format of Magnolia's Musings so that a particular month focuses solely on films starring a particular star(s), something like the following:
May = ZaSu Pitts / Thelma Todd shorts
June = Charley Chase
July = Patsy Kelly / Thelma Todd shorts
August = Laurel and Hardy
Watch it
"I don't care how she votes - I'm going to marry her"
Here's the link: Buster Keaton: Complete Short Films DVD
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