Favorite Arbuckle-Keaton comedy
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Roscoe Arbuckle
wmorrow59 — 22 years ago(March 11, 2004 02:34 AM)
Roscoe Arbuckle's films aren't so easy to find these days, except for the 'Comique' series he made with Buster Keaton during 1917-1919. It seems as though Buster's legend, which only grows stronger with the passage of time, has rescued poor Roscoe from obscurity. [Nowadays it seems most people who know the name Fatty Arbuckle at all remember only the scandal, and haven't necessarily seen him onscreen.]
At any rate, for those who've seen these comedies, are there any particular favorites? Seeing
The Butcher Boy
is a kick because it marks Buster's debut, but personally I've always felt that
The Bell Boy
is the best of the Comique series. Any other nominees? -
Pamfino — 21 years ago(June 02, 2004 09:22 AM)
I can't decide between 'The Bell Boy' and 'Goodnight Nurse' the scene in the corridor in 'Goodnight Nurse' when Roscoe, in drag, and Buster are eyeing each other up with such over-the-top coyness (and looking like they were both having a hard time not cracking up!) is priceless!
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pmccart — 20 years ago(January 25, 2006 01:52 PM)
Out West is Arbuckle's masterpiece.
In terms of comedy, it's full of hilarious moments. The sequence with him busting bottle after bottle over Al St. John's head (and then resorting to gunfire!) is great. There's a lot of other subtle gags after accepting th5b4e bartending job, Arbuckle is about to throw away the "help wanted" sign, but Buster snatches it away for future use. I could name a hundred other bits. The running gag with the cellar is grim, but surprisingly funny.
It's shot so well, too. I love how the first 3 minutes are shot on a real moving train, especially with the long shots showing the bandits running after Fatty in silhouette. Inside the saloon, there's tons of detail like deep focus mise-en-scene (look at the far background - always movement) and some dramatic lighting.
Buster Keaton is great in this I love his reactions. After shooting the cards cheater, he just shakes his head and says "You would have lost, anyways." There's also the nice gag with him shaking some booze over his gun before firing.
This is only available on the 2-disc DVD set of Arbuckle/Keaton comedies. -
imogensara_smith — 20 years ago(February 27, 2006 01:32 PM)
I consider Backstage, The Bell Boy, and The Garage to be the strongestnot incidentally, they're the ones in which Buster appears as Roscoe's partner, and that have the most recognizably Keatonesque gags, but they also show Roscoe to good advantage, with less Keystone-style random mayhem than some of the others.
I also enjoy Good Night, Nurse (bizarre but hilarious) and The Cook, both of which have the advantage of surviving in nice clear prints. -
SnorrSm1989 — 18 years ago(November 14, 2007 12:38 PM)
Don't know why I haven't posted anything here earlier, but anyway: I personally consider the non-Keaton-involved
Love
to be the finest Arbuckle-film I've seen. It includes a number of hilarious sequences, namely the one with the well and Roscoe doing his possibly best impersonation of a woman; also, the film is slickly developed, and while it certainly is a slapstick-film, it is structured within a less frantic tempo than most of Roscoe's previous films. Among the films Roscoe and Buster appeared in together, my favorite remains
The Garage
, for its many wonderful gags, but I'd like to add that I too think
Out West
is undeservedly underappreciated.
"Virtue needs some cheaper thrills." - Hobbe -
novastar_6 — 14 years ago(January 21, 2012 10:42 AM)
They were terrific in Coney Island, they were great in The Butcher Boy, they were HILARIOUS in The Bell Boy and Goodnight Nurse!, I still can't get over that one, Buster a DOCTOR, and not only that, one who is covered in blood spatters and can't figure out why Fatty's nervous. I haven't seen ALL of them yet but the ones I've seen are all great, oh and also Backstage, that one is priceless! Love the king and queen bit and also the grand fight at the end when EVERYBODY is getting in on the action.