Buster Keaton Saturday: Two Shorts and a Twilight Zone episode

"The Scarecrow" from 1920 is a delightful short

where Buster (spoiler alert) has to win the heart of a girl. This one involves an imaginative one-room house, a lengthy scene in which Buster is chased by a dog, another chase scene involving a farmer and a fat guy, and a wedding on a motorcycle. Clever and fun with some amazing acrobatics. In fact, it's delightful! The kids really liked this one.

"The Paleface" is a racially insensitive but delightful short from 1922 about Native Americans (or Indians as we call them in these parts) losing their land. Buster is a butterfly collector who stumbles onto the Indian's land. Unfortunately for him, they had just decided to kill the first white man who walks through their gate. Later, he winds up a part of the tribe and aids them in their fight against the white men. Some good moments (and lots of Indians-chasing-Buster scenes) in this average short. Not as delightful as "The Scarecrow" but still delightful enough.

Also delightful was "Once Upon a Time" from season three of The Twilight Zone (1961) in which Buster plays a janitor in the 1890s. He's disturbed by the rising cost of meat and the clamor. He finds a time travel helmet and travels to the 1950s where meat is more costly and the clamor more clamorous. The first part of the episode is an homage to the silent comedy era complete with the music and the title cards. Really cool. When he gets to the 50s, it turns into a talky. It's delightful for Buster Keaton fans, but I imagine it must be regarded as one of the cheesiest Twilight Zone episodes ever. My kids were pretty bored with it although they did like hearing him talk. This was Jen's first ever Twilight Zone experience, and she has no desire to ever see another episode. And by the way, if you've ever had the urge to see a 60-something-year-old Buster Keaton in his underwear, this is the Twilight Zone episode for you. Old men in their underpants = delightful!