A Bunch of Buster Keaton Shorts from the 1940s

I had avoided almost all of Buster Keaton's post-silent filmography because it's almost painful for me to hear him speak and the whole thing just makes me sad. After watching a documentary recently, I decided that while these shorts produced for Columbia Pictures in the late 30s and early 40s weren't going to be as good as the 1920's output, there would still be enough moments to make them worthwhile. So here we go. 

Man, I really can't stand Keaton's voice. It's part of what makes one of the best actors in the silent era into an actor who just isn't any good at all in the talkies. Solid storytelling isn't a requirement in these sorts of comedic one-reelers, but the set-up here feels especially ludicrous. I was most offended seeing an obvious dummy during a wheelbarrow stunt probably, but Buster's using his body really well during a dance sequence with chamber pots on his feet and during a sequence when people are trying to get his clothes off him. Yes, that's just as hot as it sounds. Exaggerated sound effects give this a Stooges-esque quality that made me a little uncomfortable.

It's like four stooges with this one, two couples taking turns tossing each other around, smashing things on each other, throwing punches, and yes, hurling pies at faces. The problem here is that this one was a little mean spirited and not really funny enough to make up for it. There was a fun 1940's cat fight in this and a sequence involving ironing pants that was either pretty funny or pretty funny only because I was desperate to like something that was going on in this. At least the ex-wife's boyfriend character (Matt McHugh) thought the whole thing was funny. 

Buster's in familiar territory here with this Civil War romantic comedy, but the whole thing just made me wish I was watching The General for the tenth time. There's one funny moment, some butter churning, and a really good death scene. Like all good pieces of historical fiction, you should learn a little something about the past, and in this one, I learned that the Civil War was won with comical concussions. Buster's characters in these things are really dopey, but they lack the likability of the ones he played in the 20's films, even the dopier ones. 

Alarmy stock photo. 

Holy crap, there sure is a lot going on in this twenty minute short. There are some almost funny ideas in this one, and some nice pratfalls though Buster looks a little slow. I enjoyed an unparallel parking gag, one that was really funny right up to the point where it was needlessly explained. As a guy who finds the misery of others funny, I also liked a hellish bus ride. This also has a repeat of an old Buster bit of physical comedy when he manhandles a drunk woman. It's an oldie but goody. 

This also has a great line, the first time I was actually happy any of these weren't silents. "He's got my bumper! What will my wife say?" Now that I've typed that out, I'm not sure I actually like it. 

The gags in this one are silly, cheap, and inconsequential. There's a close-quartered changing sequence on a train (most of this takes place on a train actually) that is almost something. Most disappointing is a scene where parrot noises are mistaken for the sounds of sexual pleasure, a bit that could have been gold if they could have gotten away with a little more in 1940. Buster also gets to imitate a parrot, maybe the first time I'm glad Buster was getting to be funny with sound. I have no idea what this title has to do with anything.

This was the first of these Columbia Pictures shorts. I'm not sure why the dvd release didn't put them in order. I liked this one, at least after the long awkward exposition. Things are kept simple in this with the main character--another unlikable Buster character--showing off a variety of funny costumes and getting a chance to run a lot. Keaton at this age could still run, just like a 1940's Tom Cruise. The jokes repeat themselves with this one--motifs, I guess--with Buster falling off a boat about six times. There's a funny serenade attempt and another funny dance sequence.

I want to point out that this short is called "She's Oil Mine." It's two stooges in some sort of shop. I guess he and the other guy are plumbers. The other guy is Monte Collins, a guy who can have things dropped on his foot with the best of them. Buster sure can comically swing a sledgehammer, a move that reminded me so much of Buster in the early 20s that I almost cried. There's some terrible acting in this, but at least there are extended sequences where Buster is shirtless. There's some dark dueling humor in the last chunk of this.

This was the last of these Columbia shorts. Buster opted not to renew his contract, and I think it's because of the horn sound effect they added to accompany a character getting struck in the posterior with a broom handle.

He's a clumsy oaf in all of these! There was such grace to his characters in the movies he made in which he had full control. It's a shame what the talkie era did to him, a real squandering of his talents. This is the second short in a row where somebody is trying to kill him, but the plot of this one is a little disjointed. There are some special effects that are nearly effective, at least more than the jokes, and a few of the pratfalls show that he's still got it as a physical comedian. This one does end in a chase, the exact thing I've longed to see in any of these Columbia shorts. It's a car chase, and there's a stunt driver wearing a different hat in some shots, but at least it's a chase. It's not a bad one either, one that features a ton of cops.

"Stop acting so spooky or you'll give me the Jim Jims!" 

Reminiscent of the 1920's short with the haunted house, this one has plenty of haunted silliness but really stretches the premise. It's got a magician/spiritualist, and for reasons that I can't understand, a penguin with roller skates. Of course, maybe you don't actually need a legitimate reason to have a penguin on roller skates. I don't know what to say about some exaggerated gulping sound effects, but I did like a cool bit with a swinging picture. I think that was yet another recycled bit. There are parts of this that resemble something like creativity, but like with the car chase in the last one, you just wonder what it could have been if Buster had full creative control. 

Taming of the Snood? That's what you're going with? I think what I like best about this one was that Buster's character was the owner of a novelty hat store. I think my favorite was the cricket hat. The woman who plays the maid in this was in five of these as well as two Cassavetes' movies--Minnie and Moskovitz and A Woman Under the Influence. Her name is Elsie Ames, and she's pretty funny in these. She can take a fall; that's for sure. In another time, the rapport between Ames and Keaton could have been something special, but he just doesn't seem all that committed in these things. This has its moments, I suppose, and some fake Lloyd-esque building-scaling hijinks that are almost fun. Almost fun--perhaps that's the nicest thing I can say about these Buster Keaton shorts from the 1940s.