Again, Buster Keaton showed us how physical comedy is done. From 1928, this one is funny, touching and insightful.
Keaton is "William Canfield, Jr.", a college man in Boston. He's been separated from his dad "Steamboat Bill Canfield" (Ernest Torrence) for years, and finally has a chance to see dear old dad. Father is a rough-and-tumble steamboat captain who looks forward to seeing his son.
The elder Canfield is plying his trade on the Mississippi River, deep south sector. His main rival "J.J. King" (Tom McGuire) is the big shot in town. Not only does he own nearly everything in the sleepy hamlet, he's christening a shiny new steamboat. King's intent is to run Canfield out of business. King also has a daughter, Kitty (Marion Byron), who's his little princess.
Canfield senior gets a telegram informing him his son is enroute, and should arrive today! Canfield and his "first and last mate Tom Carter" (Tom Lewis) expect to see a tall, rangy young man, the spitting image of his rawboned father.
Son wrote in the telegram "I'll be wearing a white carnation". Of course, that sets up the gag that drives the initial meeting at the train station. It just happens to be a time where boutonnieres are in fashion.
Father and son meet and immediately get off on the wrong foot. Son is all college man polish (even carrying a ukulele), while dad is grease and soot. Dad works right away at getting son ready to work on the steamboat, getting son's mustache shaved off & getting son proper work clothes. Since son showed up wearing a jaunty beret, dad was obligated to help son find head wear more suitable for work on the boat. The "trying on hats" scene was crisp and hilarious.
As the wardrobe scenes pause, Canfield junior runs into Kitty. Seems she too goes to college in Boston, and the two are already acquainted. Now, a mutual attraction is inflamed (maybe it's that southern summer heat). Also watch for the times either Steamboat Bill or Kitty leads the younger Canfield around by the hand, trying to help son's adjustment to a new life.
Since their respective fathers are bitter rivals, a "Romeo and Juliet"-type dilemma comes to the fore, separating the young couple. King looks at this situation as a way to ruin both Canfields, one through business means and the other through affairs of the heart. Between that and untimely bad weather, the second half of the movie picks up in intensity. We get the patented Keaton physical humor, with pratfalls aplenty.
There are lots of subtle physical comedy bits that must have required a great deal of dexterity and forethought. The more I watch Keaton's work, the more I'm continually amazed. His sense of plotting out a scene, then executing it flawlessly blows my mind.
This is a very good movie. Check it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment