Plot: What’s it about?
Buster Keaton isn’t just one of the funniest men of his era, he is one of the funniest men to ever grace the screen. His comedic masterpieces are rivaled by few, such as Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, putting Keaton in line with cinema’s elite comic minds. In this two disc collection from the Turner Classic Movies archive, we’re taken on a journey through three films that were released as Keaton’s star burned bright. As detailed by film historians, Keaton wasn’t given as much free reign in these films, a fact that he very much resented, but his comic style still shines through. So these are not crumbs from the cookie of his career, instead we have two hilarious silent movies, as well as Keaton’s first talkie. His career would soon begin a downward slant, but before that happened, he made some of the all time comedy classics. This edition supplies not only the three films in brand new treatments, but a excellent documentary by Kevin Brownlow, titled So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton at MGM. You’ll also find audio commentary tracks, so this is quite a loaded release. Fans of silent cinema will be most thrilled, but anyone who loves to laugh will cherish the Buster Keaton Collection. I have included a brief synopsis of each film below, so you’ll know just what is inside this edition.
1. The Cameraman- Buster has fallen head over heels for a beautiful woman, though he is sure that she doesn’t know he exists. The woman works in the offices of MGM, which means she is part of the glamorous world of cinema, a world Luke isn’t part of. He has a camera, but it is a simple tintype, not an expensive camera the filmmakers use. In order to impress her, he sets down his tintype and picks up a movie camera, determined to make a name for himself in the movie business. As he attempts to film various events, he also tries to win her hand and break into the business. But when his shoots don’t go as well as planned, will he ever recover and win over the woman of his dreams?
2. Spite Marriage- Elmer (Buster Keaton) is a simple man with a simple life, but he dreams of a romance with someone famous. The stage star Tilby Drew (Dorothy Sebastian) is the focus of his fantasies, but as he is just a pants presser, his hopes seem minimal. He wants to impress her more than he wants anything else, so he puts a plan together to do just that. He dresses to the nines, in an expensive tuxedo that belongs to one of his customers and heads down to her performances, which he never misses. As time passes, he begins to introduce himself to her, but not as a pants presser, but as a very wealthy man. She is interested of course, but when his ruse is revealed, what will become of this romance?
3. Free and Easy- Elmer Butz (Buster Keaton) manages a young woman named Elvira Plunkett (Anita Page), who has just been named Miss Gopher City, Kansas. This is a title she earned thanks to her beauty and personality, traits which she hope serve her well in her next step. The prize given to the winner was a trip to Hollywood and Elmer is convinced she can be a movie star. Of course, he has fallen in love with her, so he also plans to use the trip to make his move. But when she meets a nice actor and the two have instant sparks, will poor Elmer be left to go back to Gopher City alone?
Video: How does it look?
The three films are presented in full frame, as intended. The films weren’t given a total restoration, but some clean up work has been done, at some point. I’ve seen several different prints on all three films and without question, these are the best of the lot. The prints have grain and debris, not to mention softness, but look much better than previously available treatments. The overall visual quality is varied, some scenes look excellent and others can be quite muddled. But given the age of the material, you have to expect this and really, the movies have never looked this good on video. I found contrast to be passable, but as I said, the visuals are not consistent, so neither are black levels. So in the end, a total restoration would have been most welcome, but these films still look more than acceptable.
Audio: How does it sound?
The Cameraman has a brand new musical score, which is presented in stereo and sounds terrific. There is a lot of life in the music and the musical selections really mesh with the film. I’ve seen a lot of silent films ruined by inappropriate new scores, but this one is quite good. The other two films feature original soundtracks, which sound decent, but of course, have suffered some tolls of time. The clicks and hiss are natural for material of this age and they never become a distraction, not even in the least. Yes, some refinements could be used, but the flaws aren’t substantial enough to be worried about. This release also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The main supplement here is Kevin Brownlow’s superb documentary So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton at MGM, which is a must see for film buffs. As usual, Brownlow has crafted an enjoyable and insightful piece that goes beyond the standard requirements. So don’t expect a fluff piece or rush featurette, as this is an in depth and most worthwhile creation. The piece runs just under forty minutes in duration, but has more insightful content than most documentaries with twice the time limit. The Cameraman features audio comments by author Glenn Mitchell, while Spite Marriage has a commentary track with silent film historians John Bergston and Jeffrey Vance, both solid sessions. This release also includes photo montages for the two silent features, as well as an introduction by TMC’s Robert Osborne.
