One of the original film stars was Buster Keaton, a comedian extraordinaire. Very early on during the ear or silent films he was the number one box office pull. Almost one hundred years later we now have this The Shorts Collection.
This collection begins with the learning years where he was paired with known comedic entity Fatty Arbuckle. After a few years of apprenticeship he was ready to strike out on his own. A comedian armed with a litany of weapons, Buster Keaton had a myriad of facial expression and could do physical comedy with the best of them.
The shorts show a hint of the talent that would lead to him being a star in feature length films. Lobster Films has done a great job restoring these thirty-three short films.
Disc 1
“The Butcher Boy” (24:32)
“The Rough House” (19:45)
“His Wedding Night” (19:55)
“Oh Doctor!” (23:49)
“Coney Island” (25:36)
“Out West” (20:53)
Disc 2
“The Bell Boy” (26:05)
“Moonshine” (18:17)
“Good Night, Nurse!” (22:50)
“The Cook” (19:51)
“Back Stage” (21:13) — Includes secondary music track.
“The Hayseed” (21:46)
“The Garage” (21:53)
Disc 3
“The High Sign” (20:58)
“One Week” (22:23)
“Convict 13” (21:49) — Includes secondary audio track.
“The Scarecrow” (19:12)
“Neighbors” (18:46)
“The Haunted House” (23:53)
“Hard Luck” (23:01)
Disc 4
“The Goat” (23:39)
“The Play House” (24:23)
“The Boat” (27:02)
“The Paleface” (25:09)
“Cops” (18:13)
“My Wife’s Relations” (26:37)
Disc 5
“The Blacksmith: Version A” (22:49)
“The Blacksmith: Version B” (22:10) — Includes secondary music track.
“The Frozen North” (18:18) — Includes secondary music track.
“Day Dreams” (24:29)
“The Electric House” (22:47) — Includes secondary music track.
“The Balloonatic” (26:15)
“The Love Nest” (23:38)
Special Features:
Booklet (26 pages) contains a prologue by Serge Bromberg, an essay by Jeffrey Vance, and detailed short film descriptions and critiques.
“Coney Island” (:45, HD) an ending from the film that was cut.
“About the Restoration” (6:30, HD) A rep from Lobster Films Serge Bromberg talks about how the shorts were gathered from different sources to make the collection.
“Life with Buster Keaton” (2:54, HD) In 1951 the actor began a film only to abandon it.
“My Wife’s Relations” (1:50 HD) an alternate ending to this short that is run side-by-side with the original.
