Battling Butler.

Review #1058: Battling Butler.

Cast: 
Buster Keaton (Alfred Butler), Sally O'Neil (The Mountain Girl), Walter James (Her Father), Budd Fine (Her Brother), Francis McDonald (Alfred "Battling" Butler), Mary O'Brien (His Wife), Tom Wilson (His Trainer), Eddie Borden (His Manager), and Snitz Edwards (Alfred's Valet) Directed by Buster Keaton (#757 - Seven Chances, #762 - College, #805 - The Navigator, #877 - Three Ages, #908 - The General, #926 - Our Hospitality, #941 - Sherlock Jr, #1037 - Go West)

Review: 
Battling Butler was Keaton's eighth starring role in a feature film, and it was based on a stage play of the same name by Walter L. Rosemont and Ballard MacDonald, which had ran for 313 performances from 1923 to 1924. In any case, while I will give the film credit for having some amusing moments, I can't say that it is one of Keaton's finest pieces of work. Keaton is sharp as ever, particularly in the boxing sequences, which serve for some fine laughs along with showing his willingness to do rough stuff (such as stunts) in order to sell the scene, which works fairly well. O'Neil is fine, having the kind of energy and grace you'd expect. James and Fine prove to be fairly imposing figures, leading to a few laughs. The rest of the cast is okay; Edwards proves to be a fairly amusing character to follow throughout the film, having the kind of expressions and movements you'd expect from him. The movie goes at a fair pace of 71 minutes without any real slog, although the parts with boxing/training fare a bit better than the other parts, which are okay if not anything too special. It is fun to see Keaton play a pampered individual, and he does a decent job with making the character as likable as he can. The sequence at the end with Keaton boxing is pretty decent, serving as a good way to cap the film (that, and him walking off with the girl with a top hat and boxing shorts). The film doesn't stand out too great from Keaton's other films (such as his classics), but it is at the very least acceptable entertainment, compact with decent gags, a flowing story and just enough zip to come out a winner of sorts.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

The Red Mill.

Review #915: The Red Mill.

Cast:
Marion Davies (Tina), Owen Moore (Dennis), Louise Fazenda (Gretchen), George Siegmann (Willem), Karl Dane (Capt. Jacop Van Goop), Russ Powell (Burgomaster), Snitz Edwards (Caesar Rinkle), William Orlamond (Governor), Fred Gamble (Innkeeper), and Ignatz (Himself) Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle.

Review:
Fear not, folks. Spring Break does not mean that Movie Night is on break. Reviews will pick up in the next few days, do not fear. 

The Red Mill was the first feature-length film directed by Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, who was working under the alias of William Goodrich due to the Virginia Rappe scandal, in which despite being found not guilty (after two hung juries), his reputation (and his name) had been tarnished. In any case, here's a movie set in Holland. It's not too terribly interesting, but it does have some decent moments, when it lets the players have fun and not go too slapsticky. Davies does a decent enough jobs with reaction shots, even when having to deal with a haunted mill. That, and an ice race. Seeing someone try to ice-skate (albeit with a little bit of help) is a nice little highlight. Moore is tolerable, though Fazenda and Siegmann stand out a bit more, seeming to have a little more chemistry with each other than the main two. The supporting cast is tolerable, with people that you'll recognize if you watch enough silent films, like Snitz Edwards, who hams it up as usual. The plot (adapted from a 1906 musical) gets itself tangled up a bit with romance between numerous characters, but it mostly handles itself without going overlong. Like a good deal of silent films covered on this show, the run-time (70 minutes) helps the film as this could've been a chore if it had been 90 minutes or longer. Honestly, there are better silent films, but at least this one has its moments and scenery along with moderately entertaining inter-titles that make it worth a glance.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

The Phantom of the Opera (1925).

Review #774: The Phantom of the Opera.

Cast
Lon Chaney (Erik, The Phantom of the Opera), Mary Philbin (Christine Daaé), Norman Kerry (Vicomte Raoul de Chagny), Arthur Edmund Carewe (Ledoux), Gibson Gowland (Simon Buquet), John St. Polis (Comte Philippe de Chagny), and Snitz Edwards (Florine Papillon) Directed by Rupert Julian (with additional uncredited work by Edward Sedgwick, Ernst Laemmle, and Lon Chaney)

Review

After a bit of shopping on the Eve of Christmas, I decided to watch a film that I had planned to do earlier in the year but had forgotten to. 90 years after its release, all of the cast members had died, but it was only last year that the final cast member (Carla Laemmle, playing a prima ballerina) died, which was also when Soundstage 28, a set made for the movie that was demolished. Naturally, the one scene that is most memorable is the reveal of the Phantom himself, makeup (created by Chaney himself) and all. It shocked audiences in 1925, and it still looks shocking now, in a way that CGI can never duplicate. Of course the sequence in color (with the Phantom as the Red Death, most notably) is also a highlight, particularly for the time it was shown in. It's a melodrama that lasts for...a run time that depends on what version you are watching. The original release was 101 minutes, but when it re-issued in 1930 with sound, it lasted 101 minutes. The version I watched lasted 107 minutes, so I guess I won out with the movie. The movie certainly sets itself well with regards to the mysterious aspects of the Phantom, but also with the character himself, presented as more than just someone who stalks the opera, but one of misery and hope, masked in deformity. Of course he also was once a prisoner on Devil's Island before he escaped, but still. Chaney truly dominates the movie, in part due to the makeup, but also his ability to act so well without sound. The chandelier scene is treated a bit low key (compared to other scenes), but it is enjoyable to watch a chandelier fall down, especially due to its size. This is a technical marvel in terms of its makeup by Chaney, but also a good horror film that was one of the first films in the Universal Monsters series. Go see it.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

College.

Review #762: College.

Cast
Buster Keaton (Ronald), Anne Cornwall (Mary Haynes), Harold Goodwin (Jeff), Flora Bramley (Mary's friend), Snitz Edwards (Dean Edwards), Carl Harbaugh (Crew Coach), Sam Crawford (Baseball Coach), and Florence Turner (Ronald's mother) Directed by Buster Keaton (#757) and James W. Horne.

Review
Oh the joys of reviewing a movie named College. It is only fitting that I review this movie two days before the second (and last) Final Class Exam that culminates the end of my first semester at my college. To be honest, my first thoughts were that this sounded a good deal like The Freshman (#667), with regards to the premise of a new college student trying to impress someone at a college despite being picked being on, with one of their ideas being to play sports. But I realized that this isn't exactly a tired trope because it still technically works today. The debate of focus of academia vs athletics evidently was even a hot topic in 1927 as it is now. But the movie isn't a discussion of that, it's Buster Keaton being involved in slapstick, with some fun title cards (such as Keaton's academic character talking about athletes such as "Ty Ruth" and "Babe Dempsey") and some highlights such as Keaton trying to play baseball (try being emphasized here) and track and field (My favorite part: Keaton not only misses jumping over a hurdle, he breaks it in half with his face) but also some drama as well. The actors certainly fit their parts well (with Snitz Edwards, who had been in Seven Chances fitting nicely as the beleaguered Dean), fitting the story just fine. One scene that doesn't really age well is the scene where he puts on black-face makeup in order to work at a diner. It doesn't last long (maybe about 3-4 minutes), but it's still strange that he even put it on in the first place. Racist? That's up to you to decide, along with noting the time this was made as well. Despite this, the movie holds up pretty well, and the heart of the movie makes for a relatively fine movie.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Seven Chances.

Review #757: Seven Chances.

Cast
Buster Keaton (Jimmy Shannon), T. Roy Barnes (Billy Meekin, His Partner), Snitz Edwards (His Lawyer), Ruth Dwyer (Mary Jones, His Girl), Frances Raymond (Her Mother), Erwin Connelly (The Clergyman), and Jules Cowles (The Hired Hand) Directed by Buster Keaton.

Review
Ah, Buster Keaton. I knew that I would eventually get to one of his feature films sometime on this show, and what better time than now, before this year (the 120th anniversary year of his birth) ended? You might be wondering why this film, and not his first film, The Saphead? As the old saying (read: not really) goes, sometimes you don't need a particular reason. One good thing about Keaton is that you can find a good portion of his films on the web (if you look hard enough, anyway), which is a relief. But aside from that, Keaton is certainly the most definable thing in this movie, because of his screen presence. He is an interesting person to watch, especially near the end during the chase. One of my favorite parts is him climbing a tall tree...that is then chopped down. Speaking of which, the end sequence of being chased by would-be brides is especially amusing, particularly at how absurd it can get, to the point where Keaton is not only chased by a bunch of women, but by a group of rocks. The rock sequence was a pure accident of Keaton accidentally dislodging a rock, which made two other rocks tumble that was turned into a full on tumbling of (paper-mache and chicken wire) rocks going after him and the women that is so fun to watch. Seeing people getting knocked over by rocks is funny especially when you don't really see their pained reactions. There really isn't much story (Keaton must get married by 7pm on his 27th birthday to receive 7 million dollars), but the movie doesn't really drag too much, which makes the 56 minute run time worth it. The cast is entertaining enough, but the movie really is all about Buster Keaton and his acting-directing talent. It's no wonder why he is called the "The Great Stone Face", but it's also no wonder why he is still being watched to this very day.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Thief of Bagdad (1924)

Review #399: The Thief of Bagdad.

Cast
Douglas Fairbanks (Ahmed, the Thief of Bagdad), Snitz Edwards (His Evil Associate), Charles Belcher (The Holy Man (Imam) / Narrator), Julanne Johnston (The Princess), Sojin Kamiyama (Cham Shang, Prince of the Mongols), Anna May Wong (The Mongol Slave), Brandon Hurst (The Caliph), Tote Du Crow (The Soothsayer), and Noble Johnson (The Prince of the Indies) Directed by Raoul Walsh.

Review
The Thief of Bagdad provides a few firsts for Movie Night, the first film from 1924 reviewed here, the first film with Douglas Fairbanks (Who also wrote and produced this film) on here, and the first film on here directed by Raoul Walsh, who directed many films in six decades. How is the film though? It's a fun tale, to say the least. The film (Who some might recognize is freely adapted from One Thousand and One Nights) has a good enough story that manages to not feel stretched, not feeling too short or too long at 140 minutes. The actors don't speak, but they do have actions and movements to them, and Douglas Fairbanks uses the action to his advantage swashbuckling excellently as the rest of the actors do a fine job, keeping the film from falling off balance. The production design by William Cameron Menzies is extraordinary, a new thing at the time. The effects work well, looking state of the art for the 1920s, especially given that Fairbanks wanted his epic to look and work well, which while being expensive (At the time) to make, was a success back then and it still is today, spawning two remakes and also the film Aladdin as well. This is a film of spectacle, that manages to work brilliantly. There's only one more thing to review...Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.