Synopses & Reviews
"These films, with Arbuckle in his prime and Keaton beginning his magnificent career, were, until recently, unavailable. This is the first book to cover each film, from The Butcher Boy to The Garage. It includes information on plot, production and personnel, and covers the unique master-apprentice relationship between the two silent stars"--Provided by publisher.
Synopsis
From 1917 to 1919, Joseph Schenck produced a series of Comique comedies starring master movie comedian Roscoe ?Fatty? Arbuckle and featuring an apprentice, Joseph Frank ?Buster? Keaton. These films were initially deemed significant by modern archivists for representing the first movie appearances of Keaton, widely considered one of the most important figures in motion picture history. But the Comique films also remain the most important of Arbuckle's career because they feature him at the height of his cinematic genius. The 14 short comedies starring Arbuckle and Keaton are analyzed in this book. After two chapters of biographical introductions, the rest of the book discusses their collaborative efforts and reveals the way in which the films evolved from Arbuckle's wild slapstick to feature more of the subtlety and cleverness of Keaton. Closing sections discuss what became of Arbuckle and Keaton afterward, commenting significantly on the scandal that undermined Arbuckle's career.