Directed by: Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle & Buster Keaton.
Written by: Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle & Buster Keaton & Joseph Anthony Roach.
Starring: Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle (Mr Rough), Al St. John (Cook), Buster Keaton (Gardener / Delivery Boy / Cop), Alice Lake (Mrs Rough), Agnes Neilson (Mother-in-Law).
Roscoe
“Fatty” Arbuckle was already a star in 1917, when he met the young Keaton –
then a hit in vaudeville – and offered Keaton a job. Keaton was skeptical at
first, but after spending time with a camera, he decided to give up his higher
paying job on stage to work with Arbuckle in films. In total, the pair made 14
“two reelers” (twenty minutes, give or take) together from 1917-1920 when
Keaton got to make his own movies. During that time, according to Keaton, he
became Arbuckle’s “second director” and his entire gag department – although
strangely, only this film – their second together – did Keaton receive a
co-director and co-writer credit along with Arbuckle (and even then it’s not
“official” – but it’s the only one IMDB and Wikipedia list as Keaton as
co-directing, so it’s the only one that will be in this series). The two were
well suited for each other – Keaton more downbeat to Arbuckle’s more manic
style – and Keaton remained loyal to Arbuckle even after the scandal that
ruined his career.
Like
most two reel comedies, there isn’t much of a plot to The Rough House – just a
series of gags. The film opens with Arbuckle waking up, and accidentally
starting a fire in his bedroom by dropping a lit cigarette on some newspapers.
He tries, unsuccessfully, to put it out by bringing one teacup at a time full
of water – before Keaton, as the gardener, eventually puts it out. In the next
scene, Keaton is a different character – a delivery boy – who comes to the
house, falls down a lot, gets into a fight in the cook (frequent Arbuckle co-star
Al St. John) and is eventually arrested – but instead of going to jail, the
police give the pair the option of becoming cops themselves – which they agree
to. Eventually, Keaton will find his way back to Arbuckle’s house, when a fire
starts, and a pair of dukes try to steal some jewelry.
The
first half of this film is the best – with Arbuckle hilarious as he tries to
put out the fire with the teacups, and doing a routine with a couple of rolls
that Chaplin is more famous for – albeit a few years after this film. The comic
highlight is the fight between Keaton and St. John – which Arbuckle becomes
embroiled in – as St. John looks truly, homicidally maniacal – and Keaton being
(slightly) more expressive than normal. The trio pretty much destroys the house,
and it is hilarious.
The
second half drags a little bit – the scenes of Arbuckle preparing dinner for
the Dukes are nearly as funny as what came before, and there is an absurdly
long (for a 20 minute short) sequence of Keaton, St. John and another cop
running to Arbuckle’s house (which does have a few good pratfalls). Basically,
the first half of the movie works, the second doesn’t.
Does
the movie show much of the promise of what Keaton would become in just a few
years? A little – but Arbuckle is clearly in charge here – he’s the star, and
the driving creative force in the narrative. Keaton is clearly playing second
fiddle (third, actually, as St. John has more to do) to Arbuckle – but
considering this is only his second credit, that’s probably a good thing.
Keaton learned a lot from Arbuckle – and eventually the student would surpass
the teacher – but for now, he’s content to let Arbuckle shine – which he does
in the first half of the film. If for no other reason than to see where Keaton
started, The Rough House is worth watching.
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