User reviews

If you enjoy low comedy, i.e. low to the point of downright crudity, with plenty of slapstick, strenuous mugging, cross-dressing, and general anarchy -- Congratulations, you've come to the right place! The two-reel comedy known as "Coney Island" is a prime example of the sort of rough-housing that made Roscoe Arbuckle one of the top comedians of his era, second only to Chaplin in popularity. It's also a good example of the kind of comedy Arbuckle would soon outgrow, thanks at least in part to his newfound colleague Buster Keaton, who influenced Roscoe to employ more low-key and sophisticated comedic elements in his work. But that would come later. Here, in this early appearance, Buster overacts as shamelessly as everyone else, uncharacteristically grinning, laughing, and even indulging in Stan Laurel-style weeping. In addition to his prominent role as Alice Mann's escort, Buster doubles as mustachioed policeman in the movie's climax (he's the cop relieved of his trousers by Roscoe in the jail house), and also acts as Alice's stunt double in the water slide sequence. They sure did keep the guy busy.

Like so many comedies of its era, this one is built around escalating rivalries over a pretty girl. Initially, Buster is Alice's Coney Island date, but he loses her to creepy Al St. John -- how humiliating! -- who in turn loses her to Roscoe, who must first ditch his homely wife. After various shenanigans at the amusement park Roscoe and Alice wind up at the beach, where they must "hire" bathing suits, and this is where things turn a little strange. Seeing as how there are no men's swim trunks on hand large enough to fit him, Roscoe pilfers and dons a lady's XXX-tra large swimsuit instead. Alice, who doesn't seem to find this turn of events the least bit odd, helpfully finds him a curly wig to wear. Roscoe is in drag for the rest of the film, even when flirting with yet another girl who crosses his path. Somehow, when Arbuckle performs this kind of shtick it's not only amusing but strangely innocent, which is not to say there aren't some weird undercurrents. Anyhow, it all ends in wild mayhem at the jail house, leaving the viewer exhilarated and a little dazed.

This is primitive stuff all right, but it has a number of things in its favor. When the film was made the star comics were young and healthy, and had every reason to expect bright futures ahead. Their exuberance comes across strongly. (I happened to watch this film back-to-back with a short comedy called The Railrodder which Keaton made in Canada more than 45 years later; the contrast between the grinning, muscular 21 year-old Buster we see here and the grizzled, exhausted yet still game old man he would become was harrowing and poignant.) In this Coney Island romp everyone is buff, happy, and full of mischief, and they look like they're having a blast.

For that matter, Coney Island itself looks pretty spiffy here and boasts some really cool looking rides, and that's another plus. This film serves as a historical record of the legendary amusement park in its prime, and it features several great shots that have turned up in various documentaries about the place. The Coney Island of 1917 looks almost as clean and well maintained as the Disney theme parks of today, and this too is poignant: I happened to visit Coney Island myself a couple of years ago, and I'm sorry to say it's not such a cheery place anymore. The only way to visit that bright and happy Coney Island, vicariously anyway, is by seeing this film.

...because I actually think this is one of better-plotted Arbuckle/Keaton/St. John comedies. The three main characters remain consistent throughout--Amoral Fatty, Hot-Tempered Al, and Put-Upon-but-Resilient Buster--and their story lines are nicely interwoven. Good use is made of Luna Park, and Newton's law ("every action has an equal and opposite reaction") is thoroughly tested. The two women, Agnes Neilson and Alice Mann, are both skilled actresses, in the Vaudevillian manner, and have a few nice little comic bits of their own. (Also, love that striped bathing suit!) Some of the Keystone Kop ("Comique Cop"?) business got a little tiresome for me, but whatever...I've still watched this picture about 5 times, and will watch it more once I actually buy the DVD.

Another symptom of my oncoming mental illness is that, after seeing a pile of these Comique things, I'm starting to think Al St. John is kind of cute. I guess he's an acquired taste, like beer, or arsenic, but you can't deny his slapstick ability. Watch the terrific head-spin he makes after Fatty pushes him into Buster at the bell-ringing stand. And I love the way he looks just like a terrier when he makes his "angry" face.

Part of the fun of watching these shows is not so much to laugh at the falls and fighting--I'm not sure they would have been considered so hilarious even in their own day. But to know that these are all real stunts, that the actors really could jump and tumble like that, is awe-inspiring. It's like watching Jackie Chan's stunts. And the Comique boys didn't have the help of CG tricks, and probably could only do a limited number of takes.

The Alloy Orchestra's soundtrack for the Kino DVD is problematic for a lot of people, but boy, that's a rollicking Luna Park theme. Just try to resist dancing or at least bouncing to it.

New York City's beach-side Coney Island amusement park is the setting. Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle plays in the sand with inattentive wife Agnes Neilson. Fatty leaves her and goes to enjoy the rides and attractions at Luna. Fatty's friendly rivals Buster Keaton and Al St. John are there, causing laughter. The three men vie for the attentions of pretty Alice Mann. Fatty's yen for women's clothing increases the merriment and a few Keystone Kops later join in the fun. The cast is in good form, with the men famously physical. Keaton's stunts are the most daring. He also cries and laughs herein, well before his character's non-emotional "stone face" was cemented. This two-reel short seems cobbled, but is recommended more for its cast, setting and physical comedy.

****** Coney Island (10/29.1917) Roscoe Arbuckle ~ Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Al St. John, Agnes Neilson

Coney Island is a quick churn out with thirty minutes of standard slapstick and pratfalls featuring silent giants Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton. Arbuckle was the biggest (figuratively speaking) thing in silents at the time save Charlie Chaplin and its easy to see how this self effacing big kid with a sweet face to match must have regaled the audiences of his day.

In Coney Island he plays a bored husband at the beach and though susceptible to adultery and forced to don female attire and hang out in the ladies dressing room Fatty easily sanitizes the whole situation with his cherubic arrested development.

Buster Keaton plays a supporting role that offers more than the stone face he would maintain in his prime and while the injury producing stunts are well in evidence it's unpleasantly out of character to see Buster busting a gut laughing or breaking into tears. Al St. John matches Buster in pratfalls and Alice Neilson as Fatty's wife is comically and forcefully shrewish but Coney Island is little more than a basic Keystone Cops two reeler filled with the obligatory orgy of people falling down and being batted about the face an head.

When you watch several Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle's movies in a row then you can notice that he was quite one note comedian, unlike his much more famous colleagues Charles Chaplin or Buster Keaton. In 'Coney Island' Fatty doesn't fight for the love of a woman, in this one he tries to evade his wife to spend the fun day at the luna park. Still, he meets gorgeous girl to whom he falls in love and again he has to fight off competition. At least 'Coney Island' doesn't include too much food fights, only couple of ice creams get thrown around, but Fatty still dresses up as a woman. This time he does it for the access into the bathing house.

Good enough to pass 25 minutes to get couple of laughs (mostly from Buster, though).

This was a mostly funny film of seeing Roscoe Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, and Al St. John, all of whom are competing for the same girl, hit and getting hit by various objects at Coney Island. I say mostly, because by the end, the short was almost running out of steam especially with Arbuckle's battle-ax of a wife continuing to appear. Arbuckle also dresses as a woman-having stolen another plus-size bathing suit from a female stranger because there wasn't a male suit for him-to hilarious effect especially when St. John flirts with him! The cop chase wasn't as funny but by that time I didn't care. So if you love knockabout silent slapstick comedy, I highly recommend Coney Island.

Roscoe Arbuckle is famous for not only acting in numerous different silent shorts and feature films, but also known for coaching the legendary comedy pioneer Buster Keaton through the basics of filmmaking. Arbuckle and Keaton were longstanding partners in an industry so young in comparison to other industries, such as music and art, and developed a personal relationship, despite Keaton achieving much more global success than Arbuckle. Arbuckle, known by his nickname "Fatty," went on to make and star in dozens of short films, one of them known as Coney Island in 1917, in one of the first projects where an actor and director assumed most of the creative control involved with the project, being fully trusted by Paramount Pictures to make a competent and fun short that would please an eager crowd.

The short follows Arbuckle at Coney Island, a popular amusement park and beach resort, where he escapes he drudgery of hanging with his nagging wife to embrace the atmosphere. Arbuckle has one of the most eventful days on record, as he gets a woman arrested, dresses up like a woman (in arguably the first crossdressing scene in film history), and gets wrapped up in many a convoluted scenario, alongside not only Keaton but the other famous, silent-era duo of the Keystone Kops.

There isn't much to discuss with Coney Island other than its hilarious pacing and amusingly active Arbuckle who, despite his weight, has no trouble moving around and adjusting to the frantic outline of his own short. Paired alongside Keaton, whom at this time was relatively unknown, the two can almost do no wrong together, and we can see how Keaton took after Arbuckle in terms of his "do all" attitude when it came to acting and directing. Furthermore, there's a pleasant wraparound moral at the end of the feature, basically solidifying the idea that friends come before any kind of love interest, a message still brought forth today in the presence of many young individuals. If there's one amazing and satisfying gift of revisiting these old silent classics it's that they provide us with a showcase that personal ideology and original filmmaking styles all circle back to their appropriate ancestry.

Starring: Roscoe Arbuckle, Agnes Neilson, Al St. John, and Buster Keaton. Directed by: Roscoe Arbuckle.

There really isn't much to say that hasn't been already said, but to show my appreciation for this short, I thought I'd add a couple of three words. Today is the second time I am viewing this short in a span of a few days. First, I watched it on one of the discs included in the "Forgotten Films of Arbuckle" set, today I am viewing it on the "Buster Keaton Shorts Collection" set.. I will say that I much prefer the version on the Keaton set, as not only does it include a new catchy song throughout the film, but the disc also contains a bonus of the edited/cut out ending which was deemed controversial even when this short was originally released.

As one reviewer mentioned, there isn't much plot here, just a whole lot of fun gags and views of a world long gone. What a joy it is to see Coney Island this long ago, and to see what it would be like to spend it with Arbuckle, Keaton, and yes even Al St. John. Sometimes a plotless wild adventure is the only ride you need.

This is a Roscoe Arbuckle short but also features Buster Keaton.

Arbuckle is on the beach is Coney Island who wants to evades his wife's constant nagging. Keaton the hapless guy who is taking his girl to the fair and loses her first to Al St John and then she goes off with Arbuckle.

Arbuckle takes the girl to swimming pool where he cannot find a costumes that fits him so he steals one from a large lady.

As St John and Arbuckle's wife goes looking for him, St John starts to flirt with a man in drag.

It all ends up with slapstick at the police station, Keaton reunites with his girl.

It is all dated knockabout comedy. Wives are battleaxes, young women go off with anyone especially if they have money. It even has a gay subtext.

It is clear from this, the real talent was Keaton.

This short comedy starts a little slowly, but it picks up as it goes along, and it has some good material. The "Coney Island" location is interesting, and makes for a variety of settings and scenery. Some of the material is a bit routine, at least in the first half, but it gets better towards the middle, and it has a typical Arbuckle/Keaton manic finale.

The comic trio of Keaton, Arbuckle, and Al St. John work well together as usual, and together they pull off some creative gags, making even the implausible ones work all right because of their timing and teamwork. Their romantic rivalries can get pretty silly, but are still funny.

The cast and the story use the setting to good advantage, and while there is nothing brilliant about it, this is a pretty good short comedy, and it is worth seeing for any fan of silent comedies.

Keaton and Arbuckle traipse around Brooklyn's little coastal amusement park, feuding over the affections of a flighty young female. In the process of exploring the grounds, they repeat many bits from preceding collaborations - Fatty batting his eyelashes whilst in drag, Buster weightlessly tumbling over obvious obstacles, both men exchanging food projectiles and kicks to the seat of their pants - but the spotlight share has shifted. Rather than a young hopeful, guest-starring on a much larger celebrity's turf, Coney Island features a more balanced partnership. Keaton actually gets a slim majority of the screen time and his role is definitely the more sympathetic of the two. He's coming into his own as a comedian, refining and improving his act with every appearance. No wonder Arbuckle kept casting him.

It's interesting to see the theme park in action, too, charming and delighting the olde-timey crowd with an assortment of thrill rides that wouldn't pass inspection today. Of course, the starring duo exploits this opportunity for all it's worth, misusing the rides until they spectacularly fail, so maybe I've let that cloud my judgement just a little bit. A curious film in that sense, possibly moreso to anyone with a personal connection to the island, but a bit on the shallow end in terms of story and fresh humor.

Lots of things tickled me about this Roscoe Arbuckle / Buster Keaton short, their fifth together in just six months. It has three men (Arbuckle, Keaton, and Al St. John) all after the same woman (Alice Mann) and vying for her attention at various sites in Coney Island. Arbuckle's character is (again!) quite a rapscallion given that he's already married, and behaves like a juvenile around his wife (Agnes Neilson), so much so that in their first thing I thought he was supposed to be her son. It's certainly not high comedy as there are lots of kicks to the butt, the silliness of the keystone cops, and jumping in the air while bending the legs before running off quickly. It's also deprecating in ways to big people, women, and in its original form, African Americans (see the since-excised original ending). On the other hand, it wasn't egregious (especially for 1917), and the venue itself along with Buster Keaton's continued emergence into the limelight really won me over.

Highlights:

• The brilliant footage of the original Luna Park at night, which had opened in 1903.

• Arbuckle getting the fortune "There ain't no such animal" out of the "When Will I Marry and Have a Happy Home" coin-operated machine.

• Seeing the antics on the ride "The Witching Waves," which had small cars moving around on a wavy road, and Arbuckle and Mann going down the water chute together, the camera on their excited faces before they're pitched into the water. Arbuckle's hat floats, followed shortly by his behind coming to the surface. A fish bites him and he begins spanking it, meanwhile, Buster rescues the girl. Later, he swims like a dolphin.

• Buster laughing contrary to his later "Stone Face" persona when he accidentally hits Arbuckle in the face with a mallet for the "Dial Striker" strength tester. Naturally, Arbuckle responds by hitting him over the head so hard he rings the bell and gets a cigar.

• Arbuckle measuring a woman's backside and then his own prior to stealing her bathing suit, then breaking the fourth wall by directing the cameraman to shoot higher while he's changing into it. Once in drag he's told to go into the women's changing area by some men showering, then gets steamed up when he sees a woman's leg in hose from the knee down.

• Meanwhile you have Alice Mann rocking her daring (for the time) bathing suit, and Buster in a lifeguard outfit. Buster also casually does a backflip outside the bath house, my favorite moment and the first time his athleticism was seen in film. It was sweet to see him get the girl at the end too.

• Luke the dog! Always a good boy.

Coney Island (1917)

**** (out of 4)

Fatty Arbuckle travels to Coney Island where he competes with Buster Keaton for the heart of a girl, which leads to havoc. This is a wonderfully funny short that allowed Keaton to show off his grace as a physical comedian. The ice cream, fish fighting and waterslide gags are certainly the best. The laughs fizzle out towards the end but this is still hilarious.

You can view this short on The Forgotten Films of Fatty Arbuckle set, which features four discs worth of shorts as well as some nice extras. Remastered prints and new scores make this collection of films a must have.

Producer Mack Sennet at Keystone Studios loved to use New York City's parks and other visually stunning vistas for free backdrops. Roscoe Arbuckle continued that tradition by getting permission to film inside the city's amusement venue Luna Park for his October 1917 "Coney Island." Cited as one of his best short films, "Coney Island" shows some unusual rides at Luna Park amidst a hectic plot of the (again) philandering Fatty trying this time to make it with Buster Keaton's girlfriend.

One unique ride which amazes viewers today is the park's Witching Waves. Scooter-style cars are propelled by underneath rollers. This ride became so popular that it was installed in several other amusement parks in the early 1900's.

Arbuckle's direction by this time has achieved a certain amount of sophistication. His breaking the so-called fourth wall, where he addresses the camera to look the other way while he's changing into a woman's bathing suit, is unique. Cross-dressing was somewhat a popular schtick for movie comics in early cinema, but what's so unusual here is that Fatty finds himself in a woman's changing area, becoming quite the voyeur.

Produced over the summer of 1917, "Coney Island" reflects the rapid pace Keaton has learned his new craft, and how much of a quick study he has become. For Arbuckle, his career and films never looked better, earning him not only praise from critics but also bulging his already fat wallet.

The Plot: Fatty and his wife are spending the day at the beach at Coney Island. Feeling restless and wanting to go to the amusements at Luna Park, he ditches his wife. At the amusement park, he meets a pretty young woman. She arrived at the amusement park with one man and went in with another who had money to pay her entrance, before she ends up spending much of the day with the rotund husband, who managed to get the second man arrested. As the husband and the pretty young woman get into one misadventure after another.

Notable for it's scene of Luna Park, Coney Island around the turn of the century. Fascinating. The comedy is simplistic as was most back in the day.

The acting is a bit over the top -- also the norm back then.

Overall, it's an easy and enjoyable watch.

Considering the popularity of Roscoe Arbuckle, I have been disappointed by the few features I've seen him in. Coney Island is an OK 2 reeler, filmed at Coney Island in 1917. That's the major point of interest: Coney Island. Blah story that makes little sense is a series of badly done pratfalls on dry land and in the sea. Arbuckle dresses up as a fat lady but this gag goes nowhere. Buster Keaton is his rival for the interest of Alice Mann. Keaton (very early in his film career) is OK; Mann has weird hair. Worst of all is the grotesque Al St. John, as a bow-legged and toothless goon. He overacts and is repulsive. Agnes Neilson plays the wife (so why is Fatty chasing Mann?) and looks like a youngish Maude Eburne. Along with the plot less story, what's missing here (compared to Chaplin's and Lloyd's films of the same era) is precision. Arbuckle's many pratfalls are obviously staged and even when he's supposed to be getting hit, it never really looks like it--he just reacts. Keaton fares better here but has little to do. Also, while Chaplin, Lloyd, and Keaton all developed personae that fit their styles of comedy, Arbuckle has little to offer other than being fat. His character has no personality. Based on this lack and his 1921 "feature," Leap Year, I doubt that Arbuckle would have had much of a starring career as the 1920s progressed and film audiences grew more sophisticated.