If there was any question as to whether Buster Keaton had regained his creative control after the debacle that was MGM, one needs to look no further than ONE RUN ELMER. It encompasses his two biggest passions in life – baseball and film-making. The opening shot is uniquely Keaton - a vast desert, a ramshackle shack and a lone figure. Buster operates a small gas station. The deep hole that his rocking chair sits in is indicative of his thriving business. He spends his time giving directions to travelers and what business there is gets scared away from Buster leaping out of bushes brandishing his shotgun. Buster's prospects brighten with the arrival of a construction crew. He figures it's a sign of a growing boom town. Fade in to a dour looking Buster staring at the boom - a brand new modern gas station directly across from him. The rivals begin a not so friendly competition involving price wars and fights over customers and the only lone female in the area. Eventually the competition moves to the baseball field.
Keaton continually finds variations for Buster to come out on the short end. He slashes the price of his gas so low that no one wants to buy his 'cheap brand'. His gas hose is either to short to reach the vehicles or so long that it trips him up. When the girl arrives Buster is so intent at cleaning her car (and creating a small dust storm in the process) that he forgets to fill up her tank. Even his poor little shack comes out on the wrong end when the two rivals play a game of warm up and baseballs start to dismantle it's foundation. The baseball game itself quickly degenerates into a series of blackout gags worthy of a Tex Avery cartoon. The rules of fair play are tossed out with the kitchen sink as umps are beaned, bases are moved and bats and balls explode. For years Keaton created the gags for the annual Hollywood charity baseball games and now he had an opportunity to commit those outlandish gags to film. It's nice to be in control.
