The Play House

I just watched The Play House which was the first film that was presented in the "Industrial Strength Keaton" DVD collection of various Buster Keaton films from the silents to the end of his life. The first half where he appears in various incarnations of himself was quite impressive especially when 9 of him appear together in the same frame. Some amusing, if not hilarious, gags occur there. The rest of the short has Buster being an actual stagehand/performer who goes through more hilarious mishaps that has to be seen to be believed. I especially loved the way he put out a man's fiery beard or got a woman out of a water tank. Not to mention how he impersonates a monkey. Or how he tells one twin sister from another. So on that note, I highly recommend The Play House.

For some reason, I find the Buster Keaton features such as "the General" and "Steamboat Bill Jr." to be well-made, yet lacking in the explosive laughter I would expect. His short films however, pack a punch with comedy. "The Playhouse" is his best work ever - a showcase of his versatility and unparalleled comedic techniques. Any musician watching his clarinet technique (gnawing on the mouthpiece) can't help but hit the floor when they watch the opening orchestra scene. Likewise, the variety of audience members he plays, this is amazing. I can't help but wonder... how long (given makeup and costumes) did this one scene take to film? There are also more Warner Brothers cartoon foreshadowing in this than most other films I've seen. For a true short film masterpiece, see this film.

In The Play House there is an opening sequence with multiple Buster Keatons on stage, playing the performers, musicians and the audience. It is a dream sequence which also comes across as a tribute to Georges Méliès.

This short then settles down as Keaton plays a stage hand and a performer, well a performing monkey. Keaton also tries to woo his girl but she is a set of identical twins and he keeps picking on the wrong twin to kiss. He then gets constantly interrupted by the main performer who is also a beastly big man leading to hijinks and acrobatics.

This short is rather episodic and surreal. Keaton's stunt work is more safe here as he was recovering from an injury at the time.

Long before we became John Malkovich, an entire playhouse became Buster Keaton... and it's absolutely delightful. "The whole thing seems to be this Keaton fellow," says Keaton to Keaton dressed in drag (a much more attractive crossover than Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis!). Indeed.

Oh, but that's not all! Nooo, why stop there when we have an antagonist to show? Because Malkovich is only in the head, and thus Keaton is but a dream. However, the real playhouse owner... he has a bone to pick with the little guy, in some of the most hilarious Keaton hijinks.

This is the consummate Buster Keaton short. From the magic and creativity of the beginning, to the chase scenes and guy-gets-girl later story, we follow him as he takes on and removes persona faster than the speed of a swinging chimp! Oh, and he gets to play that chimp too, and very very believably.

--PolarisDiB

Drawing from his experience in vaudeville during his youth, The Playhouse is one of Keaton's most autobiographical shorts. Keaton displays his inventive genius for visual effects in a dream sequence by playing the role of all performers in a minstrel show and its audience as well. Each Buster, from drum player to a Grandma Buster, has its own distinctive personality and character. This is truly one of the great sequences of Keaton's career.

Buster is awakened from his dream of grandiose, caught sleeping on the job. In the second part of the short, he plays a stagehand who gets into trouble both on and off the stage. From this point forward the short relies less on technical marvel, but remains equally entertaining. Keaton's facial impressions when dressed up as a monkey are priceless.

As with most Keaton shorts, there are many unique details which enhance the overall film, but are not essential to the plot. Some of the funniest shots in the film don't even involve Buster, specifically two hilarious Civil War veterans in the theater's audience, each with only one arm.

Buster's co-star in The Playhouse is Virginia Fox. She does a charming job in a dual role playing twins. It has been written that in his youth Buster had a fondness for twin performers and was known to pursue both sisters.