★ 7 / 10
Did you know that it was actually the
CinemaSerf
Did you know that it was actually the legendary "Fatty" Arbuckle who gave Keaton his first break in cinema? That was when he was an extra on some "Keystone…
Did you know that it was actually the legendary "Fatty" Arbuckle who gave Keaton his first break in cinema? That was when he was an extra on some "Keystone Cops" sketches and the star saw potential in this former Vaudeville artist. This documentary itself doesn't so much offer us a career retrospective, but follows the man as he looks rather fish-out-of-water like making the Canadian film "The Railrodder" (1965). It's here that he attempts to rekindle some of the magic that he so successfully brought to silent cinema in the 1920s with the likes of "Sherlock Jr" (1924) and, of course, "The General" (1926). What we do see here is a measure of the man's professionalism and of his creative genius in a medium that even though it has largely outgrown his methods, can still appreciate the adeptness of his comedy timing and simple visuals. "The Railrodder" is more of a travelogue designed to bring tourism to the country, so he spends much of this on a train and chatting to locals as he extols the virtues of the locations he visits - all with a tourist board message. Keaton comes across as an hugely authentic individual. Some of the "stunts" he performs - even at almost seventy years old - can border on the eye watering and for all but an hour we can bask in a little nostalgia with a man who, like many of his generation, struggled to reconcile their outward image with their internal demons.
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★ 6 / 10
A Hard Act to Follow
sol-
Traveling through Canada while filming the amusing short film 'The Railrodder', Buster Keaton is observed both on and off set in this little seen documentary.…
Traveling through Canada while filming the amusing short film 'The Railrodder', Buster Keaton is observed both on and off set in this little seen documentary. Though hardly the most loquacious entertainer, Keaton proves to be an interesting behind-the-camera personality as he debates whether certain scenes in 'The Railrodder' are thrills or gags and as he shares anecdotes about celebrities such as Cecil B. DeMille. The documentary is a tad uneven a ride though (pun intended) as it pulls between focusing on Keaton backstage and recounting Keaton's childhood and initial rise to fame; fascinating a career as Keaton certainly had, the highlights of 'Rides Again' are the scenes of Keaton conversing - and singing. There is also an overload of footage from 'The General' interspersed throughout - no doubt to justify the title as Keaton also rides railway tracks in 'The Railrodder' - but less footage from 'The General' and more from the inventive likes of 'Sherlock Jr.' may have worked better. Flawed as it may be though, 'Rides Again' is an easy film to warm to. While clearly not as healthy and agile as in his prime, Keaton is enthusiastic as ever about finding ways to make his audiences laugh and the candid insight the film offers into his mind at work, always thinking up different ways to find humour in life, truly resonates.
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★ 7 / 10
Behind the scenes with an aging legend
wmorrow59
I must confess that although I'm a lifelong fan of Buster Keaton's work I've never much cared for The Railrodder, the short comedy he made late in his life for…
I must confess that although I'm a lifelong fan of Buster Keaton's work I've never much cared for The Railrodder, the short comedy he made late in his life for the National Film Board of Canada. That's the one where Buster travels across Canada in a strange-looking mechanized rail car, and it feels more like a travelogue or an extended commercial than a comedy, like something made to please the Canadian Tourism Bureau. While the colorful scenery is pleasant enough, the material Buster was given to perform feels slight and only mildly amusing at best. Still, I'm glad the film was made for several reasons. First, seeing as how Keaton had been neglected and shoved aside for so many years, reduced to supporting roles and cameos, it's a pleasure to note that here, at last, he received star treatment in a film built entirely around his persona, even if the gags are on the weak side. God knows it beats the Beach Party series! Buster and his wife Eleanor had a good time making The Railrodder, and we know this because a second camera crew was on hand recording the process for a behind-the-scenes documentary, a separate film that came to be known as Buster Keaton Rides Again. This fascinating movie gives us a rare look at Keaton at work, a Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man that is poignant, informative and funny, and considerably more satisfying than the project it set out to document.Viewers unfamiliar with Buster's life and career who are interested in learning something about him will find a brisk outline here, giving the basic details. There is a summary of Keaton's stage career featuring a number of interesting photos, and clips from his best-known feature film The General, unfortunately backed with inappropriate, jangly piano music. The biographical section is okay as far as it goes, but the real reason to see this is the behind-the-scenes footage of Buster interacting with wife Eleanor, The Railrodder's young director Gerald Potterton, and various others. Buster tells stories about Louis B. Mayer, signs autographs for excited young fans, celebrates his 69th birthday, accepts the Key to the City in a dreary-looking town, and even strums his guitar and sings a couple of old ditties in his croaky, four-pack-a-day voice. Those songs alone are worth the price of admission.Buster's singing gives us a taste of old-time vaudeville, and also points up the waste of his talents at MGM in the early talkie era. Why didn't they have him do this sort of thing? Well, no matter, at least this documentary captures the man at work and play, and more than makes up for the weaknesses of The Railrodder.
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7.3/10
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