Buster Keaton Rides Again/The Railrodder

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In 1965 the National Film Board of Canada lured Buster Keaton north to star in The Railrodder, Gerald Potterton's slapstick travelogue of Canada as seen from the seat of an open railway track speeder. The twilight companion to Keaton's great railroad comedy The General is a modern silent film, accompanied only by a bouncy score, cartoonish sound effects, and the ever-present putt-putt sound of the chugging car. At almost 70 years old, the Great Stone Face lacks the acrobatic agility of the old days, but his timing is impeccable and he executes physical gags with the effortless ease of a master.

John Spotton recorded some behind-the-scenes events during the film's shooting in the 55-minute documentary Buster Keaton Rides Again. Spotton supplements the production with perfunctory biographical background (which is better explored in Kevin Brownlow's brilliant documentary Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow), but at heart it's a loving, revealing portrait of the aging master at work. Priceless footage shows Keaton brainstorming comic bits, schooling his young director on the proper staging of gags, relaxing over a hand of bridge, and stewing over a disagreement when Potterton overrules a stunt Keaton has developed. The bit involves Keaton fumbling blindly behind a giant map while the car rides over a trestle, and Potterton worries about the safety of his aging star. "Dangerous?" growls Keaton. "It's kid stuff." The core of Keaton bubbles out in the battle of wills: professionalism, pride, stubbornness, and the primacy of the gag. Keaton wins, and the gag is in. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Two Buster Keaton's for the price of one from the National Film Board of Canada. The great comic genius of the silent era still shines in these two programs. "Buster Keaton Rides Again" (55 min.) is a documentary filmed while Keaton was making "The Railrodder." The 1965 documentary provides an absorbing portrait of Keaton relaxing, telling yarns and plotting the next day's action with considerable flair. In "The Railrodder" (25 min.), Keaton travels across Canada aboard an open railway trackspeeder. Perched on his seat, this endearing traveller chugs nonchalantly past some of Canada's most spectacular landmarks. These programs are a memorable and intimate view of one of the most indestructible of slapstick comics.

Customer Reviews:

Buy it for the documentary alone - shows Keaton's genus.......2006-08-15

It clearly shows what a master Keaton was, as it was mostly him that came up with best gags of the short through his suggestions on how to improve things.

A documentary of a master at work

A Keaton Gem.......2004-09-22

"The Railrodder," a 25-minute Canadian film, finds Buster Keaton riding a motorized handcar from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Released in 1965 shortly before Keaton's death, this memorable short proves that the Great Stone Face, at age 69, was a vital artist who instinctively knew comedy. One is grateful that Keaton lived long enough to appear in this mini-masterpiece. The National Film Board of Canada had the foresight to make an hour-long documentary on "The Railrodder" production. The result was "Buster Keaton Rides Again" (1965) -- an excellent, revelatory study of a genius at work. Both films now are available in pristine condition on this glorious DVD, which is a must-own for Keaton aficionados.

Long Live Buster!.......2001-05-23

Really beautiful double-bill, featuring some of Buster's final appearances. The Railrodder comes up sumptuously in DVD colour, with many sound and vision details I have never noticed before. Almost better is the 55-min documentary about the making of the film: a wonderful, all-too brief glimpse of Buster and Eleanor at work and play; very candid, funny - it moved me to tears at times. I love Buster so much, as an artist and as a human being. There's a delightful moment when a bunch of Canadian children talk direct to camera, beside themselves with excitement at the prospect of visiting their hero in his private carriage. Unforgettable.

I Can See Clearly Now!.......2001-03-07

"Buster Keaton Rides Again/The Railrodder" is here on DVD! After watching the VHS version for several years, the improvement in picture and sound quality of the DVD is striking! Colors are vivid, picture is crystal clear, and the music sounds 100 times better than on the video version. This compilation is a must-have for true Keaton fans. "The Railrodder" is a short silent film (with music) which shows an aging Keaton doing what he did best. One of the last films he made (he died a year and a half after it was filmed) it is also an homage to the beauty of Southern Canada.

But the real gem of this collection is "Buster Keaton Rides Again," a b&w documentary of the making of "The Railrodder." It is a rare look at Keaton being himself, something that was usually kept from the public eye. We see how he worked, relaxed, and what made him smile. There is touching and endearing footage of him interacting with his wife Eleanor and a priceless scene of him singing and playing ukulele. Additionally, there is a short biography interwoven throughout, with some beautiful vintage photos and footage of Buster's early days. Highest recommendations!

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