weezeralfalfa Review of The Scarecrow

The Scarecrow (1920)

Adorned with wacky gadgetry, chases, and romantic rivalry

[9/10 · 6 September 2018]

This Buster Keaton comedy short starts out displaying a variety of gadgetry in the small one room house he shares with the giant Joe Roberts, who often serves as Keaton's nemesis, as in this film. The second half emphasizes the romantic rivalry between Keaton and Joe over the favors of the neighbor girl, played by Sybil Seely. Thus., the film is more like 2 one reelers stitched together.........Much like the later "The Electric House", the house that Buster and Joe share has its share of useful , as well as nearly useless, ad hoc gadgets. Upon pulling on a string, salt and pepper shakers and other things on strings are lowered from the ceiling. Something is moved from one side of the table to the other via a car. Thank goodness, they didn't devise the hilarious 'eating machine' displayed in Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times"! For cleanup, they removed the top layer of the table, with dishes glued on, and hung it over the sink. This dishes were so washed with the sink hose. The dining table was transformed into a living room table by a lamp that descended, and a flower pot that arose from under the table. Keaton's bed was raised into its resting place in the wall, revealing a piano and cabinets on the underside! Joe's bed was transformed into a couch. .......Now, it was time to go outside and flirt with the neighbor girl Sybil Seely, as the two try to win her favor. Their rivalry is complicated by the determination of Sibyl's father(Joe Keaton) to keep them both away from Sybil. After being chased around by Roscoe Arbuckle's dog Luke, Keaton is now in his underwear, as the 2 Joes chase him. He spies a scarecrow in the corn field, and dresses in its shirt and pants, then pretends to be the scarecrow when the 2 Joes pass by. When he comes to a stream, to avoid getting his shoes and pants soaked, he does a handstand, and 'walks' across the stream. The 2 Joes have a more difficult time crossing on their feet. Sybil somehow got to the other side, with Keaton. They commandeer a horse, then steal a motorbike with sidecar. They scoop up a parson in the road, who is informed they want to get married. He performs the ceremony while riding on Sybil's lap, finishing after the motorbike runs into a stream. You will chuckle at the ingenuity of Keaton when asked for the ring, which he doesn't have.