The Hayseed

A pretty forgettable short from Roscoe Arbuckle and Buster Keaton, their penultimate effort together. It peaks early with a gag that has Arbuckle apparently picking flowers for his sweetheart (Molly Malone), but then using them to perform a little burial service for an empty whisky bottle. The humor in the love triangle (John Coogan playing the other man) isn't strong, relying mostly on slapstick, but I liked the subversiveness in the cop being one stealing the money, especially for 1919.

Buster gets in a few moments relying on camera tricks, like taking the horses back to the stable (the team then move in reverse motion backwards) and getting pummeled by the cop (shot faster with a reduced frame rate, emphasizing the violence). Dropping off a big ladder tipping over into a horse drawn carriage was pretty neat too. I wish the magic act had been expanded on instead of the extended bit with Arbuckle's onion breath, but the resolution of the latter was amusing.

According to James Curtis in his biography of Keaton, one of the reasons Buster was downplayed here was that Arbuckle was determined to play a more rounded character, and even the advertising for the film reflected this (it read in part "He's Human," with a picture of him hugging Luke the dog). This almost certainly had to do with him wanting to grow as an artist and begin playing in feature-length films, as opposed to two-reelers, which he would begin doing a year later in The Round-Up (1920). In this short I think this more "rounded" character not only reduced Keaton's impact, but also took away from Arbuckle's performance, which was missing his usual dark comedic edge. All in all it's not bad, but a bit lacking.

The Arbuckle/Keaton feature "The Hayseed" is a short comedy that has some pretty good gags. The material is held together more by the situation - 'Fatty' and Buster are running a combination general store/post office - than by the plot. There are some routine stretches, but also some good parts, with Keaton getting some of the best moments this time.

As in most of the Arbuckle/Keaton features, they get lots of mileage out of the props and the settings, with some rather creative ideas. Arbuckle has some imaginative ways of handling the mail, and the general store also provides good material. John Coogan (Jackie Coogan's father) also appears as Arbuckle's rival.

Most of it works, and though it's not one of the most memorable Arbuckle/Keaton shorts, it's still worth seeing. Like all of the features in the series, it offers pleasant light entertainment with characters that seem like old friends.

I found out about "The Hayseed" while looking at Buster Keaton's filmography. It's actually more of a Fatty Arbuckle vehicle, with Keaton in a supporting role. Still enjoyable, nonetheless, as the guys are performing their jobs until an interference sends things wacky. It's not a laugh-out-loud comedy, as much of the humor comes from gags here and there. Without a doubt, those two were masters of physical comedy. That makes it all the more saddening that Arbuckle saw his career ruined by a scandal a few years later, resulting in most of his works either getting forgotten or suppressed. At least we have some of them available on the internet. You'll probably like this one.

A low-budget-looking film starring one of the greatest paired talents in screen history is not their best, but makes itself enjoyable none the less. Molly Malone makes a convincing love interest who's not as innocent and sweet as most female characters in these sorts of films are. The hide-and-seek scene is great, as is the bit inside Molly's house, at the melodeon, and the final dancing party in the store. The ending got a bit random and confusing, but otherwise the movie works very well and holds up alright by modern (2003) standards.

Like many of the Arbuckle shorts, the story of THE HAYSEED is rambling and unfocused (Roscoe Arbuckle is after a girl and hijinks ensue in his attempts to woo her), but there is a sense of playful charm that more than makes up for that. The actors all seem to be having a great time here. One can well see why Buster Keaton viewed these Comique films with such fondness decades later: they're freewheeling and innocent, uninhibited by the need to impress or be high art.