The Scribe

This is Buster Keaton's final film. It is an industrial film for Ontario's Construction Safety Commission. In this silent film, Buster gets to do some of his old routines originated in his classic silent films. It's Buster all the way, since he is the only real player in the film. It isn't as slapsticky as one might think, for at his advanced age, Buster is a bit limited. But it is a charming 3 reeler and it is one of the last glimpses of the genius of Buster Keaton.

Buster's final movie was A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, not this one, as one reviewer erroneously stated.

Plot: Amateur journalist Buster covers a story about construction site safety regulations and gets first-hand experience in the process.

Is it good? If you're not a Keaton fan (I am) you'll likely not think so. It's an industrial movie so by design it's less funny and more instructional. The idea was to get the safety concept down using some physical and other humor.

As such, the movie needs to be judged differently. It appears to be filmed at a real high-rise construction site. Buster wanders around experiencing non-safe things and silently telling others to be careful.

Following this short, Buster made A Funny Thing and by all accounts his health had deteriorated where he had to take many breaks because he could barely breathe. None of that is present in this movie. He's agile and alert for a man his age.

It's is very hard to score "The Scribe", as it's an industrial training film...not just a short film. However, they were able to secure Buster Keaton to star in it and although the comic would be dead within the year, here he seems pretty vigorous.

The film has a narrator give a spiel about various safety procedures and then Buster demonstrates it to the men working at a construction site. It's not especially funny in and of itself, but for a safety video to be watched by the workers, it does its job and is moderately enjoyable.

If you wish to see it, the film is currently posted on YouTube.

Because "The Scribe" is an instructional film, it doesn't develop a traditional plot. Keaton depicts an amateur newspaper reporter who finds a list of safety rules while snooping at a construction site. He runs amok trying to bring safety problems to the attention of construction workers, often precipitating disasters instead of preventing them. Because it's instructive, the pace is sometimes slow, but the film quickly establishes a pattern for delivering unexpected punch lines, thereby demanding the viewer's attention. And when there's action, the film really moves.

Though seventy years old, Keaton darts about at a frenetic pace reminiscent of his early years, and still engages in hair-raising stunts. But while he moves as quickly as ever, Keaton performs stunts that rely on his skill and timing, not physical strength. Instead of leaping chasms and climbing flagpoles, Keaton here plummets through a floor and gets bodily hoisted by a crane. It's still white-knuckle stuff, but distinctly less intense than Keaton's younger years.

Keaton's signature gags and style emerge throughout, and they enhance the film's instruction. For example, Keaton shoves a heavy tool box behind some equipment so nobody will trip over it. In a classic Keaton-style double-cross, someone instantly trips over the tool box in its new location! The gag is perfectly timed and perfectly executed, and it enhances the instructional value by candidly demonstrating that Keaton's careless "safety measure" was inadequate.

Due to its instructional format "The Scribe" is unlikely to satisfy a casual viewer, but it will certainly fascinate a Buster Keaton fan. To the best of my knowledge it isn't available on video, though you might find it on 16mm film at a public library.