The Home Owner

Just discovered this rarity-The Home Owner-on the Buster Keaton DVD collection "Industrial Strength Keaton". It has Buster being shown various houses of the John F. Long Company of Maryvale, Arizona, by one Bob Hawk, who also narrates, while many Keaton gags abound. I loved many of Buster's reactions whenever a statuesque blonde walks by. Also hilarious was when he fell into a swimming pool while carrying a shopping cart of groceries and when he caused a waiter to fall after rolling a bowling ball backwards. Incidentally, Long cameos in the last sequence. In summary, The Home Owner was entertaining and informative. Oh, and producer Jack Skirball is probably best known for his involvement in Alfred Hitchcock's Saboteur and Shadow of a Doubt. The Devil to Pay, on the other hand, while amusing whenever Buster plays the devil, first in costume then in his usual suit with porkpie hat though his tail is still visible initially, is marred a bit whenever the serious stuff about how the wholesaler, which Buster helps get rid of, is important to retailers when dealing with the manufacturers as well as the customers. Still, The Devil to Pay (which isn't listed on IMDb) is worth a look for Buster alone. Ratings: The Home Owner-********, The Devil to Pay-****.

"The Home Owner" is an industrial film made to promote a planned community in Arizona. As Buster Keaton needed work, he was paid to appear in the film and provide his name and a bit of humor. It essentially plays like an infomerical and is really NOT a film I strongly recommend. In fact, unless you are a rabid Buster Keaton fan, you'd do better to watch something else or re-watch some of his great 1920s films.