The Railrodder

Buster Keaton was a star in the early days of film, this delightful little piece from 1965 proves he still had that pizazz that makes a great comedy star to till the very end. Falling off London Bridge in England and swimming all the way to Canada is one many funny, great things to be seen in this movie, but I think it really mostly highlights, Canada and it's railroad, plus you get to see the country's scenic beauty and places of the House of Parlament, all along the way and a great Jazz/Country/Bluegrass/Classical score to boot. Let's not forget Buster dodging mighty trains all along the way and doing other crazy stuff.

The history books tell us that the death knell for silent films was sounded with The Jazz Singer in 1927, and that, with the exception of a few holdouts such as Chaplin, the form was all but dead by 1929. Buster Keaton was one of many actors of the silent era who was forced to move into sound. He was a moderate success, but never maintained the success he enjoyed as a silent comic. The Railrodder, released in 1965, was a wonderful homecoming for Keaton to the world he left behind -- that of the silents.

Of course, The Railrodder isn't completely silent. There is a wonderful (if slightly repetitious) soundtrack, and sound effects, and it's in color. But otherwise, Keaton is completely on form as an Englishman who decides to see Canada, swims the Atlantic Ocean (don't ask), arriving in Nova Scotia where he accidentally hijacks a one-man maintenance rail vehicle with a seemingly infinite supply of tea, eggs, and other necessities of life - not to mention fuel - and takes off on a whirlwind trip across the country.

The scenery is Keaton's co-star on this adventure, though his character is too busy doing laundry, shaving, making breakfast, and even going hunting, to notice much of it.

Fortunately, much of the scenery Keaton's character passes hasn't changed much over the last 40 years, which has given the movie a timeless quality.

An interesting sidenote to this production is that the NFB produced a behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the film. Entitled Buster Keaton Rides Again, the documentary is several times LONGER than the film it is profiling!

Whether you are a fan of Canadian history, of railroads, or of silent movies, The Railrodder is a film you simply must see at least once -- but preferably, many times.

Sad, in a way. Here's the greatest comedian of the silent era (sorry, Chaplin fans, but you're just wrong, okay?) showing that he can still cut it, never mind how old he might be.

Film appears to be an advert for Canada (probably is), but is still a joy. A endless series of inspired sight-gags as Buster sails calmly through the wilderness on a railroad buggy. The dexterity, poise and, above all, quiet dignity of the man shine through.

Pity the world forgot about him for so long.

In an affectionate tribute to the silent films that made his name in the 1920s, Buster Keaton returns to the familiar character in slap shoes, baggy trousers and flat hat for this short travelogue set in Canada. The idea is simple: he gets on a tiny motorised railway buggy and travels from coast to coast, settling into his mobile home-from-home while causing or narrowly averting chaos along the way.

Under the direction of Gerald Potterton, the gags are more like a nostalgic nod in the right direction rather than laugh-out-loud funny; nevertheless, Keaton fans will find much to appreciate in the details: his familiar shambling walk, or the way Buster slips off his seat as a train rushes past him, or the way he stands on top of the buggy to scan the horizon just as he did on the locomotive in The General.

Ironically, the best sight gag is not in The Railrodder itself but in the documentary about the making of the film, when, with exquisite timing, Buster appears to stop and start a freight train by pulling it with one hand.

The Railrodder and the documentary are both currently available as extras on the MK2 restored 2-DVD edition of The General.

The Railrodder (1965)

** (out of 4)

This here isn't a particularly good film but at the same time it's worth watching due to its star. The Railrodder (Buster Keaton) is a man living in Europe who reads about how great Canada is so he goes there and travels the railway system where he takes in the wonderful visuals.

This twenty minute short really isn't all that good but it's slightly interesting thanks in large part to Keaton who appears in his final silent movie. There aren't any spoken words here so I'm sure the fact that the filmmakers got Keaton for the role played a huge part in this decision. What we basically see if Buster riding around and seeing various parts of Canada.

There's really not any sort of story as this here is basically just a travelogue meant to make people want to visit Canada. The photography is good enough for this type of film but I honestly can't say I wanted to visit Canada, which I guess defeats the whole purpose of the movie. Still, it's nice getting to see Keaton in this later day role.