Sep 07, 2015 a few words on battling butler among buster keatons classic work, battling butler is considered a more soso film, which i can see. Since i figured this list would be useful to everyone, i decided to make a complete list of all silent films on bluray. Also featured on this dvd are two of keatons rarely seen short films. Battling butler lacks any really memorable slapstick gags or daredevil stunts. Battling butler is looked upon as one of keatons lesser vehicles these days, although it was actually one of his most successful at the box office. Buster keaton and snitz edwards in battling butler 1926 buster keaton in. Rosemont and ballard macdonald, and starred charlie ruggles on broadway.
Were your movie poster source for new releases and vintage movie posters. May 30, 2019 battling butler from 1926 is among the films screening as part of the buster keaton retrospective at the music box theatre through june 6. Nevertheless it was a big hit with audiences of the day, far outgrossing keatons other feature film from 1926, the general, which, ironically, is now considered to be one of his greatest masterpieces. But when his pal gets in trouble with the law, he must complete the crazy stunt on his own. For the restoration of battling butler thirteen elements were inspected and analyzed. Kino continues its complete retooling of their buster keaton catalog with this latest release, a doublefeature of go west 1925 and battling butler 1926. Running into the bigtop, he is an accidental sensation with his hilarious efforts.
While several cities around the world are leveled with the earth from the comets fragments, the family experiences the best and worst humanity can offer, while battling the growing panic and. Buster keaton, kathryn mcguire, sally o neil, snitz edwards. Complete list of silent films on bluray as a personal project for myself, i decided to compile a list of all the silent films released on bluray that i still need to purchase. The buster keaton collection volume 3 is a fine package. Battling butler from 1926 is among the films screening as part of the buster keaton retrospective at the music box theatre through june 6. Based on the musical comedy of the same name, the film casts keaton as wimpy millionaire alfred butler, who goes on a vacation in the mountains in the company of his faithful valet snitz edwards. Battling butler is a 1926 comedy silent film directed by and starring buster keaton. Collected here are three further films from that era. We can provide you with the cheapest battling butler film ticket prices, premium seats, and complete event information for all battling butler film events. Battling butler battling butler 1926 film cinemagia. While the former film had a plot that was simplicity itself, battling butler offers a farcical narrative that is every bit as clear, but substantially more complex.
With buster keaton, snitz edwards, sally oneil, walter james. Kinos disc producer bret wood has obtained an hourlong audio recording featuring keaton working out a proposed script for an episode of. Charlie chaplin in the vagabond1916 edna purviance, eric campbell, leo white, llyod bacon duration. Buster keaton, kathryn mcguire, natalie talmadge, joe keaton, ruth dwyer, t. The hero of battling butler is alfred butler, one of many pampered playboys keaton portrayed. One is a likeable experiment in sentimental pathos, and the other an atypically conventional adaptation of an established stage comedy. Next is battling butler, the most complete film in the boxset, which has keaton pretending to be a champion boxer in order to marry the girl he loves. Roy barnes, snitz edwards, erwin connelly, ward crane, jane connelly, george davis, doris deane. Scenes from the play battling butler at the new oxford theatre in london. Hard to believe its adapted from a hit play starring another actorpartly because some of the best gags e.
The tramp finds himself at a circus where he is promptly chased around by the police who think he is a pickpocket. While entertaining, it doesnt have the creative ingenuity, technical innovation, or comic achievement of films like our hospitality, the general, and sherlock jr. A lovestruck weakling must pretend to be boxer in order to. The films were newly restored in italy, and are indeed different from the kino versions, fully intact and slightly cleaner.
As a personal project for myself, i decided to compile a list of all the silent films released on bluray that i still need to purchase. Mar 31, 2020 next is battling butler, the most complete film in the boxset, which has keaton pretending to be a champion boxer in order to marry the girl he loves. All in all you get two feature films in hd in pretty great condition on one bluray disc. Trying t o impress the girl, alfred masquerades as boxing star battling butler francis mcdonald. Once in the wilderness, alfred ignores outdoor activities in favor of trying to woo a charming mountain girl, who wants nothing to do with her spoiled suitor. So here is every silent film that i could find, on bluray sorted by distributor, then year.
Battling butler 1926 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Were excited to share one of the fruits of that labor, battling butler, in which keaton plays a rich dandy who must pretend to be a fearsome boxer in. Kino continues its complete retooling of their buster keaton catalog with this latest release, a doublefeature of go west 1925 and battling butler 1926 go west 1925 is one of my favorite keaton features, a surprisingly touching 68minute tale with some unusual touches. The film was part of a series of otto comedies produced by the lubin manufacturing company in. Meek millionaire alfred butler goes on a camping excursion with his faithful servant. An elaborately dressed woman walks down some stairs in a stage set after an intertitle states some training reasons. Jordan rios logo vault or hollywoods eye candy 3,371 views.
There are not very many extras offered, but as these two films are considered the lesser of keatons films i do not mind. When watching this movie, one expects something more along the lines of. Trying to impress the girl, alfred masquerades as boxing star battling. John garrity gerard butler, his separated wife allison morena baccarin and son nathan embark on a perilous journey to their only hope of safety. Battling butler, displays a beautiful tinted print, clear, sharp and not as dull as the dvd release from the art of buster keaton set. But theres much to enjoy in battling butler, a fine example of keaton in his physical and directorial prime, playing the same persona he embodies in the navigator, college, and steamboat bill, jr. The buster keaton collection volume 3 bluray seven. Before marlon brando and james dean, there was buster. Buster keatons battling butler 4k restoration official us. The 2018 san francisco silent film festival closes sunday, june 3 with a screening of buster keatons selfdirected comedy battling butler.
To punish him, the real butler forces him to fight the alabama murderer. Granted it doesnt contain the ingenious set pieces that were so typical in a keaton film, but it still packs a lot of charm. Matt brunson film frenzy august 31, 2019 battling butler isnt nearly as uproarious as other keaton classics, although its sturdy enough to qualify as a good time. Battling butler dvd, 1999, discontinued for sale online. However, it is suprising how racist the film is with a number of jokes that would never be allowed today. The international buster keaton societys buster keaton filmography remains a work in progress, and were always looking for more films and more information. Special features are few and unspectacular, including a typescript written by keaton for a proposed remake of battling butler in 1947, production still photographs, and photographs from a 1922 stage production of battling butler. Also starring howard truesdale, kathleen myers, ray thompson, brown. Rosemont music and ballard macdonald book and lyrics and produced on broadway in 1923 after tryouts in detroit and chicago the farcical story concerns a man who. Feb 24, 2019 a joint endeavor between the cohen film collection and the cineteca di bologna, the keaton project aims to restore the films the great screen comedian buster keaton made between 1920 and 1928. The musical was called battling buttler, by walter l.
Where go west offered not one, but two elaborate train sequences in addition to its urban cattle drive setpiece, keaton eschews his mechanically elaborate largescale signature. A yukon metropolis is the snowbound setting of the frozen north 1921, 21 min. Featuring some beautiful cinematography that was supposedly a source of inspiration for martin scorsese when making raging bull, its a light story, packed with a staggering amount of detail. The life of that man, eugene allen, is the basis for lee daniels the butler, which debuts in theaters this weekend. Battling butler, seven chances, the navigator 1924, 1925, 1926 directed by. True, it isnt as memorable as, say, the general, which was released the same year and bombed, and it has no real physical spectacle or precision stunts, but it still manages to deliver a. In this film, wimpy millionaire alfred butler goes on a vacation in the mountains with his.
Keatons battling butler a knockout finish to the sf silent film. Harts melodramatic films finds buster in the frozen north. Seven chances 1925 when he stands to inherit a fortune if he can get married by seven oclock tonight, james shannon buster keaton becomes the quarry of an army of wouldbe brides and gets caught in a shower of boulders in this elaborate silent comedy. Battling butler movie posters from movie poster shop. Battling butler 1926 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Buster stars as a city slicker called friendless, who heeds horace greeley. College three ages battling butler go west the saphead seven chances 21 short films. A joint endeavor between the cohen film collection and the cineteca di bologna, the keaton project aims to restore the films the great screen comedian buster keaton made between 1920 and 1928. Battling butler film tickets 20202021 tickets schedule. Buy battling butler movie posters from movie poster shop. Jack buchanan plays a gentleman who assumes the persona of a butler so that he can train as a boxer.
When the real butler shows up, he decided to humiliate the imposter by having him fight the alabama murderer. Battling buttler is a musical in three acts with music by philip braham and a book and lyrics by stanley brightman, austin melford and douglas furber, which opened in london in 1922. Silent movie and pipe organ night battling butler buster keaton liverpool legends. This is an enjoyable comedy from a sepiatone library of congress print. Buster keaton a rich, spoiled dandy keaton pretends to be a champion boxer, battling butler, to impress the family of the girl he loves. Without his masters knowledge, the valet tells the girl that alfred is boxing champion battling butler. Buster stars as a city slicker called friendless, who heeds horace. A few words on battling butler among buster keatons classic work, battling butler is considered a more soso film, which i can see.
Battling butler is another of buster keatons lesser known films and while not quite up with his masterpieces, is still a great and hilarious film. Keaton was much more than just a stuntman and he could provoke laughs without needing to resort to outrageous, death defying stunts. In this film, wimpy millionaire alfred butler goes on a vacation in the mountains with his faithful valet. Go west 1925 is one of my favorite keaton features, a surprisingly touching 68minute tale with some unusual touches. Compiled by lisle foote, janice agnello, nick ciccone, heidi crabtree and david macleod. Use the button on the righthand side for a recurring donation.
Unfortunately, when the real fighter finds out puny alfred. Battling butler dvd, 1999, discontinued for sale online ebay. While communing with nature, alfred falls in love with a beautiful young girl. Battling butler has to be the strangest of buster keatons silent features. Battling butler may not be a great work of art, but i think both of my brothers are rather harsh on this very amusing little feature. A lovestruck weakling must pretend to be boxer in order to gain respect from the family of the girl he loves. Aug 19, 2019 but theres much to enjoy in battling butler, a fine example of keaton in his physical and directorial prime, playing the same persona he embodies in the navigator, college, and steamboat bill, jr. Battling butler at the new oxford theatre, london british.
Battling butler 1926 buster keatons favorite among his films appears to have been battling butler, which reached the screen in 1926, the same year as the general, his greatest feature. Jan 16, 2020 movie battling butler metrogoldwynmayer of spain logos july 7, 1930 rare variant duration. Before marlon brando and james dean, there was buster keaton. Daniels the butler is always engaging, often entertaining and certainly never dull, the latter a fault for which neither the director nor the writer, thus far in their. Based on the popular stage musical, battling butler stars keaton as a pampered socialite who pretends to be a famed prizefighter in order to. Trying to impress the girl, alfred masquerades as boxing star battling butler. Rosemont music and ballard macdonald book and lyrics and produced on broadway in 1923 after tryouts in detroit and. While communing with nature, alfred falls in love with a beautiful young girl sally oneil, who barely acknowledges his. Netflix will continue to churn out original films, tv shows, and comedy specials in the new year, and already theres a lot on the schedule. Battling butler is again a simple story about alfred butler, a spoiled brat who pretends to be a boxer battling alfred butler to impress his girlfriends family. The complete works of buster keaton part 1 fri, may 31st, 2019 to thu, jun 6th, 2019 the music box invites you to join us for part 1 of a complete retrospective celebrating the utter brilliance of surely one of the worlds greatest comedians, filmmakers and artists, buster keaton.
There, in a sequence of agonizing tension and delightful surprises, battling butler reaches its unforgettable climax. The film was inspired by a 2008 washington post story titled a butler well. Movie battling butler metrogoldwynmayer of spain logos july 7, 1930 rare variant duration. Kinos bluray of go west and battling butler has been mastered from original nitrate prints archived in the library of congress. Kinos bluray double bill of go west and battling butler is an interesting pairing of in between keaton attractions. Full music scores are provided by eric beheim and robert israel, respectively. Had the impression that this is considered secondtier keaton, but either i was mistaken or people are nuts, because ow my sides.