The Electric House (1922)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Directors:

Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton

Writers:

Edward F. Cline (writer)
Buster Keaton (writer)

Release Date:

October 1922 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Plot:

Botany major Buster mistakenly graduates in electrical engineering and is hired to wire a new home. He installs lots of fanciful gadgets...

Plot Keywords:

Swimming Pool | Dishwasher | Escalator | Mix Up | Electric Shock

Cast

Buster Keaton

(as 'Buster' Keaton)

Runtime:

Spain:19 min | USA:23 min | USA:22 min (2005 DVD release) | USA:20 min (2005 DVD release)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Spain:T

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

Filming was delayed when star Buster Keaton got his foot caught in the escalator and broke his ankle.

Movie Connections:

Edited into The Golden Age of Buster Keaton (1975)

Mr. Keaton's Electrifying Experience

A BUSTER KEATON Silent Short.

THE ELECTRIC HOUSE Buster has just retrofitted with modern appliances is about to have a chaotic debut when some wires get crossed...

One sight gag after another keeps this wonderful little film humming along. All of Buster's gadgets are funny when they operate correctly - they slip over the line into hilarity when things go wrong. Highlight: Buster trying to beat an obstinate escalator.

Born into a family of Vaudevillian acrobats, Buster Keaton (1895-1966) mastered physical comedy at a very early age. An association with Fatty Arbuckle led to a series of highly imaginative short subjects and classic, silent feature-length films - all from 1920 to 1928. Writer, director, star & stuntman - Buster could do it all and his intuitive genius gave him almost miraculous knowledge as to the intricacies of film making and of what it took to please an audience. More akin to Fairbanks than Chaplin, Buster's films were full of splendid adventure, exciting derring-do and the most dangerous physical stunts imaginable. His theme of a little man against the world, who triumphs through bravery & ingenuity, dominates his films. Through every calamity & disaster, Buster remained the Great Stone Face, a stoic survivor in a universe gone mad.

In the late 1920's Buster was betrayed by his manager/brother-in-law and his contract was sold to MGM, which proceeded to nearly destroy his career. Teamed initially with Jimmy Durante and eventually allowed small roles in mediocre comedies, Buster was for 35 years consistently given work far beneath his talent. Finally, before lung cancer took him at age 70, he had the satisfaction of knowing that his classic films were being rediscovered. Now, well past his centenary, Buster Keaton is routinely recognized & appreciated as one of cinema's true authentic geniuses. And he knew how to make people laugh...