The Rough House (1917)

Roscoe, his wife and his mother-in-law run a seaside resort. Buster plays a gardener who puts out a fire started by Roscoe, then a delivery boy who fights with the cook St. John, then a cop.

Directors:

Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Buster Keaton

Writers:

Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle (story), Buster Keaton,

Stars:

Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Al St. John, Buster Keaton

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle	...	Mr Rough
Al St. John	...	Cook
Buster Keaton	...	Gardener / Delivery Boy / Cop
Alice Lake	...	Mrs Rough
Agnes Neilson	...	Mother-in-Law
Glen Cavender
Josephine Stevens

Storyline

Roscoe, his wife and his mother-in-law run a seaside resort. Buster plays a gardener who puts out a fire started by Roscoe, then a delivery boy who fights with the cook St. John, then a cop.

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Plot Keywords:

written and directed by cast member

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 June 1917 (USA)

Also Known As:

Det forrykte Hus

Filming Locations:

Norma Talmadge Studio, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Comique Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

22 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle performs a prototype of the "dancing dinner rolls" that Charles Chaplin used in The Gold Rush. Until "The Rough House" - thought to be lost - was rediscovered, Chaplin was credited with creating the gag.

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Connections

Featured in Birth of Hollywood: Episode #1.2 (2011)

User Reviews

Fatty Arbuckle

Rough House, The (1917)

*** (out of 4)

Fatty Arbuckle helps run a seaside resort but trouble starts when a deliver boy (Buster Keaton) shows up. It's rather amazing to see how much time the star/director Fatty gave to Keaton who's allowed to steal the show with his physical comedy. Another interesting thing is that there's a dinner scene where Fatty puts forks in two rolls and does a dance, which Chaplin borrowed eight years later in The Gold Rush.

Butcher Boy, The (1917)

** (out of 4)

The butcher boy (Fatty Arbuckle) falls for the store owner's daughter and must fight to get her. The first half of the film takes place in the store and has Buster Keaton playing an obnoxious customer. This half is very funny but the second half dealing with Fatty dressing in drag in order to sneak into a boarding school really doesn't work.