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

Spoofed in The Gold Rush (1925)

User Reviews

Some Good Moments & A Couple of Classic Gags

This short comedy has some very good moments that make up for other stretches that are more routine. There are also a couple of classic gags worth watching for in themselves. The setting has 'Mr. Rough' (Arbuckle) trying to endure a visit from his mother-in-law, with Keaton and Al St. John on hand to create additional havoc. The two best gags come right at the beginning: watch for Fatty's fire-fighting technique, later imitated by other comedians, and then right after that Fatty improvises a gag that Charlie Chaplin later refined and made into a classic - it's a nice surprise, and worth watching for. And after that, the rest of the film also has some good moments that fans of Arbuckle and Keaton should enjoy.