One Week (1920)

A newlywed couple attempt to build a house with a prefabricated kit, unaware that a rival sabotaged the kit's component numbering.

Directors:

Edward F. Cline, Buster Keaton

Stars:

Buster Keaton, Joe Roberts, Sybil Seely

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Buster Keaton	...	The Groom

Storyline

Buster and Sybil exit a chapel as newlyweds. Among the gifts is a portable house you easily put together in one week. It doesn't help that Buster's rival for Sybil switches the numbers on the crates containing the house parts.

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Plot Keywords:

house | newlyweds | wednesday | construction | moving a building | 

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Genres:

Short | Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 1920 (USA)

Also Known As:

Una semana

Filming Locations:

Congregational Sunday School, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Joseph M. Schenck Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min 25 min (TCM Print) 19 min (1995 Film Preservation print)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Buster Keaton's first film appearance without Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle.

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Goofs

The piano changes between when it is delivered (flat back) and when Buster tires to bring it into the house (typical uptight piano back).

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Connections

Edited into Jekyll & Canada (2009)

User Reviews

The genius of Keaton

The first Keaton 2 reeler to be released (he had already made 'the High Sign' but, considered it to weak to be his debut solo effort). 'One Week' is a gem of a movie. Newly weds, Buster and Sybil are given a house and plot of land by an Aunt and Uncle, however, Handy Hank, who lost out to Buster for Sybil's hand in marriage, sabotages the pre fab house by changing the numbers on the boxes, the result is the oddest looking house, however to the newly weds it's home. Various mishaps occur, especially when they have relations over for a house warming. The film climaxes with one of the best double crosses in movies, I hate to spoil films by telling people the ending, just watch it for yourself and enjoy. Just to clear something up, Keaton did not break both arms doing a stunt in this movie, as written by an earlier reviewer, although he did get injured doing a stunt causing swelling to his back and arms. However he did suffer a broken ankle filming 'The Electric House' and broke his neck, which went undiagnosed for 13 years, this was always blamed on a stunt in 'Sherlock jr' Keaton is the king of the silent comedies, his movies from his golden period of film making stand the test of time, the humour is fresh and innovated, his stunts, which everyone knows he did himself are breathtaking and he shows an aptitude for the art of film making that places him among the greatest ever. His decline after losing his independence is tragic, both for him and movie fans as we are left to wonder what he could have achieved if he's been allowed by MGM to make the movies he was capable of, our only consolation is the treasures he did leave behind.