The Frozen North (1922)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Directors:

Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton

Writers:

Edward F. Cline (written by)
Buster Keaton (written by)

Release Date:

28 August 1922 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Plot:

This satirical parody of William S. Hart's melodramatic films finds Buster in the frozen north, "last...

Plot Keywords:

Silent Film | Snow | Alaska

Cast

Buster Keaton	...	The Bad Man
Joe Roberts	...	The Driver
Sybil Seely	...	Wife
Bonnie Hill	...	The Pretty Neighbor
Freeman Wood	...	Her Husband
Edward F. Cline	...	The Janitor

Runtime:

17 min | Spain:15 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Spain:T | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Truckee, California, USA

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

Keaton actually satirizes two of his famous contemporaries in this short: William S. Hart, of course, but also 'Erich Von Stroheim'. Near the end of the film, his female "victim" briefly visualizes Keaton dressed in the kind of elaborate, middle-European dress uniform (complete with monocle) favored by Von Stroheim during his "man-you-love-to-hate" phase.

Goofs:

Continuity: Knife is pulled twice on The Bad Man in the fight at the end of the film.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965)

a very cruel and atypical Keaton short

This is a rather disturbing film in many ways. Usually Buster Keaton (and other comics of the age) played likable people or at worst, tricksters. However, I knew "this wasn't your grandpa's Keaton film" right at the beginning. That's because Buster tries robbing everyone in a saloon. Then, moments later he comes home and sees his wife with another man and murders them both! Then, he realizes it's the wrong house and walks away with little apparent remorse! Huh?!?!? Well, it continues along a similar vein, as Buster is just a jerk--trying to steal another man's woman, hurt people for no apparent reason, etc. By then, I thought the only way this movie could be explained was if it all turned out to be a dream (and I HATE this sort of resolution). Well, at the end, that's what it turned out to be! A truly unusual and not particularly nice Keaton vehicle--funny of course, but too cruel to allow it to be better.