The Hayseed

A case of small town drama as the local mailman (Fatty Arbuckle) fends off the amorous advances of a conniving sheriff with eyes on his girl. Buster Keaton slides into the mix as a tangentially-involved general store owner who becomes aware of the lawman's inherently slimy nature, but it's mostly Arbuckle's show. The two stars (plus Fatty's famous dog, Luke) give us plenty of sight gags, often of the daring physical variety, but there isn't much to the plot and most scenes overstay their welcome. There's a good recurring bit at the end, where Buster convinces his buddy to chow down on a bushel of onions before an important choral recital and his foul breath causes all sorts of comic misunderstandings. Otherwise, it's a whole lot of flashy derring-do without much substance to back it up.