The Play House (1921)

After waking up from his wacky dream, a theater stage hand inadvertently causes havoc everywhere he works.

Directors:

Edward F. Cline (as Eddie Cline), Buster Keaton (as 'Buster' Keaton)

Writers:

Buster Keaton (as 'Buster' Keaton), Edward F. Cline (as Eddie Cline)

Stars:

Buster Keaton, Edward F. Cline, Monte Collins

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Buster Keaton	...	Audience / Orchestra / Mr. Brown - First Minstrel / Second Minstrel / Stagehand (as 'Buster' Keaton)

Storyline

Portraying more than twenty characters at once--including lively stage actors, an attentive audience, an orchestra, and an entire nine-member minstrel act--Buster Keaton pushes the boundaries of technical artistry and film trickery, in a time when effects really were special. With this in mind--after waking up from a delightful vaudeville dream sequence--Buster realises that he still is the play house's humble general factotum, and he must keep the show up and running amid delusion and disorder, identical twin sisters, Zouave guards, and a rampant orangutan on the loose. But, can a mere gopher yearn for recognition, and perhaps, love?

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Plot Keywords:

stage | dream | mirror | surrealism | dream sequence | 

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Taglines:

He apes the ape as no one else can ape him (Print Ad- Wheeling Intelligencer, ((Wheeling WVA)) 22 April 1922)

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Genres:

Short | Comedy | Fantasy

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Buster Keaton's stunts are tame in this movie, compared to his usual rugged and demanding stunt work, because he was recovering from a broken ankle.

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Goofs

Elegant Elderly Lady Buster Keaton is wearing long evening gloves, but when she reaches down to pick the lollipop off her lap, she is not wearing gloves.

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Quotes

Presenter of "The Mermaids": This young lady can stay under water longer than the bottom of a river.

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Alternate Versions

The version shown on the American Movie Classics channel was copyrighted in 1995 by Film Preservation Associates and had a music soundtrack arranged by Robert Israel. It ran 23 minutes.

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Connections

Featured in The Buster Keaton Collector's Classic (1984)

User Reviews

This fellow Keaton seems to be the whole show.

First part of the movie is amazing surreal scene where Buster Keaton performs all the parts himself. Then he wakes up and we learn that it was all his dream, but when suddenly some workmen start to tear down the walls of the bedroom, the viewer is momentarily taken back into the dream, until we finally learn that Buster Keaton was just an ordinary stagehand that took his nap on the stage, and the room was just a decoration. From there on Buster continues his ordinary workday with hilarious mishaps. The film is pretty tame considering the part of neck breaking stunts, but the more amazing is the opening sequence where Buster Keaton is the whole show. Wonderful movie that shows how inventive as a director Buster Keaton was even without performing any amazing stunt work.

Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

24 September 1921 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Playhouse

Company Credits

Production Co:

Joseph M. Schenck Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

23 min 20 min (DVD) 23 min (1995 Film Preservation Associates print)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1