Three Ages (1923)

The misadventures of Buster in three separate historical periods.

Directors:

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

Writers:

Clyde Bruckman (story and titles), Joseph A. Mitchell (story and titles) (as Joseph Mitchell)

Stars:

Buster Keaton, Margaret Leahy, Wallace Beery

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Buster Keaton	...	The Boy
Margaret Leahy	...	The Girl
Wallace Beery	...	The Villain
Joe Roberts	...	The Girl's Father
Lillian Lawrence	...	The Girl's Mother
Kewpie Morgan	...	The Emperor / Cave Man / Roman Thug (as Horace Morgan)

Storyline

In his first independently produced feature film Buster tells of love and romance through three historical ages: the Stone Age, the Roman Age, and the Modern Age.

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Plot Keywords:

monster | cavewoman | anthology film | omnibus film | portmanteau film | 

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Taglines:

Six reels of furious fun. (Newspaper ad).

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are two references in the Roman section a--one classical and one biblical. The classical reference is to the story of Androcles and the lion (when Buster Keaton is in the dungeon) and the biblical one is to Samson bringing down the temple upon himself and his enemies (when Keaton collapses Wallace Beery's house).

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Goofs

The water level in Buster's carafe fluctuates. He nearly drains it, then in the next shot, it's half full.

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Alternate Versions

In 1995, Film Preservation Associates copyrighted a version with an orchestral score; no details were specified on the print.

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Connections

Featured in The Public Domain Just Got a Little Bigger (2019)

User Reviews

Keaton Times Three

The misadventures of the luckless Buster Keaton in three separate historical periods.

This was Buster Keaton's first feature film and apparently he made it the three parts not so much for artistic reasons, but because he felt it would be easier to sell the sections as shorts if the feature was a failure. Clever business move, but of course we all know now that he was quite successful.

But the film makes me wonder: when did the idea of the caveman begin? The way they are shown here is pretty much the same way they are in the "B. C." comic strip or the Geiko commercials... but when did this become the archetype?

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

None

Release Date:

24 September 1923 (USA)

Also Known As:

Three Ages

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum - 3911 S. Figueroa Street, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Buster Keaton Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

63 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1