The Railrodder (1965)

After literally walking to Canada from England, Buster takes a cross-country trip across Canada on a railway motorcar (speeder).

Directors:

Gerald Potterton, Buster Keaton (uncredited)

Writer:

Gerald Potterton

Star:

Buster Keaton

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Buster Keaton	...	The Man

Storyline

After reading an newspaper advertisement in the London Times about touring Canada, an elderly Englishman decides to do just that. Following his long walk across the Atlantic Ocean, Keaton travels along the Canadian National Railway tracks on a railway motorcar (speeder), performing a few stunts reminiscent of those in his younger days.

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Plot Keywords:

silent comedy | slapstick comedy | canada | railway | cross country | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Buster Keaton's final silent film, he passed away four months after its release.

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Connections

Referenced in Keaton & Lloyd (2020)

User Reviews

Poignant

In an affectionate tribute to the silent films that made his name in the 1920s, Buster Keaton returns to the familiar character in slap shoes, baggy trousers and flat hat for this short travelogue set in Canada. The idea is simple: he gets on a tiny motorised railway buggy and travels from coast to coast, settling into his mobile home-from-home while causing or narrowly averting chaos along the way.

Under the direction of Gerald Potterton, the gags are more like a nostalgic nod in the right direction rather than laugh-out-loud funny; nevertheless, Keaton fans will find much to appreciate in the details: his familiar shambling walk, or the way Buster slips off his seat as a train rushes past him, or the way he stands on top of the buggy to scan the horizon just as he did on the locomotive in The General.

Ironically, the best sight gag is not in The Railrodder itself but in the documentary about the making of the film, when, with exquisite timing, Buster appears to stop and start a freight train by pulling it with one hand.

The Railrodder and the documentary are both currently available as extras on the MK2 restored 2-DVD edition of The General.

Details

Official Sites:

-The original film Official YouTube

Country:

Canada

Language:

None

Release Date:

2 October 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Railroader

Filming Locations:

Entrance, Alberta, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

24 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1