This Keaton film is missing its last couple of minutes, which is a shame, but what is left still shows him at the top of his game. He plays a suicidal chap who just can't seem to kill himself: he lies in the path of a street car only for it to stop before it reaches him, he stands in front of oncoming headlights in the darkness only to have a motorcycle pass either side of him, he tries to hang himself with a rope that's too long, and becomes totally smashed when he drinks poison that is really a tipsy waiter's secret stock of booze.
Buster shows off his athletic prowess in one of his funnier shorts. I think there's a tendency for some people to shower praise on these comedy legends regardless of whether it is really deserved. Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Stan and Ollie – they all had their 'off days' and there's no shame in that, so why pretend mediocre product is anything else? Happily, this energetic short delivers laughs from the opening credits to the last shot. It's just a shame we can't see Buster's ill-fated dive into that pool
Buster shows off his athletic prowess in one of his funnier shorts. I think there's a tendency for some people to shower praise on these comedy legends regardless of whether it is really deserved. Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Stan and Ollie – they all had their 'off days' and there's no shame in that, so why pretend mediocre product is anything else? Happily, this energetic short delivers laughs from the opening credits to the last shot. It's just a shame we can't see Buster's ill-fated dive into that pool