Story of two farmhand roommates, living in a flat that only Rube Goldberg could have come up with, who are vying for the attention of the farmer's daughter, while Buster's character has to fend off his roommate (Joe Roberts looking very much like Fatty Arbuckle), the girl's father, and father's dog (which actually belonged to Arbuckle). That's pretty much the plot, but the sightgags are what make the short really work. The breakfast scene, with the aforementioned Goldberg setting, is pure genius. A very good production all around and ranks as one of Keaton's best. Rating, based on shorts, 10.
27 Reviews
Fresh as the dawn
imogensara_smith15 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The sun bounces into the sky like a rubber ballan appropriate opening image for a short comedy fairly bursting with youthful energy and high spirits. Buster Keaton was barely twenty-five when he made this film, but he had twenty years of experience in physical comedy, and in the new-found joy of directing and starring in his own films, he bubbled with inspiration. While the freewheeling, episodic structure of The Scarecrow recalls the films Buster was making just a year before with Roscoe Arbuckle, there are many distinctive Keaton touches and an overall atmosphere of innocent freshness. Though not as perfect as his debut, One Week, it's a good introduction to Keaton's early work. If you're already sweet on Buster, I warn youthis may push you over the edge into full-fledged adoration.
Buster works on a farm (at least we assume sohe doesn't do any work in the movie) and shares a one-room house with Big Joe Roberts. Usually cast as a monstrous villain, Big Joe gets a rare chance to show his charm here. He's twice Buster's size, but the two live in harmony, their house rigged with labor-saving gadgets. The bed folds up into a piano, the gramophone becomes a stove, the bathtub empties itself and turns into a settee. Salt and pepper shakers dangle from the ceiling on strings, so Buster and his roommate can pass them back and forth in graceful arcs. To wash the dishes, the men attach them to the table, hoist it onto the wall, and spray it with a hose. This whole opening sequence is played with a smooth, brisk pacing and casual grace. Slapstick comedy is usually based on things going wrong, but this scene shows us everything going beautifully right, and still manages to inspire laughter.
The harmony between the two men is shattered by the arrival of the farmer's pretty daughter, for whose affection they compete. This was the third film Buster made with Sybil Seely, the most charming leading lady he ever had. A former Mack Sennett bathing girl, Sybil was a dark Italian beauty with a natural, fun-loving air. It's a mystery, and shame, that he stopped using her after The Scarecrow. Here she gets some nice moments of her own, as in her impromptu dance in front of a haystack. The film zips along from one sequence to the next, with Buster being chased by a "mad" dog (Roscoe Arbuckle's bull terrier, Luke, in a cameo), then getting sucked into a harvesting machine that rips his clothes off. Running in his underwear from the irate farmer, Buster puts on a scarecrow's suit, and displays his uncanny gift for physical mimicry as he adopts the scarecrow's floppy pose.
One shoe comes off as he runs, and when he kneels down to put it on, Sybil happens to walk up and blushingly accepts his proposal. As they're eloping on a stolen motorbike and sidecar, they accidentally scoop up a passing parson, who winds up sitting in Sybil's lap. Buster looks at the man, glances at the sky to see if it's hailing clergymen, and then asks the parson to marry them. Agreeing matter-of-factly, he takes out his bible and starts the wedding ceremony while they zip along, unflustered even when they tumble into a creek. The only problem with this film is that it's over too soon. The solution is to watch it again.
Buster works on a farm (at least we assume sohe doesn't do any work in the movie) and shares a one-room house with Big Joe Roberts. Usually cast as a monstrous villain, Big Joe gets a rare chance to show his charm here. He's twice Buster's size, but the two live in harmony, their house rigged with labor-saving gadgets. The bed folds up into a piano, the gramophone becomes a stove, the bathtub empties itself and turns into a settee. Salt and pepper shakers dangle from the ceiling on strings, so Buster and his roommate can pass them back and forth in graceful arcs. To wash the dishes, the men attach them to the table, hoist it onto the wall, and spray it with a hose. This whole opening sequence is played with a smooth, brisk pacing and casual grace. Slapstick comedy is usually based on things going wrong, but this scene shows us everything going beautifully right, and still manages to inspire laughter.
The harmony between the two men is shattered by the arrival of the farmer's pretty daughter, for whose affection they compete. This was the third film Buster made with Sybil Seely, the most charming leading lady he ever had. A former Mack Sennett bathing girl, Sybil was a dark Italian beauty with a natural, fun-loving air. It's a mystery, and shame, that he stopped using her after The Scarecrow. Here she gets some nice moments of her own, as in her impromptu dance in front of a haystack. The film zips along from one sequence to the next, with Buster being chased by a "mad" dog (Roscoe Arbuckle's bull terrier, Luke, in a cameo), then getting sucked into a harvesting machine that rips his clothes off. Running in his underwear from the irate farmer, Buster puts on a scarecrow's suit, and displays his uncanny gift for physical mimicry as he adopts the scarecrow's floppy pose.
One shoe comes off as he runs, and when he kneels down to put it on, Sybil happens to walk up and blushingly accepts his proposal. As they're eloping on a stolen motorbike and sidecar, they accidentally scoop up a passing parson, who winds up sitting in Sybil's lap. Buster looks at the man, glances at the sky to see if it's hailing clergymen, and then asks the parson to marry them. Agreeing matter-of-factly, he takes out his bible and starts the wedding ceremony while they zip along, unflustered even when they tumble into a creek. The only problem with this film is that it's over too soon. The solution is to watch it again.
Buster and Sybil on the farm
MissSimonetta22 March 2016
One of Buster Keaton's early short films, The Scarecrow (1920) is brimming with youthful energy and silly fun. Keaton shares the screen with Big Joe Roberts and Sybil Seely.
Seely was nothing less than Keaton's finest leading lady, charming and spunky. She was a comic partner, not a "breathing prop" as Keaton's female co-stars are often stereotyped as being. It's a shame she and Keaton never starred in a feature film together, but at least we've got four shorts of them, so I won't complain. (Not too much anyway, ha!) But yeah, lots of cute stuff, like the rigged hut Buster and Joe share, or the wedding held on the motorcycle. For those who encounter pseudo-intellectuals who think Buster Keaton was all solemn and bleak and Kafka-esque, the sunshine of The Scarecrow should shut them up quickly. The man was plain funny.
Seely was nothing less than Keaton's finest leading lady, charming and spunky. She was a comic partner, not a "breathing prop" as Keaton's female co-stars are often stereotyped as being. It's a shame she and Keaton never starred in a feature film together, but at least we've got four shorts of them, so I won't complain. (Not too much anyway, ha!) But yeah, lots of cute stuff, like the rigged hut Buster and Joe share, or the wedding held on the motorcycle. For those who encounter pseudo-intellectuals who think Buster Keaton was all solemn and bleak and Kafka-esque, the sunshine of The Scarecrow should shut them up quickly. The man was plain funny.
One of Buster Keaton's greatest silent shorts...
butterfinger30 October 2004
The Scarecrow is one of Buster Keaton's greatest silent shorts. In twenty minutes it catches us up in rapture, filled with cheer, humor, romance good nature, and a true and innocent sense of small town farm life. The film contains some of Keaton's most incredible acrobatics as he runs around on top of a ten-foot brick wall, handstands his way through a river of mud to avoid getting his clothes dirty (he, of course, falls in some mud once he gets to the end of the muddy river), is chased by a dog (the payoff of the chase scene is one of the funniest gags in any silent comedy, a brilliant satire of the way silent clowns insist on creating trouble for themselves), and on and on and on and on. As the film is almost coming to a close, Keaton is about to be married. But the film is not done with us yet; instead of merely watching the couple ride off into the sunset, Keaton boldly follows them to the sunset as the two get married on a speeding motorbike. For twenty minutes, I forgot about the time I wasted watching Go West.
So Far, My Favorite Keaton 'Short'
ccthemovieman-11 October 2006
If you love chase scenes, this Buster Keaton short is for you! Before any chases, however, we see Buster and his roommate, Big Joe Roberts, as they get ready for breakfast, eat it with the aid of a very clever pulley system (you have to see this to believe it) and then clean up. The big one-room house is nothing but gadgets and they are all fun to see.
Then Buster thinks a small "mad dog" is chasing him and the two go round and round both outside and inside the house, and even around the tops of a brick wall. It's clever and fast-moving slapstick.
Buster then winds up being chased by the father of the female (Sybil Sealey) that both he and Joe are enamored with. After that short chase, in which Buster disguises himself as a scarecrow, he winds up getting Joe and the father fighting each other. When they discover Buster is the culprit behind that, they both take out after Keaton....and on and on it goes, with Sybil joining in......overall, a tremendous 19 minutes of sight gags, slapstick and general mayhem.
I'd have to rank this as one of the most entertaining, if not THE most entertaining silent movie short subjects I have ever watched....at least to this point. I still have more to see.
Then Buster thinks a small "mad dog" is chasing him and the two go round and round both outside and inside the house, and even around the tops of a brick wall. It's clever and fast-moving slapstick.
Buster then winds up being chased by the father of the female (Sybil Sealey) that both he and Joe are enamored with. After that short chase, in which Buster disguises himself as a scarecrow, he winds up getting Joe and the father fighting each other. When they discover Buster is the culprit behind that, they both take out after Keaton....and on and on it goes, with Sybil joining in......overall, a tremendous 19 minutes of sight gags, slapstick and general mayhem.
I'd have to rank this as one of the most entertaining, if not THE most entertaining silent movie short subjects I have ever watched....at least to this point. I still have more to see.
A near perfect work.
dhoffman6 March 2001
This is a marvelous work of comedy, perhaps one of the very finest of all short comedic films. The ingenuity of Keaton is endless as we see him and his roommate eating breakfast. The dual function of common household objects is incredible. Other stand-out scenes are those with the dog and Keaton as the scarecrow. Although this short work consists of a series of segmented scenes, there is still a fluidity that is quite pleasing. I introduced this work to a couple of teenagers. No complaints about black and white, no objections to its lack of talking. Just laughter and more laughter. `The Scarecrow' is a masterpiece.
Amusing but Rear-Facing; Keaton's Act Takes a Short Backwards Step
drqshadow-reviews17 October 2020
A pair of dirt-poor farmhands make the best of a dire living situation, cooperating to make their single-room home feel a bit more welcoming, then competing for the affections of the farmer's lovely young daughter. The opening scenes, at least, are must-see material. There we find the starring duo at home, coolly operating an absurdly complicated series of strings, levers and hinges to transform their living space from bedroom to dining room, kitchen to parlor and back again. It's a ruse worthy of Rube Goldberg, an ingenious series of delightful inventions and space-saving techniques, and these guys operate the room like a pair of well-versed mechanics.
The scene soon shifts, however, and when the leads cease their partnership in favor of romantic rivalry, everything starts to feel just a bit too familiar. Not to mince words: it becomes a Keaton and Arbuckle film with a lesser act standing in for the departed bigger man. These scenes are effectively light and entertaining, but they feel like a step back for Keaton; a brief yearning for familiar territory when he'd already transcended the two-man act as a viable solo artist. Arbuckle's famous dog Luke even pops in for a few scenes, climbing ladders and chasing Buster over rooftops like the good old days, but it all rings rather hollow now. The old adage is true in many senses: you really can never go home again.
The scene soon shifts, however, and when the leads cease their partnership in favor of romantic rivalry, everything starts to feel just a bit too familiar. Not to mince words: it becomes a Keaton and Arbuckle film with a lesser act standing in for the departed bigger man. These scenes are effectively light and entertaining, but they feel like a step back for Keaton; a brief yearning for familiar territory when he'd already transcended the two-man act as a viable solo artist. Arbuckle's famous dog Luke even pops in for a few scenes, climbing ladders and chasing Buster over rooftops like the good old days, but it all rings rather hollow now. The old adage is true in many senses: you really can never go home again.
David Jeffers - A PUP AND A CUTIE
rdjeffers3 September 2005
The Scarecrow belongs among Buster Keaton's best two-reelers with others like The Boat and One Week. Buster gets chased through half the picture by a very clever dog. The rest is with Sybil Seely, Keaton's cutest girl co-star. The dog runs Buster through the ruins of an old adobe house, up a ladder and into a mountain of hay. Seely dances amid the bales then coyly misinterprets Buster's bended knee as a proposal. In the scarecrow scene he quickly kisses her, she runs into the middle of the river astonished, and delivers a double-take in close-up that's priceless! They somehow end up on a speeding motorcycle with a minister who marries them just before they plunge into a river. The dog is wonderful, Buster's rival is suitably oafish and there's even a great part for 'Big Joe'. The Scarecrow has less of the impossible stunts Keaton was known for but it flies along at break-neck speed from beginning to end and has enough material in two reels for six or seven
"Where's the ring?"
classicsoncall3 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The sheer inventiveness of the early breakfast scene with Buster Keaton and Joe Roberts is worth the entire twenty minutes or so this film runs for. You have to wonder how much time and coordination it took to set up the scene because it's executed flawlessly with more than a handful of opportunities for a goof-up.
You know, I used to try that gimmick with the string tied to a door to pull a tooth when I was a kid, largely influenced by a whole host of these early comics. I'm betting almost every one put that into at least one of their shorts. For the record, I could never get it to work; either my tooth was too slippery or I chickened out.
Other fast paced gags here include the terrier's merry chase of Buster around the top of the foundation (how'd they manage that?) and the motorcycle and sidecar getaway with the hijacked preacher. Lots of stuff going on here and it's all fun, check it out if you can.
You know, I used to try that gimmick with the string tied to a door to pull a tooth when I was a kid, largely influenced by a whole host of these early comics. I'm betting almost every one put that into at least one of their shorts. For the record, I could never get it to work; either my tooth was too slippery or I chickened out.
Other fast paced gags here include the terrier's merry chase of Buster around the top of the foundation (how'd they manage that?) and the motorcycle and sidecar getaway with the hijacked preacher. Lots of stuff going on here and it's all fun, check it out if you can.
Nothing shabby about this scarecrow!
Damfino189514 July 2002
This is probably my favourite Keaton short. From the opening shot to the very end it is full of humour and imagination. The breakfast scene in particular stands out, demonstrating immaculate timing between Keaton and Joe Roberts. The film runs at a fast and funny pace, never seeming to falter at any point. I could watch this over and over again and still find it funny. 10 out of 10
Buster!
gbill-748777 April 2021
Buster Keaton always makes me smile. A lot of action here involves chase sequences, e.g. Buster running away from a dog he believes is mad (it just ate a cream pie), and Buster running away from his rival. There is a great set piece early on with a mechanized dining room - salt shakers and various bottles hanging from ropes, a little car on tracks holding breading and butter which can be directed to one side of the table or the other via cranks, waste automatically ejecting into the pigpen outside, and all dishes fixed to a board, making washing a matter of slapping it up on the wall and hosing it down. If it looks familiar, that may be because Keaton re-used the setup four years later in 'The Navigator.' Sybil Seely is charming as the love interest, and the ceremony on the road is cute. Along the way, Keaton is buff in his underwear, shows off his athleticism, and as always, has such perfect timing. It's not a masterpiece, but sure is a nice way to spend 18 minutes.
This Scarecrow has a brain, a heart, and a toothache to boot
pyrocitor19 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Although the figure of a scarecrow may currently be more associated with a scythe-wielding nightmare, Batman villain, or lovable goofball lamenting his lack of brain, in the hands of comedy legend Buster Keaton, it proved a shortcut to pure comedic delight. One of Keaton's earliest outings as director/star (co-directed by Eddie Cline), The Scarecrow, while simpler than many of Keaton's more iconic works, still proves of the most compact, punchy, and heartfelt early silent comedy shorts available.
Running a lean 20 minutes, The Scarecrow wastes no time, careening from gag to setpiece with tight, efficient pacing, and an infectiously plucky energy. Despite its quite evident three- act structure (I: the house; II: the dog chase; III: the proposal), the film feels impressively cohesive, rather than the episodic series of gags evidenced by many of its predecessors, anchoring the madcap antics around Keaton's race to woo the woman of his dreams (Sybil Seely) before his cheery oaf of a roommate (Keaton's recurring antagonist Joe Roberts, distinctly more sympathetic here). Although noticeably sweeter than most future works by the notoriously sarcastic Keaton, there are still a few tell-tale moments of cunning snark connoting his budding authorial voice (the sly political jab "I don't care how she votes – I'm going to marry her!" being the best).
The real joy, however, is in the setpieces. The film's first act is a dazzling feat of choreography, demonstrating Keaton and Roberts orchestrating a rather unusual breakfast time in a house full of convoluted Rube Goldman muti-use items flipping, sliding, or dangling from an ingenious system of strings (an amusing satire of modernism and 'household conveniences' foreshadowing Chaplin's incisive critique of Modern Times). It isn't long before Keaton's quest for romance inevitably leads to his trademark stuntwork and tumbling, though, leaping back and forth through windows a-la Scooby Doo, precariously sprinting on top of a rickety, demolished building, and walking on his hands across a river to avoid his outfit – pilfered from a scarecrow after his previous clothes were destroyed in a thresher – from getting wet, only to inevitably fall back into the river on his dismount. The sight of Keaton slumping to impersonate a scarecrow is a pristine feat of physical comedy by itself, and the film's climax – an almost accidental motorcycle marriage – recalls the madcap conclusion of Some Like It Hot in terms of the most perfectly hilarious wrap-up imaginable.
Keaton would continue to push the envelope in juxtaposing budding romance with disastrous physical mayhem throughout his oeuvre, but for a quick, compact dose of Buster Keaton at his sweetest and most imaginatively zany, it's hard to imagine a more satisfactory viewing experience than The Scarecrow.
-9/10
Running a lean 20 minutes, The Scarecrow wastes no time, careening from gag to setpiece with tight, efficient pacing, and an infectiously plucky energy. Despite its quite evident three- act structure (I: the house; II: the dog chase; III: the proposal), the film feels impressively cohesive, rather than the episodic series of gags evidenced by many of its predecessors, anchoring the madcap antics around Keaton's race to woo the woman of his dreams (Sybil Seely) before his cheery oaf of a roommate (Keaton's recurring antagonist Joe Roberts, distinctly more sympathetic here). Although noticeably sweeter than most future works by the notoriously sarcastic Keaton, there are still a few tell-tale moments of cunning snark connoting his budding authorial voice (the sly political jab "I don't care how she votes – I'm going to marry her!" being the best).
The real joy, however, is in the setpieces. The film's first act is a dazzling feat of choreography, demonstrating Keaton and Roberts orchestrating a rather unusual breakfast time in a house full of convoluted Rube Goldman muti-use items flipping, sliding, or dangling from an ingenious system of strings (an amusing satire of modernism and 'household conveniences' foreshadowing Chaplin's incisive critique of Modern Times). It isn't long before Keaton's quest for romance inevitably leads to his trademark stuntwork and tumbling, though, leaping back and forth through windows a-la Scooby Doo, precariously sprinting on top of a rickety, demolished building, and walking on his hands across a river to avoid his outfit – pilfered from a scarecrow after his previous clothes were destroyed in a thresher – from getting wet, only to inevitably fall back into the river on his dismount. The sight of Keaton slumping to impersonate a scarecrow is a pristine feat of physical comedy by itself, and the film's climax – an almost accidental motorcycle marriage – recalls the madcap conclusion of Some Like It Hot in terms of the most perfectly hilarious wrap-up imaginable.
Keaton would continue to push the envelope in juxtaposing budding romance with disastrous physical mayhem throughout his oeuvre, but for a quick, compact dose of Buster Keaton at his sweetest and most imaginatively zany, it's hard to imagine a more satisfactory viewing experience than The Scarecrow.
-9/10
I hoped for more
Horst_In_Translation4 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
"The Scarecrow" is a 1920 silent black-and-white comedy starring Buster Keaton, one of the most famous actors of his era. Joe Roberts is also in this one again playing as always the antagonist to KeatonÄs character. This time the two are farm workers and they compete for the love of a girl. Who is gonna get her? Or is another husband gonna show up as it also happened in Keaton's films. Keaton also wrote and directed here, once again together with Edward F. Cline, his regular collaborator. Cline also plays a minor character again in here as he often does. Keaton struggles not only in his attempts to get the girl, but also with a couple farm dogs, including one of the most famous animal actors from that day, and also with the other farm workers who just try to do their job. The female lead is not played by Virginia Fox this time, but instead by Sybil Seely, who was just as young as Fox in 1920. All in all, not a great or very funny short film. Watch something else instead.
Very Funny & Inventive
Snow Leopard30 July 2001
This very funny short comedy is an excellent example of Keaton's amazing inventiveness, and it deserves to be one of his best-remembered short features. The first part is especially good, and has to be seen to be appreciated - it's just Buster and a roommate going about their daily routine in a house filled with wacky gadgets and all kinds of unexpected features. There's a lot of great material, much more than you can catch all at once. It would be hard for the rest of it to live up to the first part, but it is pretty good, too - lots of slapstick and chases, plus the actual "Scarecrow" scene. This one is a bit more piecemeal than most of his comedies, but all of the material is very good. Most fans of silent comedies will really enjoy this movie.
Classic early Keaton short with big Joe Roberts taking on the "Fatty" Arbuckle characterization.
daren9 April 1999
This is a classic early Keaton short, filmed the year Buster took over Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckles' production team - "Fatty" had moved on to feature films for Paramount - with big Joe Roberts taking on the Roscoe characterization. Worth viewing for the opening sequence alone, which shows Buster's fondness for the creation of gadgets that turn into great sight gags. Also noteworthy for the appearance of Buster's father Joe Keaton Jr. as the pugnacious farmer. An excellent introduction to Keaton's work for anyone unfamiliar with his unique style. You will find it all here: they called him the great stone face, but watch how expressive he is with his eyes. And no one could run the way Buster ran.
a wonderful and very clever short
planktonrules24 April 2006
I loved this short Buster Keaton film. It was so amazingly timed and full of unusual sight gags. By far the best part is the breakfast Buster and his roommate share--complete with LOTS of amazing conveniences that only guys would think of. You really have to see it to believe it and I don't think I could adequately design the house! But the amazing this isn't really all the gadgets but how artfully the two use these time-saving devices. As I said, you've just gotta see it to believe it.
After the meal, the two go in search of the same girl--and that's when problems develop. But, smack in the middle of their argument, a seemingly mad dog emerges and provides some cute and fast-paced entertainment.
A little later, Buster proposes to the girl and they run away to elope--all the while being chased. The conclusion, though predictable, is amazingly timed once again. The film is constant, fast-paced fun--about the best thing I've seen from Keaton.
I saw this on KINO Video and I was far from being impressed by the company because the film alternated from running too fast to running too slow---and the soundtrack, as a result, was really annoying. Perhaps it was a defective tape. If you can, find another brand.
After the meal, the two go in search of the same girl--and that's when problems develop. But, smack in the middle of their argument, a seemingly mad dog emerges and provides some cute and fast-paced entertainment.
A little later, Buster proposes to the girl and they run away to elope--all the while being chased. The conclusion, though predictable, is amazingly timed once again. The film is constant, fast-paced fun--about the best thing I've seen from Keaton.
I saw this on KINO Video and I was far from being impressed by the company because the film alternated from running too fast to running too slow---and the soundtrack, as a result, was really annoying. Perhaps it was a defective tape. If you can, find another brand.
A masterpiece
SilntFan21 May 1999
This ranks #2 on my all-time favorite silent films list. Keaton's parody of one-act "mellers" that he was subjected to during his days on the vaudeville stage is priceless -- the wringing of hands and clutching of breasts, etc. The entire first scene with Big Joe and Buster going through their morning routine is hysterical and at the same time makes you speechless at Keaton's inventivenes. Genius couldn't be more obviously displayed than in this short, only a preview of what was to come in his later feature films.
Athletic Keaton has scenes stolen -- by a dog
morrisonhimself26 April 2015
Buster Keaton was one of the greatest motion picture performers in the history of motion pictures.
One reason was his athleticism, allowing him to do hilarious stunts, and his timing, as exemplified in "The General," and his dead-pan face that still portrayed an emotion.
In this short film, he uses all of those skills and abilities and still gets upstaged by Luke the Dog for much of the movie.
His female co-star is as cute as anyone could be, and we could only wish she had been around even longer.
Al St. John, later known as "Fuzzy," is here, uncredited, very briefly, and a "pastor" is not given his real name even here at IMDb, which is quite unusual.
Buster Keaton was always great, and sometimes, in fact often in his talkies, was greater than his script.
Here, he was star, co-director and co-writer, and everything came together very well.
I saw this in a TCM Sunday Night Silent, and am grateful to that network, which has, I'm sad to say, deteriorated in quality in recent months, showing an awful lot of very non-classic movies. TCM begins to redeem itself, though, with such films as "The Scarecrow." I recommend "The Scarecrow," and hope you get to see it next time it plays.
One reason was his athleticism, allowing him to do hilarious stunts, and his timing, as exemplified in "The General," and his dead-pan face that still portrayed an emotion.
In this short film, he uses all of those skills and abilities and still gets upstaged by Luke the Dog for much of the movie.
His female co-star is as cute as anyone could be, and we could only wish she had been around even longer.
Al St. John, later known as "Fuzzy," is here, uncredited, very briefly, and a "pastor" is not given his real name even here at IMDb, which is quite unusual.
Buster Keaton was always great, and sometimes, in fact often in his talkies, was greater than his script.
Here, he was star, co-director and co-writer, and everything came together very well.
I saw this in a TCM Sunday Night Silent, and am grateful to that network, which has, I'm sad to say, deteriorated in quality in recent months, showing an awful lot of very non-classic movies. TCM begins to redeem itself, though, with such films as "The Scarecrow." I recommend "The Scarecrow," and hope you get to see it next time it plays.
Simply wonderful.
Pjtaylor-96-13804421 May 2019
'The Scarecrow (1920)' is just a ton of fun. It's charming, whimsical and entertaining. The story is simple: Keaton and his on-screen brother vie for the attention of their neighbour, running afoul of an angry dog, an angry dad and each other in the process. However, this simple set-up really is just that: a set-up. Of course, it's this that provides the narrative pay-off, which is actually quite satisfying, but it certainly feels secondary to the flick's energetic skits. For me, this works, primarily because the narrative is still strong enough that you care about what's happening. The skits themselves are really great, too, and sort of feel unique among Keaton's work, in a way. The first segment of the piece focuses on the wacky contraptions the central brothers have built into their single-room home, with some impressive choreography showing off each element's dual purpose. The second is dedicated to a chase with perhaps the most talented dog I've ever seen on screen, one who can climb ladders and generally keep up with Keaton every step of the way. I hope that he was treated well on set, though (I see no compelling evidence - at least, in the film itself - to the contrary). The final segment is where the eponymous scarecrow finally comes into play, which takes things in an ever-so-slightly slower and more traditionally slapstick direction. Generally, I feel as though this is probably Keaton's best short, even if it doesn't have the wildest stunts or most complex choreography. It's energetic, enjoyable and fun. Its title-cards are quite funny, too. 8/10
Adorned with wacky gadgetry, chases, and romantic rivalry
weezeralfalfa6 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This Buster Keaton comedy short starts out displaying a variety of gadgetry in the small one room house he shares with the giant Joe Roberts, who often serves as Keaton's nemesis, as in this film. The second half emphasizes the romantic rivalry between Keaton and Joe over the favors of the neighbor girl, played by Sybil Seely. Thus., the film is more like 2 one reelers stitched together.........Much like the later "The Electric House", the house that Buster and Joe share has its share of useful , as well as nearly useless, ad hoc gadgets. Upon pulling on a string, salt and pepper shakers and other things on strings are lowered from the ceiling. Something is moved from one side of the table to the other via a car. Thank goodness, they didn't devise the hilarious 'eating machine' displayed in Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times"! For cleanup, they removed the top layer of the table, with dishes glued on, and hung it over the sink. This dishes were so washed with the sink hose. The dining table was transformed into a living room table by a lamp that descended, and a flower pot that arose from under the table. Keaton's bed was raised into its resting place in the wall, revealing a piano and cabinets on the underside! Joe's bed was transformed into a couch. .......Now, it was time to go outside and flirt with the neighbor girl Sybil Seely, as the two try to win her favor. Their rivalry is complicated by the determination of Sibyl's father(Joe Keaton) to keep them both away from Sybil. After being chased around by Roscoe Arbuckle's dog Luke, Keaton is now in his underwear, as the 2 Joes chase him. He spies a scarecrow in the corn field, and dresses in its shirt and pants, then pretends to be the scarecrow when the 2 Joes pass by. When he comes to a stream, to avoid getting his shoes and pants soaked, he does a handstand, and 'walks' across the stream. The 2 Joes have a more difficult time crossing on their feet. Sybil somehow got to the other side, with Keaton. They commandeer a horse, then steal a motorbike with sidecar. They scoop up a parson in the road, who is informed they want to get married. He performs the ceremony while riding on Sybil's lap, finishing after the motorbike runs into a stream. You will chuckle at the ingenuity of Keaton when asked for the ring, which he doesn't have.
Farmhand fun
TheLittleSongbird22 September 2019
Have a high appreciation for comedy and try to at least appreciate every kind of it. Some of my favourites actually, whether animated or not and film and television, are comedies. The witty and sophisticated types especially, also the physical sight gag driven ones. The broad types can work too, depending on how the execution is. With exceptions of course, am less of a fan of the crude type, which tend to veer on mean-spirited distaste.
Buster Keaton was and still is a big influence for the genre and cinema overall, and one of the greats. Anybody who has yet to see any of his work really should do so, one won't see anything quite like him or his work. Make sure though it's his silent films, shorts and feature, the transition to sound didn't/doesn't do him justice. His comic timing, his physical dexterity, his charm, how fearless he was in such ahead-of-the-time bold set pieces, his unique and unrivalled ability in making deadpan interesting and remarkably expressive all made for a genius of his craft.
Although not quite as physical comedy/bold stunt heavy as other Keaton outings, that still doesn't stop 'The Scarecrow' from being one of Keaton's best short films. As well being one of his funniest, wildest and most inventive before he went onto feature films. While liking a lot of Keaton short films very much, 'The Scarecrow' has always stood out for me.
While not what one calls technically ground-breaking, 'The Scarecrow' is still very nicely shot and easy on the eye, there is nothing cheap about it. The story is slight but full of breakneck energy and very charming, never letting up from the hilariously inventive beginning to the clever ending. Other than the beginning, with all those contraptions and the domestic duties, the other highlight is the escape from the mad dog played by Fatty Arbuckle's real life dog Luke, which is one of the funniest sequences of any of Keaton's short films. Humour is aplenty and all of it is beautifully timed and the energy and fun never stops.
Keaton is as amiable and athletic as ever with terrific comic timing. Deadpan has never been more expressive or nuanced than with Keaton, he was a true original in this regard and that can be seen here. The rest of the cast do well too, with Sybil Seeley a charming female lead and Joe Roberts a great match for Keaton in the beginning, though Luke is the one that stands out.
In conclusion, wonderful. 10/10
Buster Keaton was and still is a big influence for the genre and cinema overall, and one of the greats. Anybody who has yet to see any of his work really should do so, one won't see anything quite like him or his work. Make sure though it's his silent films, shorts and feature, the transition to sound didn't/doesn't do him justice. His comic timing, his physical dexterity, his charm, how fearless he was in such ahead-of-the-time bold set pieces, his unique and unrivalled ability in making deadpan interesting and remarkably expressive all made for a genius of his craft.
Although not quite as physical comedy/bold stunt heavy as other Keaton outings, that still doesn't stop 'The Scarecrow' from being one of Keaton's best short films. As well being one of his funniest, wildest and most inventive before he went onto feature films. While liking a lot of Keaton short films very much, 'The Scarecrow' has always stood out for me.
While not what one calls technically ground-breaking, 'The Scarecrow' is still very nicely shot and easy on the eye, there is nothing cheap about it. The story is slight but full of breakneck energy and very charming, never letting up from the hilariously inventive beginning to the clever ending. Other than the beginning, with all those contraptions and the domestic duties, the other highlight is the escape from the mad dog played by Fatty Arbuckle's real life dog Luke, which is one of the funniest sequences of any of Keaton's short films. Humour is aplenty and all of it is beautifully timed and the energy and fun never stops.
Keaton is as amiable and athletic as ever with terrific comic timing. Deadpan has never been more expressive or nuanced than with Keaton, he was a true original in this regard and that can be seen here. The rest of the cast do well too, with Sybil Seeley a charming female lead and Joe Roberts a great match for Keaton in the beginning, though Luke is the one that stands out.
In conclusion, wonderful. 10/10
Mr. Keaton Down On The Farm
Ron Oliver21 August 2002
A BUSTER KEATON Silent Short.
Buster must temporarily disguise himself as THE SCARECROW in a corn field to escape from a wrathful farmer.
This is a wonderfully funny little film, boasting some excellent sight gags (a few of which were obviously borrowed & reworked by Harold Lloyd in 1927 for THE KID BROTHER). Viewers should be fascinated in roommates Keaton & Joe Roberts' demonstration of all the contraptions contrived to make simple their domestic duties. Highlight: Buster's futile attempt to escape a mad' dog.
Born into a family of Vaudevillian acrobats, Buster Keaton (1895-1966) mastered physical comedy at a very early age. An association with Fatty Arbuckle led to a series of highly imaginative short subjects and classic, silent feature-length films - all from 1920 to 1928. Writer, director, star & stuntman - Buster could do it all and his intuitive genius gave him almost miraculous knowledge as to the intricacies of film making and of what it took to please an audience. More akin to Fairbanks than Chaplin, Buster's films were full of splendid adventure, exciting derring-do and the most dangerous physical stunts imaginable. His theme of a little man against the world, who triumphs through bravery & ingenuity, dominates his films. Through every calamity & disaster, Buster remained the Great Stone Face, a stoic survivor in a universe gone mad.
In the late 1920's Buster was betrayed by his manager/brother-in-law and his contract was sold to MGM, which proceeded to nearly destroy his career. Teamed initially with Jimmy Durante and eventually allowed small roles in mediocre comedies, Buster was for 35 years consistently given work far beneath his talent. Finally, before lung cancer took him at age 70, he had the satisfaction of knowing that his classic films were being rediscovered. Now, well past his centenary, Buster Keaton is routinely recognized & appreciated as one of cinema's true authentic geniuses. And he knew how to make people laugh...
Buster must temporarily disguise himself as THE SCARECROW in a corn field to escape from a wrathful farmer.
This is a wonderfully funny little film, boasting some excellent sight gags (a few of which were obviously borrowed & reworked by Harold Lloyd in 1927 for THE KID BROTHER). Viewers should be fascinated in roommates Keaton & Joe Roberts' demonstration of all the contraptions contrived to make simple their domestic duties. Highlight: Buster's futile attempt to escape a mad' dog.
Born into a family of Vaudevillian acrobats, Buster Keaton (1895-1966) mastered physical comedy at a very early age. An association with Fatty Arbuckle led to a series of highly imaginative short subjects and classic, silent feature-length films - all from 1920 to 1928. Writer, director, star & stuntman - Buster could do it all and his intuitive genius gave him almost miraculous knowledge as to the intricacies of film making and of what it took to please an audience. More akin to Fairbanks than Chaplin, Buster's films were full of splendid adventure, exciting derring-do and the most dangerous physical stunts imaginable. His theme of a little man against the world, who triumphs through bravery & ingenuity, dominates his films. Through every calamity & disaster, Buster remained the Great Stone Face, a stoic survivor in a universe gone mad.
In the late 1920's Buster was betrayed by his manager/brother-in-law and his contract was sold to MGM, which proceeded to nearly destroy his career. Teamed initially with Jimmy Durante and eventually allowed small roles in mediocre comedies, Buster was for 35 years consistently given work far beneath his talent. Finally, before lung cancer took him at age 70, he had the satisfaction of knowing that his classic films were being rediscovered. Now, well past his centenary, Buster Keaton is routinely recognized & appreciated as one of cinema's true authentic geniuses. And he knew how to make people laugh...
Yet another marvelous piece of scenic designing which proved that why Buster Keaton is the Best Structural Engineer of Comedy Hollywood ever got.
SAMTHEBESTEST27 July 2021
The Scarecrow (1920) :
Brief Review -
Yet another marvelous piece of scenic designing which proved that why Buster Keaton is the Best Structural Engineer of Comedy Hollywood ever got. The Scarecrow should have been a long feature film than a short and i am sure people would have been mad over it. Keaton's short films didn't recieve immense praise like his popular flicks of 20s, well not just him but Chaplin's short films too. Maybe audience didn't really understand the proportions and limits of a short and rather liked long featured more. That's okay for the future audience who didn't watch the films in its time, including us but the contemporary audience must have loved it for sure. Sadly, those are not alive Today to tell us about the film and in that period i don't think this Critics and reviews things would have mattered much. Two inventive farmhands compete for the hand of the same girl and the hilarious competition is wrapped in 20 minutes. The entire house section is structured smartly by Keaton and the art team, in similar way we have seen in his couple of other films of the same time. Keaton has structured the proporties in such manners that they look innovative first and while you are being wowed by the artistic values of it, it suddenly throws a laughter at you. That bed, dining table, forks, handkerchief, dustbin every single element is used brilliantly to make out a creative comedy, not just typical gags. That Scarecrow scene and marriage scene last for a minute or two but leaves solid impact and it wasn't an old thing for 1920, especially in comedy genre which had just started looking up. This wasn't the first time Buster Keaton made such an innovative comedy, he had plenty in the same period before he moved on to make adventurous comedies mostly after 1922. That's why i always looked at him as the Best Structural Engineer of Comedy in Hollywood. The Scarecrow just proved the same thing again.
RATING - 8/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Yet another marvelous piece of scenic designing which proved that why Buster Keaton is the Best Structural Engineer of Comedy Hollywood ever got. The Scarecrow should have been a long feature film than a short and i am sure people would have been mad over it. Keaton's short films didn't recieve immense praise like his popular flicks of 20s, well not just him but Chaplin's short films too. Maybe audience didn't really understand the proportions and limits of a short and rather liked long featured more. That's okay for the future audience who didn't watch the films in its time, including us but the contemporary audience must have loved it for sure. Sadly, those are not alive Today to tell us about the film and in that period i don't think this Critics and reviews things would have mattered much. Two inventive farmhands compete for the hand of the same girl and the hilarious competition is wrapped in 20 minutes. The entire house section is structured smartly by Keaton and the art team, in similar way we have seen in his couple of other films of the same time. Keaton has structured the proporties in such manners that they look innovative first and while you are being wowed by the artistic values of it, it suddenly throws a laughter at you. That bed, dining table, forks, handkerchief, dustbin every single element is used brilliantly to make out a creative comedy, not just typical gags. That Scarecrow scene and marriage scene last for a minute or two but leaves solid impact and it wasn't an old thing for 1920, especially in comedy genre which had just started looking up. This wasn't the first time Buster Keaton made such an innovative comedy, he had plenty in the same period before he moved on to make adventurous comedies mostly after 1922. That's why i always looked at him as the Best Structural Engineer of Comedy in Hollywood. The Scarecrow just proved the same thing again.
RATING - 8/10*
By - #samthebestest.
"The Scarecrow" is another example of Buster Keaton's comedic genius.
eminkl8 October 2019
Buster Keaton plays a farmhand living with a coworker in one small room filled with multipurpose contraptions. Both men are vying for the farmer's daughter, and after being chased by an overzealous dog and having his mistaken marriage proposal accepted, he now tries to flee and marry the girl while fleeing from his rival and the farmer while pretending to be a scarecrow. "The Scarecrow" is one of Keaton's early and most fun short films containing several riotous and intricate sequences such as the kitchen sequence where every item doubles for another, the scene where a dog chases Buster around the edges of an unfinished brick house, and the scene where the farmer fights the rival and Buster keeps it going while pretending to be a scarecrow. "The Scarecrow" is another example of Buster Keaton's comedic genius.
Roscoe Arbuckle Traits In Keaton's Work
springfieldrental9 October 2021
Keaton hadn't completely severed ties with Fatty Arbuckle when Buster left on his own. He remembered Roscoe giving him directorial duties when Keaton was in productions with the star, a learning curve he quickly absorbed. "When he (Roscoe) was doing a scene and I wasn't in it, I was alongside the camera to watch it," recalled Buster. "I directed when he was in the scene. So by the time I'd spent a year with him, it was no problem at all to direct when I set out on my own."
Traces of Arbuckle's influence on the comedian shows up in November 1920's "The Scarecrow," Keaton's only third solo effort. He plays a farmhand who falls in love with the nearby farmer's daughter, played by Sybil Seely. Her father is Buster's dad in real life, Joe Keaton. Several Roscoe trademarks appear in the film: One is actor Joe Roberts, whose girth resembles Fatty and is his housemate living in a gadget-filled small home, complete with stringed foodware and compact furniture. Also, Roscoe's personal pet, Luke the Dog, was hired to play a memorable sequence of chasing Keaton around the area after the canine downed an adrenaline-inducing pie Seely had just cooked and set outside to cool.
Throughout his career, Keaton had several writers design gags for him, including Edward F. Cline, who worked on "The Scarecrow" scenario. Buster wrote most of his own jokes, though. Director Leo McCarey remembers those days when "All of us tried to steal each other's gagmen. But we had no luck with Keaton, because he thought up his best gags himself and we couldn't steal him!"
Traces of Arbuckle's influence on the comedian shows up in November 1920's "The Scarecrow," Keaton's only third solo effort. He plays a farmhand who falls in love with the nearby farmer's daughter, played by Sybil Seely. Her father is Buster's dad in real life, Joe Keaton. Several Roscoe trademarks appear in the film: One is actor Joe Roberts, whose girth resembles Fatty and is his housemate living in a gadget-filled small home, complete with stringed foodware and compact furniture. Also, Roscoe's personal pet, Luke the Dog, was hired to play a memorable sequence of chasing Keaton around the area after the canine downed an adrenaline-inducing pie Seely had just cooked and set outside to cool.
Throughout his career, Keaton had several writers design gags for him, including Edward F. Cline, who worked on "The Scarecrow" scenario. Buster wrote most of his own jokes, though. Director Leo McCarey remembers those days when "All of us tried to steal each other's gagmen. But we had no luck with Keaton, because he thought up his best gags himself and we couldn't steal him!"
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