The Best Arbuckle/Keaton Collection

Rating:
Summary: Now We Have A Choice.
Review: I have been awaiting this set ever since Image Entertainment announced it's release in order to make a comparison with the earlier one from Kino. Although the two volume ARBUCKLE & KEATON set is very fine (see my other reviews), this set features a new comedy not included in the other one (HIS WEDDING NIGHT) plus mostly original nitrate prints of the other shorts gathered from foriegn archives. There are more complete versions of OUT WEST and THE ROUGH HOUSE here as well as a much better print of MOONSHINE although it's only a fragment. However some of the Image prints (THE BUTCHER BOY, THE BELLHOP, and especially BACK STAGE) are not as pristine as those offered by Kino. They also lack the color tinting of the other set and feature a more traditional music accompaniment (piano and synthesizer) compared to the raucous although endearingly colorful scores by The Alloy Orchestra. The title cards are also different. While not as funny, they are probably closer to the originals. In fact the major difference in these two sets is authenticity in presentation (although in CONEY ISLAND Luna Park is misspelled as Luma). The Image shorts are even arranged chronologically so that we can see Arbuckle and Keaton progress together although the shorts are unevenly distributed among the two discs (8 on Disc 1, 4 on Disc 2). So where does that leave us? For the general public the Kino edition is probably a better introduction to Arbuckle's work although it's on two seperate discs and therefore more expensive. This set is more complete and offers more for the silent film enthusiast who will be more forgiving of its few shortcomings. While I heartily recommend the Kino edition, my nod goes to this set.The important thing is that now there are two quality sets of the Arbuckle comedies available and the choice will be up to you. It's a win/win situation.

Rating:
Summary: Indispensable for Fans of Comedy
Review: It has been claimed more than once that Fatty Arbuckle taught Buster Keaton the mechanics of making movies, and Buster taught Fatty the artistry of making film comedies. Although things are invariably more complicated, this survey of the Arbuckle/Keaton partnership essentially supports this idea. What's great about the collection from an historical perspective is that it covers their entire period together, from the Butcher Boy (April 1917) to The Garage (late 1919). What a difference in artistry between these films! The Butcher Boy is not far removed from the Keystone style, except for Buster's contribution (compare Chaplin's stealing the scene as a supporting player in The Knock Out of 1914). By contrast, The Garage, the last chronologically in the series, lays almost completely new ground for comedy: it is pure comic ballet, combined with Keaton's creative use of nature and machine as props, and a much more controlled concept of mayhem. No one, not even Chaplin, was creating and executing such fresh concepts in 1919.

Between these two milestones, there's a lot of fun to be had. However, a noticeable difference in quality can be seen between the first 9 movies in the set, and the last 3, made after Keaton returned from World War 1. In the first set, Keaton is primarily a supporting player for Arbuckle, often stealing the scene by his physical grace, but not on the whole dominating the story. For modern viewers, these Keystonesque films are less satisfying -- Arbuckle was simply not the creative visionary that Keaton was. The best in this earlier set might be Coney Island, for its creative use of the amusement park. Of interest to Keaton fans is his early experimentation with different characterizations before converging on the "stone face" -- there's a surprising variety in Keaton's facial expressions here, from laughter to uncontrollable Stan Laurel-like tears.

By the time of Back Stage, the first of the last three films in this series, Buster had essentially evolved his character into the one he was to portray throughout the rest of his career, down to the pork pie hat and vest. He also emerges as the primary creative force of these films, with Arbuckle serving as a willing partner of the Keaton vision. The gags and plot in the last films anticipate Keaton's future work far more than Arbuckle's formulae. For example, Keaton starts to experiment with camera tricks, as in The Hayseed, when he reverses the camera in order to "return the nag to the stable". By the time of the Garage, Keaton's acknowledged favorite in the series, we have witnessed the emergence of a singular creative force. These films also teach us to appreciate the contribution of Fatty Arbuckle to Keaton's development, as Keaton himself did until the end of his life.

Rating:
Summary: Don't knock the Alloy Orchestra
Review: Okay, ignore everything you’ve heard about Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle: he did not rape anybody. Some flimsy evidence was put together saying that he did, and in the process his career was absolutely destroyed. In the years since, even silent movie fans have trouble acknowledging him as one of the greats of that era. I think he’s a great comedian in his own right, and arguably the most graceful acrobatic comedian of the silent era.
This is a collection of the films he made with rising star Buster Keaton. While the films aren’t as polished and hilarious as most of Charlie Chaplin’s movies, they’re entertaining and loaded with gags.
On this two-disc set, the films look scratchy, however they’re in good condition considering the age. New music has been added and even the original colour tints have been restored. The DVD includes some liner notes by Jeffrey Vance, author of “Buster Keaton Remembered.”

Rating:
Summary: The Great Stoneface and the Fatman
Review: THE BEST ARBUCKLE/ KEATON COLLECTION is outstanding. The music is a perfect fit. This set includes almost all of the work (that's available/ not considered "lost") that Buster and Arbuckle did together 1917-1919. The shorts are all in chronological order.

IMHO this collection is a must for Keaton fans. It includes Busters first appearance in any movie (THE BUTCHER BOY 1917). In CONEY ISLAND "The Great Stoneface" crys, and laughs several times. He laughs in several others as well.

All but two of the shorts range from good to very good, with two exceptions. THE GARAGE is excellent and ranks near some of the best shorts Buster made 1920-23. OUT WEST is unfortunate, at best. It has a scene that is not just un-PC, it is horrible!

I recommend purchasing THE ART OF BUSTER KEATON (Kino), which covers Buster's independent work (1920-1928), prior to purchasing this collection. THE BEST ARBUCKLE/ KEATON COLLECTION shows Buster "building up" to his hayday of 1920-1928.

Rating:
Summary: Don't knock the Alloy Orchestra
Review: The next reviewer is wrong about the Alloy Orchestra. They work wonderfully with these films! Even improve them (if that's possible)! They are great musicians and I'm sure Fatty and Buster would have agreed!

Rating:
Summary: A great collection - but the best?
Review: This is a very nicely done collection of the Buster Keaton - Fatty Arbuckle Comique comedies made between 1917-1919. The collection contains almost all of their existing comedies, with the exception of "The Cook" which was recently discovered.

The presentation is very well done, although there appears to be no "View All" option, so you must go to each comedy seperately. A minor problem, to be sure.

The films often come from different copies than the 2 disc Kino collection of most of these films. "The Butcher Boy" looks about the same, as does "The Rough House". "His Wedding Night" and "Oh Doctor!" are both new to this collection, and look pretty good, although they don't have a lot of Keaton in them. "Coney Island" is slightly improved, and "Out West" is from a MUCH better copy that ever seen before, more complete, much better condition - but with some splices that could have been fixed by editing in footage from the other version. Why wasn't this done?

"The Bell Boy" is exactly the same as on Kino, but "Moonshine" is very different. There are two existing copies of this film - one is a complete copy on 16mm with very poor contrast and lots of missing detail, the other a very fragmentary but high-quality version on 35mm. This set features the 35mm version, the Kino set the 16mm. Once again, why weren't these two edited together? The 16mm could use the quality improvement, and the 35mm just doesn't make sense and is really missing most of the good parts, not to mention the poorly done titles.

On Disc 2, "Good Night, Nurse", "Back Stage", "The Hayseed", and "The Garage" are all in fine condition.

Picture wise, this set is very well encoded, without much artifacting at all.

Musically, the accompaniment is very nicely done. The Kino set suffered from some very bizarre accompaniment by the "Alloy Orchestra", which really detracted from the material and tends to annoy people who are trying to do other things in the room.

The best part of this set, really, is the price, much less expensive than the Kino discs, and with more material. But really, if you are a fan, you need both, don't you? :)

Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: a great bargain in silent film video
Review: This is released as two discs for the price of
one, covering four hours of very good slapstick
comedies made by Arbuckle and Keaton between
1917 and 1919. These are works that do not seem
identical or formulaic upon repeated viewings,
and the later ones are actually so good that to
find personal favorite gags in them is not at
all difficult.

The video quality varies between quite acceptable
(especially in the earliest ones) to excellent.
The music consists largely of excellent piano
accompaniment but other types as well, so there
is enough variety across the program.

In conclusion, these are a great bargain for those
who are interested in silent comedies yet have not
own this material on video yet. An addition to
any classic movie collection that one is unlikely
to regret about.

Rating:
Summary: Keaton's Remarkable Apprenticeship
Review: Without the generosity and support of comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, the cinematic art of Buster Keaton may never have blossomed. The 12 existing shorts in "The Best Arbuckle/Keaton Collection" display Arbuckle's comedic skill while revealing the astonishing speed in which co-star Keaton mastered the medium. After 15 two-reelers from 1917 to 1920, Buster was ready to fly solo with a remarkable string of masterpieces. Sadly, Arbuckle's subsequent career in features was unjustly destroyed by the 1921 scandal, yet he persevered and made an all-too-brief comeback before his untimely death in 1933. Admittedly, not all the Arbuckle-Keaton shorts are gems, but "The Butcher Boy" (1917), "Back Stage" (1919) and "The Garage" (1920) remain memorable comedies that showcase Fatty and Buster's effortless rapport. Despite some unfortunate racial humor, "Out West" (1918) is a wild, fast-paced romp that satirizes the Westerns of William S. Hart. Though the prints vary in quality, one must be grateful that they exist at all. "The Best Arbuckle/Keaton Collection" represents a valuable chapter in the history of film comedy.