Buster's Adventures at the Ranch When no one wants to take a job in their hometown, the necessary means of subsistence are not left at all, as well as friends, it is time to get on the train and go to the West to try your luck on the ranch among farmers and cowboys.
After creating a comedy where a huge crowd of brides runs after him, Buster Keaton directed one comedy western, telling about how difficult it is for an unlucky lonely boy in the dangerous West. And in this film, a much less friendly and more numerous herd of angry cattle chases him.
Some people, going through life, make new friends wherever they go, while others ... just go through life.
The main character can be called absolutely unlucky. He does not even have a name in the plot, and instead he has a short, but capacious characterization “Having no friends”. At first glance, you can see that he does not belong on the ranch, but no difficulties frighten him. Dressed as a cowboy and left in the soul the same poor gentleman, he tries his best to be useful, and whatever happens. Buster Keaton in the image of such a cowboy is very funny. And the most remarkable thing about his character is generosity, perseverance and loyalty to his principles. Although he sees that the chances of winning out of the situation are extremely small, he will still do everything in his power for the sake of the right cause.
The secondary roles of a farmer and his daughter were well performed by the little-known silent film actors Howard Trusdale and Kathleen Myers. This is their most famous movie. The star of this film, on a par with Buster, is ... the cow Karen-eyed. It is not often possible to see a trained cow in the movies, and even so wonderfully coped with its role. It is amazing how Buster managed to find a common language with her, and so they turned out to be a very unusual and cute duet.
They say that in the episodic role of a large woman in an elevator here you can see a good friend and colleague of Keaton, actor Roscoe Arbuckle, whose career then went through the worst times. But it is difficult to recognize him here, because according to preserved information, he appears only on the general plan, and the close-up shows the face of actress Babe London. This was the last appearance of the once famous Fat Man in a feature-length movie.
A significant part of the film, although replete with comedic moments, is filled with melancholic notes of sympathy for the main character, but in the last 15 minutes Buster turns the plot into such a crazy farce that makes you laugh to tears. Some funny moments of this film owe their comics to the naivety of the hero, others amuse him with tricks, and still others cause laughter by so realistically showing the difficulties that a city man would face if he decided to work on a ranch. Often in westerns you can see how a cowboy easily throws a lasso, but if a simple person gives a lasso in his hands, he will cope with it approximately the same as the main character. I mean, it's not cool, but it's funny. And the finale demonstrates how talented director-director Buster Keaton became at that time, because to embody such a hilarious chase on the screen you need real skill. Most likely, it was filmed not in the city, but on the territory of the film studio, but still it must have been very difficult to be able to get so many cows and bulls to do in the frame what you need, and even to make it all look so natural. I haven't laughed so much in a long time. Genius episode. Bravo, Mr. Keaton!
Sometimes on the ranch you can not only earn extra money, but also find a real friend, even if not quite in the person of the one you expect.