Difference between revisions of "User:Daisy"
| (3 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | === | + | == Hard Luck == |
| − | |||
| − | === | + | === Introduction === |
| − | + | [[File:Hard Luck qq00 02 10qq00019.jpg|thumb|Buster waits for a safe to fall on him. ]] | |
| − | [[File:Hard Luck qq00 | + | Hard Luck is an American two-reel silent comedy film released in 1921 starring Buster Keaton. The film was written by Keaton and [[w:Edward_F._Cline|Edward F. Cline]]. The run time is 22 minutes. Buster Keaton called the final scene the greatest “laugh-getting” scene of his career. It was lost for sixty years until discovered in a Russian archive print. |
| − | [[ | ||
| − | === | + | == Plot == |
| + | Buster Keaton plays a young man who is experiencing a string of “hard luck.” He decides to commit suicide after losing both his job and his love in a row. He first tries to jump in front of a trolly train, but he’s caught at the end of the line, and it turns around. He then cuts a rope causing a safe to fall missing him by an inch. He takes the rope and attempts to hang himself from a nearby tree but is chased away by police officers. He attempts to get hit by a car only to find it is two motorcycles that whiz past. He spots some poison through a window and chugs it down. He does not realize that it is whiskey labeled incorrectly. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Buster then agrees to go on a nature hunt for the zoo. In an attempt to be a hunter, Buster sets up camp. He grabs his fishing pole to catch dinner. He uses the first small fish he catches to reel in a bigger fish. He then repeats that to get a bigger fish. Finally, the fish is too big for Buster to reel, and he ends up in the lake. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Buster makes his way to a country club. He sees a young woman struggling to get onto a horse ([[w:Virginia_Fox|Virginia Fox]]). He kneels to help her and she invites him on their hunt. Antics with his horse ensue (including a treacherous journey across a river and a mistake that lands him on the back of a bull instead). At one point, trying to rope his horse, Buster instead ropes a bear. He jumps through a window to escape. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Lizard Lip Luke, a bandit, takes the Virginia hostage. Buster attempts to disarm him and save her. He ends up sneaking her away from Luke and his gang. Buster proposes to Virginia, but she has a husband already ([[w:Bull_Montana|Bull Montana]])! Buster is so upset that he jumps from the pool high dive into the concrete. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Years later, Buster emerges through the hole in Asian clothing. He is followed by a Chinese wife (Bessie Wong) and two children. <ref>“Hard Luck (1921).” ''Century Film Project'', 19 Jan. 2021, <nowiki>https://centuryfilmproject.org/2021/01/18/hard-luck-1921/</nowiki>.</ref> | ||
| + | [[File:Hard Luck qq00 03 20qq00031.jpg|alt=|thumb|Buster attempts to hang himself from a tree. ]] | ||
| + | [[File:Hard Luck qq00 14 10qq00159.jpg|alt=|thumb|Buster crosses the river atop his horse. ]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Cast == | ||
| + | Buster Keaton as Suicidal Boy | ||
| + | |||
| + | Virginia Fox as Virginia | ||
| + | |||
| + | Joe Robers as Lizard Lip Luke | ||
| + | |||
| + | Bull Montana as Virginia’s Husband | ||
| + | |||
| + | Bessie Wong as Chinese Wife <ref>“Hard Luck.” ''IMDb'', IMDb.com, <nowiki>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0012253/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm</nowiki>. | ||
| + | </ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Production == | ||
| + | Hard Luck was Keaton's sixth film distributed by Metro Pictures. Buster wanted to give the film an astringent quality rare among comedians at the time. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The stunt that Keaton credits as his biggest laugh is that in which he dives into concrete. Buster explains they achieved this stunt by covering a portion of the pool with chin wax that looked like tiles. Keaton would dive through the paper into the water. He says about the stunt, “It was a perfect imitation, so perfect in fact from the top of chat diving platform I couldn't tell which was paper wax and which was tile. I was so scared that if I hadn't lost my balance due to a sudden wind, I would never have left that platform. Down I went then bang! I broke through the wax, but it cut my head and shoulders." <ref>James Curtis, ''Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life'' (New York: Knopf, 2022), p. 157-161</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Cinematography by Elgin Lessley | ||
| + | |||
| + | Filmed at Westlake Park | ||
| + | |||
| + | Produced by Joseph M. Schenck Productions | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | == See Also == | ||
| + | |||
| + | === References === | ||
Latest revision as of 03:54, 27 September 2022
Hard Luck
Introduction
Hard Luck is an American two-reel silent comedy film released in 1921 starring Buster Keaton. The film was written by Keaton and Edward F. Cline. The run time is 22 minutes. Buster Keaton called the final scene the greatest “laugh-getting” scene of his career. It was lost for sixty years until discovered in a Russian archive print.
Plot
Buster Keaton plays a young man who is experiencing a string of “hard luck.” He decides to commit suicide after losing both his job and his love in a row. He first tries to jump in front of a trolly train, but he’s caught at the end of the line, and it turns around. He then cuts a rope causing a safe to fall missing him by an inch. He takes the rope and attempts to hang himself from a nearby tree but is chased away by police officers. He attempts to get hit by a car only to find it is two motorcycles that whiz past. He spots some poison through a window and chugs it down. He does not realize that it is whiskey labeled incorrectly.
Buster then agrees to go on a nature hunt for the zoo. In an attempt to be a hunter, Buster sets up camp. He grabs his fishing pole to catch dinner. He uses the first small fish he catches to reel in a bigger fish. He then repeats that to get a bigger fish. Finally, the fish is too big for Buster to reel, and he ends up in the lake.
Buster makes his way to a country club. He sees a young woman struggling to get onto a horse (Virginia Fox). He kneels to help her and she invites him on their hunt. Antics with his horse ensue (including a treacherous journey across a river and a mistake that lands him on the back of a bull instead). At one point, trying to rope his horse, Buster instead ropes a bear. He jumps through a window to escape.
Lizard Lip Luke, a bandit, takes the Virginia hostage. Buster attempts to disarm him and save her. He ends up sneaking her away from Luke and his gang. Buster proposes to Virginia, but she has a husband already (Bull Montana)! Buster is so upset that he jumps from the pool high dive into the concrete.
Years later, Buster emerges through the hole in Asian clothing. He is followed by a Chinese wife (Bessie Wong) and two children. [1]
Cast
Buster Keaton as Suicidal Boy
Virginia Fox as Virginia
Joe Robers as Lizard Lip Luke
Bull Montana as Virginia’s Husband
Bessie Wong as Chinese Wife [2]
Production
Hard Luck was Keaton's sixth film distributed by Metro Pictures. Buster wanted to give the film an astringent quality rare among comedians at the time.
The stunt that Keaton credits as his biggest laugh is that in which he dives into concrete. Buster explains they achieved this stunt by covering a portion of the pool with chin wax that looked like tiles. Keaton would dive through the paper into the water. He says about the stunt, “It was a perfect imitation, so perfect in fact from the top of chat diving platform I couldn't tell which was paper wax and which was tile. I was so scared that if I hadn't lost my balance due to a sudden wind, I would never have left that platform. Down I went then bang! I broke through the wax, but it cut my head and shoulders." [3]
Cinematography by Elgin Lessley
Filmed at Westlake Park
Produced by Joseph M. Schenck Productions
