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Adapted from a play
and directed by Buster Keaton, Battling Butler is considered by
many to be the least Keaton-esque film of his career. But despite
occasional gags that may seem uncommon, the direction and plot are
masterfully coordinated to create a memorable and enchanting film.
Black and white and silent, the slapstick is perfect, and the conclusion
mirrors the beauty of Chaplin’s City Lights.
Alfred (Buster Keaton) is an indoor-loving, pampered jellyfish weakling, who lives off his father’s riches and is constantly served by his faithful butler. Although his father is the reason for his son’s inability to care for himself, Alfred is encouraged to go camping to learn a few practical skills. But Alfred’s version of “roughing it” still involves the attention of his valet, and the use of expensive conveniences to get by. As he ineptly tries to hunt, bunnies hop around him, quail casually
fly past and fish leap from the water. But during his outing,
he encounters a beautiful mountain girl (who he accidentally shoots
at) and immediately falls in love. He walks her home (though he
gets lost so she has to walk him back to camp) and meets her brother
and father who see that he is barely able to take care of himself.
The following morning Alfred sends his valet to ask for the girl’s
hand in marriage – which the father promptly refuses to
give. Intent on pleasing his boss, the valet lies about Alfred’s
abilities, claiming that he is the legendary Alfred “Battling”
Butler, the current prize fighting champion. |
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As Alfred gets caught
up in the lie, the real Battling Butler continues to win fights
(against such boxers as the Alabama Murderer). Alfred marries the
mountain girl, but prevents her from watching his fights, so that
he can maintain the ruse. Sure enough, his path eventually crosses
with Battling Butler and as part of a revenge scheme, Alfred is
trained to fight in place of the real Butler.
The lies get so complex and involving that they're the perfect setup for both slapstick and hilarious situations. Fearful of losing his true love by telling her the truth, Alfred’s only option is to stick to the lies, which continually become harder to control, especially when his wife surprises him with a visit during his training, which forces him to cross paths with the real Battling Butler – and his wife, which leads to plenty of scenes of awkward hilarity. It’s the classic mistaken identity ploy mixed with the idea of doing anything to win the girl - taken a step further and generously served with helpings of absurdity and slapstick. Title cards serve as a narrator since the film is silent, but Keaton even goes as far as to include jokes in those bits of storytelling narration. And the jokes never cease, especially when physical gags and comical violence find the acrobatic Keaton fighting for his life in a lengthy training sequence, or simply changing a light bulb for Butler’s wife. Dangerous tricks also accompany Keaton’s antics, including car stunts and more that demonstrate his ability to choreograph the perfect portions of varying kinds of humor. Although it’s now more obscure than The General or Sherlock Jr., Battling Butler made the most money of any of Keaton’s silent films. It may not be as familiar as some of his other projects, especially considering it was adapted from a play and not Keaton’s own material, but it’s certainly one of the most enjoyable of his films. - Mike Massie |