Battling butler begins as a funny farce comedy, but as all keatons great film creations it gradually grows in intentions and intensity. The 2018 san francisco silent film festival closes sunday, june 3 with a screening of buster keatons selfdirected comedy battling butler 1926, hosted by. Continuing chronologically with the films i have, today were on to his 1926 romp, battling butler. However, his commitment to his first family leads to tension at. Set against the tumultuous political backdrop of 20th century america, academy award nominated director lee daniels precious epic drama lee daniels the butler tells the story of cecil gaines forest whitaker, an african american butler who serves at the white house during seven presidential administrations between 1957 and 1986. Battling butler lacks any really memorable slapstick gags or daredevil stunts. Hollywood 1926 chaplinkeatonlloyd film locations and more. Battling butler is too a dark satire around the boxing world and fame. Battling butler has to be the strangest of buster keatons silent features. When the real butler shows up, he decided to humiliate the imposter by having him fight the alabama murderer. Chaplin starred in every film he producedwrotedirected with three exceptions. The date on the hotel register when battling butler signs it is four days earlier than the date when alfred signs it directly under battling butlers signature a few hours later that same day november 2nd vs november 6th. A woman of paris 1923, a countess from hong kong 1967, and the lost film woman of the sea 1926. Keaton stars as alfred butler, wealthy and effete son of an aristocratic father who wishes for him to become a real man.
Buster keaton our hospitality 1923 full movie youtube. It is based on the 1923 musical battling buttler plot. While nowhere near some of his acclaimed works, this is still lively and silly fun. All films prior to 2001the year i started ranking films on slant based on their u. Our hospitality is a silent comedy directed, produced, written by and starring buster keaton.
After leaving the south as a young man and finding employment at an elite hotel in washington, d. The new york times noted the difference in the spelling of the name of the central character between the stage and film versions. Jan 23, 2017 battling butler is a 1926 comedy silent film directed by and starring buster keaton. He brings his butler and all the modern conveniences. Essentially, i am watching films from the beginning of cinematic. Harold lloyd filmed an extended scene walking north up shatto place for his 1926 comedy for heavens sake. Lee daniels the butler the new movie lee daniels the butler stars forest whitaker and oprah winfrey in a story that took five years and 37 producers to bring to the screen. Lee daniels the butler is a fiction film based on the life of eugene allen, an african american who worked in the white house for 34 years, from the tail end of president harry trumans. The butler has no such element of satire, unusually for daniels, whose previous film the paperboy was an audaciously rude and overripe slice of steamy southern gothic that. Mar 10, 2014 our hospitality is a silent comedy directed, produced, written by and starring buster keaton.
A bumper crop of bluray and dvd titles from eureka in february. In the sequence, harolds character discovers a misleading newspaper story has been printed about him, and attempts to purchase and discard all of a newsboys copies of. Jan 01, 2020 bruckman instantly thought the story would be perfect for keaton, who was an avid history buff. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free. Battling butler was a boxoffice success, grossing nearly threequarters of a million dollars, and keaton often cited it as his favorite film. Aug 23, 20 lee daniels the butler is a fiction film based on the life of eugene allen, an african american who worked in the white house for 34 years, from the tail end of president harry trumans. Buster keaton a rich, spoiled dandy keaton pretends to be a champion boxer, battling butler, to impress the family of the girl he loves. The butler full title lee daniels the butler is a 20 american historical drama film directed and coproduced by lee daniels and with a screenplay by danny strong. Until now there has never been an organization with the purpose to place a star on the hollywood walk of fame for movie personalities from a century ago. Then butler meets a country girl sally oneil, and again as in the navigator, immediately decides to get married. Black butler was released in japan on january 18, 2014.
The symmetry of buster keatons the general tristan ettleman. Keatons most recent feature go west had not done so well, so his producer and brotherinlaw joe schenck exercised a little authority and dictated his next couple of. Battling butler 1926 buster keatons favorite among his films appears to have been battling butler, which reached the screen in 1926, the same year as the general, his greatest feature. The life of that man, eugene allen, is the basis for lee daniels the butler, which debuts in theaters this weekend. Alfred is so pampered that he has a valet to flick his ashes into the ashtray, and when his father decides that a. In any case, once bruckman gave him the book to read, keaton read it straight. Based on the musical comedy of the same name, the film casts keaton as wimpy millionaire alfred butler, who goes on a vacation in the mountains in the company of his faithful valet snitz edwards.
While communing with nature, alfred falls in love with a beautiful young. Sep 19, 2014 september 19 is the anniversary of the release date of the buster keaton comedy battling butler 1926. The musical was adapted into a 1926 silent film titled battling butler directed by and starring buster keaton. Meek millionaire alfred butler buster keaton goes on a camping excursion with his faithful servant snitz edwards. September 24, 1957 october 1973 march 4,1961 lyndon b. Smitten by polly martin virginia mayo, milkman burleigh sullivan danny kaye promises that his sister, susie veraellen, can get polly a job at the club she owns. Keatons most recent feature go west had not done so well, so his producer and brotherinlaw joe schenck exercised a little authority and dictated his next couple of projects. September 19 is the anniversary of the release date of the buster keaton comedy battling butler 1926. The butler timeline february26,1962 1969 to 1974 april 30, 1970 eisenhower orders federal troops to little rock, arkansas, to end the school desegregation crisis. It is inspired by wil haygoods washington post article a butler well served by this election. T his top 10 project began as a rolling engagement on the previous incarnation of slant magazines blog in late 2005. Battling butler 1926 rotten tomatoes movie trailers.
The theme also emerges in the 1950 film the jackie robinson story, with its contrast between robinsons relaxed way with fellow negro. Nevertheless it was a big hit with audiences of the day, far outgrossing keatons other feature film from 1926, the general, which, ironically, is now considered to be one of his greatest. Zanesville times signal newspaper december 5, 1926, zanesville, ohios spoken shuberts to offer new cal piece barbara cohan is busy to or the silent alice cavanaugh will have peg role in laurette taylors play there ib a play that many have seen and hundreds more anxious to see peg o my which in the hands of the wright players will be one of tiie most delightful treats in a brilliant. On buster keatons first appearance in cinema, in roscoe arbuckles film the. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Cohen film collection keatons highestgrossing hit, this comedy of mistaken identity bounces between two men named alfred butler one a mannered millionaire, the other a worldchampion heavyweight boxer. Synopsis american version alfred buttler, who leads a quiet life in a small town in new hampshire. Battling butler 1926 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Naturally, tempers flare as each woman jumps to the logical conclusion that the. Cecil is then trained to be a houseman, eventually running. The screening of buster keatons underappreciated battling butler 1926 at this years sfsff introduced by leonard maltin will feature the new 4k restoration conducted by cineteca di bologna in collaboration with cohen collection. Battling butler is a 1926 comedy silent film directed by and starring buster keaton. Aug 19, 2019 buster keatons favorite among his films appears to have been battling butler, which reached the screen in 1926, the same year as the general, his greatest feature. Many of us have enjoyed listening to elderly relatives talk about the past, hearing how different things once were. The hero of battling butler is alfred butler, one of many pampered playboys keaton portrayed. His mother is raped by the white plantation owner and the father is shot dead immediately following. Keatons battling butler a knockout finish to the sf silent film. Also featuring the frozen north and the haunted house the greatest box office success of all his independent comedies, battling butler 1926, 71 min.
He doesnt catch or shoot anything, but he does fall in love with a mountain girl. The butler examines civil rights history from a new perspective. Of all of the great dramatic films in history, it was the great buster keatons comedy battling butler 1926 that was one of martin scorseses biggest inspirations in getting the feel of the boxing scenes just right, particularly and most likely from keatons surprisingly realistic, climactic fight. Taken on its own merits, battling butler is a clever and engaging comedy with a likeably different lead role for buster and a surprising doubletwist ending, in which buster and the audience have the wool lifted from their eyes one minute, only for buster to do the same with us the next. Battling butler is another of buster keatons lesser known films and while not quite up with his masterpieces, is still a great and hilarious film. Buster keatons favorite among his films appears to have been battling butler, which reached the screen in 1926, the same year as the general, his greatest feature. The film was inspired by a 2008 washington post story titled a butler well. Punky, harold, and harry nine decades of film location. It doesnt go well but he does fall in love with a mountain girl whom he almost shoots. In order to impress her toughguy family, though, he has to pose as his namesake, the boxer battling butler, which ignites the series of misidentifications and misunderstandings that drive the rest of the film. How buster keaton films inspired raging bull the grueling truth. The film debuted at third place on its opening weekend in the japanese box office being beaten by trick the movie.
On imdb tv, you can catch hollywood hits and popular tv series at no cost. Bruckman instantly thought the story would be perfect for keaton, who was an avid history buff. Battling butler the frozen north the haunted house. Watch lee daniels the butler online stream full movie. This film delivers a story to trump any of those conversations.
Alfreds father wants him to make a man of himself so sends him on a hunting and fishing trip. The butler examines civil rights history from a new. Her father and brother ridicule him and refuse to let him marry her until his butler tells them that he is the famous boxer, alfred battling butler. Three films the navigator, seven chances, battling butler. Over the course of three decades, cecil has a frontrow seat to history and the inner workings of the oval office. Alfred is so pampered that he has a valet to flick his ashes into the ashtray, and. Is this the first film about the black struggle to belong in america. Various sources list bruckman as having brought the book to keatons attention either during or shortly after the filming of keatons feature battling butler 1926. The movie begins with cecil gaines working on a plantation in 1926 with his father and mother. Chaplins last two films a king in new york 1957 and a countess from hong kong were produced in england and distributed through various companies. When cecil gaines looks back on his career as a white house butler, serving eight different presidents, we learn how.