Buster’s Beginnings

Buster’s Beginnings

14 Episodes

Before he established himself as the most daring director-star of the silent era, Buster Keaton got his start in films as a sidekick to the wildly popular comedian Rosce “Fatty” Arbuckle, honing his soon-to-be-iconic deadpan persona and learning the art of moviemaking from the inside out over the course of more than a dozen two-reel shorts that they made together, often passing the director’s megaphone back and forth to frame each other’s gags. Representing the meeting point between Arbuckle’s exuberant slapstick style and Keaton’s understated subtlety, these works stand as milestones in the evolution of silent comedy.

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Buster’s Beginnings

14 Episodes

  • Buster’s Beginnings Teaser
    00:55
    Buster’s Beginnings Teaser
    Episode 1

    Buster’s Beginnings Teaser

    Episode 1

  • The Butcher Boy
    24:37
    The Butcher Boy
    Episode 2

    The Butcher Boy

    Episode 2

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle • 1917 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Al St. John

    Buster Keaton makes his film debut as one of a number of troublesome customers at a general store.

  • The Rough House
    19:57
    The Rough House
    Episode 3

    The Rough House

    Episode 3

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle and Buster Keaton • 1917 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Al St. John, Buster Keaton

    The hapless proprietor of a seaside resort starts a fire and gets creative in the kitchen.

  • His Wedding Night
    20:07
    His Wedding Night
    Episode 4

    His Wedding Night

    Episode 4

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle • 1917 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Al St. John, Buster Keaton

    Buster Keaton dons a wedding dress and a case of mistaken identity ensues.

  • Oh Doctor!
    24:01
    Oh Doctor!
    Episode 5

    Oh Doctor!

    Episode 5

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle • 1917 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Al St. John

    A doctor bets it all at the horse races and winds up in quite a fix.

  • Coney Island
    25:48
    Coney Island
    Episode 6

    Coney Island

    Episode 6

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle • 1917 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Al St. John, Buster Keaton

    A man attempts to give his wife the slip at Coney Island.

  • Out West
    21:05
    Out West
    Episode 7

    Out West

    Episode 7

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle • 1918 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Al St. John

    The Wild West gets wilder when Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton tangle with a notorious outlaw.

  • The Bell Boy
    26:10
    The Bell Boy
    Episode 8

    The Bell Boy

    Episode 8

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle • 1918 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Al St. John

    Bumbling bellboys wreak havoc at a fancy hotel.

  • Moonshine
    18:30
    Moonshine
    Episode 9

    Moonshine

    Episode 9

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle • 1918 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Al St. John

    A pair of revenue agents track down outlaw bootleggers in the Virginia Hills.

  • Good Night Nurse
    23:02
    Good Night Nurse
    Episode 10

    Good Night Nurse

    Episode 10

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle • 1918 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Alice Lake

    It’s shenanigans at a sanitarium—with Buster Keaton as a cleaver-wielding surgeon.

  • The Cook
    20:03
    The Cook
    Episode 11

    The Cook

    Episode 11

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle • 1918 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Al St. John

    Two chefs cook up pandemonium at a high-end restaurant.

  • Back Stage
    21:25
    Back Stage
    Episode 12

    Back Stage

    Episode 12

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle • 1919 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Jack Coogan Sr.

    The stagehands get in on the act during a vaudeville performance gone wrong.

  • The Hayseed
    21:59
    The Hayseed
    Episode 13

    The Hayseed

    Episode 13

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle • 1919 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Molly Malone

    Fatty Arbuckle plays a hilarious game of hide and seek.

  • The Garage
    22:04
    The Garage
    Episode 14

    The Garage

    Episode 14

    Directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle • 1920 • United States
    Starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Molly Malone

    Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton are bad mechanics and even worse firemen in the last of their films together.

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