The Blacksmith

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Nick M A local blacksmith (and auto repairman, thank you) mucks up every job and pisses off his clients and employer in this hysterical Buster Keaton short. This is the most I've enjoyed one of his films since 1920's The Saphead. Several laugh-out-loud hilarious segments exalt this film into a first class comedy short for the era. One of my favorites is the horse who is brought in for new shoes. The horse is very picky, however, and refuses all of Keaton's standard options. He finally settles on some surprisingly stylish horseshoes from a glass case, and all is well. The auto repair scene takes the cake, however. There are so many funny moments here that it is difficult to pick from, but the incident with the balloon is certainly up there, as is the swinging engine. This doesn't seem to get much attention from critics, and isn't particularly loved by modern audiences if casual reviews are anything to go off of, but I absolutely loved this one. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/25 Full Review sean l Working for the man yet again, Buster Keaton plays apprentice to a big, mean blacksmith (frequent collaborator Joe Roberts), spurs the boss into a fistfight with police, seeks shortcuts for all the manual labor and screws up every job. This one's pretty basic, just a simple slice of working life with a long string of destructive, bite-sized sight gags. After taking great strides in his earliest solo efforts, experimenting with the medium and exploring more layered stories, it feels like Buster's treading water here. With a characteristic, self-assured air, he systematically ruins a nice car (actually a personal gift from his soon-to-be-ex in-laws - damn, Buster, you're cold), smears paint and grease over a sparkling white horse and misuses a giant magnet; lightly amusing stunts, but these scenarios are neither as inventively hilarious, nor as jaw-droppingly daring as his top-shelf stuff. I actually saw two cuts of this film: one recent discovery from an old, dusty vault that is believed to be the final release and another, now regarded as an early preview, which had previously appeared in Keaton archives and collections. Neither is particularly good. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Some fun moments. It is fun watching Keaton's obliviousness become self-destructive. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member It was interesting. A lot of slap stick humor. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Simple, just the way it ought to be. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Keaton makes a rather genius device that allows a horses saddle to be more shock absorbent. A treat for the funny bone like all Keaton films. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Blacksmith

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