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      The Cook

      Released Sep 15, 1918 22m Comedy List
      Reviews 66% 50+ Ratings Audience Score A chef (Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle) and his assistant (Buster Keaton) wreak havoc at a restaurant. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

      View All (12) audience reviews
      william d Arbuckle is funny, but Keaton steals the show. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review sean l The epitome of Arbuckle and Keaton's flash-over-substance tendencies. Every last storytelling beat exists solely to maneuver the comic duo into a new backdrop for adlibs and pratfalls. Silent comedy two-reelers will never be known for their rich themes and steep character arcs, but The Cook seems egregious even by those low standards. Which isn't to say it's without merit. Actually, I really enjoyed myself. The bulk of the film finds our heroes working a high-end restaurant - Arbuckle in the kitchen, Keaton waiting tables - and, despite revisiting a few bits from their first partnership in 1917's The Butcher Boy, remains largely original, averaging a laugh every quarter-minute. It's stuffed with comic gold, from the little throwaway gags (Fatty tossing finished meals over his shoulder, Buster smoothly snatching them from the air) to the more elaborate productions (an explosive, dish-smashing dance number before a raucous dining room). Arbuckle's famous pet bull terrier, distinguished enough to merit his own lengthy Wikipedia entry, even enjoys a few wonderful guest spots as the mayhem spills out to the streets and beyond. The Cook is great fun - pure, unchained visceral comedy - if you can shut your mind to the dumb plot and just enjoy the sheer physical spectacle of it all. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Changed from 1 and a half star. I was entertained. I didn't really laugh though. Some of the other reviews of Keaton movies may sound like I don't think he's funny, and I don't really think he's funny. He was highly entertaining though. Arbuckle is funny in the kitchen, not so much at the table. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member The tricks of how to eat spaghetti were funny . Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the most enjoyable silent comedy shorts I've seen. The Cook is glorious slapstick done masterfully. Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton are hilariously awesome, their multitude of talents are showcased amazingly here. It's not the most invigorating story, because The Cook is mostly just a mindless 18 minutes of laughter and good times, and that's just fine with us. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Funny and entertaining early short film. Arbuckle and Keaton are enjoyable together and one can already see the comedic timing of Keaton as he tends to steal the show. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Cook

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis A chef (Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle) and his assistant (Buster Keaton) wreak havoc at a restaurant.
      Director
      Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
      Screenwriter
      Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
      Distributor
      Paramount Pictures
      Production Co
      Comique Film Company
      Genre
      Comedy
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Sep 15, 1918, Limited
      Runtime
      22m