There are four Keaton related films on this recently released video from Kino. Two are the Arbuckle/Keaton shorts, "Oh Doctor" and "The Garage"; Keaton’s "The Boat" and the Arbuckle directed, Al St. John short "The Iron Mule" a clever parody which has Keaton in a ‘blink and you’ll miss him’ cameo roll as an Indian. All the films on the video have been digitally remastered and have new music tracks that compliment the them well. This is a personal impression of the four films with Keaton connections, the other Arbuckle films are equally worth seeing for quality and content. I suspect the other tapes in the series are of a similar standard and quality but as yet I have not seen them. Keaton, Arbuckle and St. John is a great addition to any Keaton collection.

"Oh Doctor" Was for many years thought lost, a copy was discovered, restored and the results of which are now to be seen on this tape. Buster is his most facially acrobatic in this movie, smiling, laughing, and crying, none of the sophisticated Keaton we have come to expect from his later features. He plays Arbuckle’s (the Doctor of the title) son, dressed in a knickerbockers suit and hat seen skipping after the villain, Al St. John, ducking into doorways and being bullied by Arbuckle. This is the one disquieting aspect of the film, Arbuckle’s abuse towards his son, hitting, kicking, sticking him with a pin all for comic effect. Other than that exception the film is an interesting gem from the three comedians. It is worth seeing for that rarely witnessed Keaton smile alone.

The print used for "The Garage" is more complete than the Rohauer version which has been more readily available. If you have only had the chance to see that version there are many new gags waiting for you here. It is also tinted. Keaton and Arbuckle only appear as St. John was preparing to make his own two reelers at this time. Arbuckle was about to go into features and Keaton was soon to have his own production company.

"The Boat" is the same version that has been available for some time although, like the other films in this series it has been ‘cleaned up’. Mostly in black and white the final night/storm sequences are tinted indigo blue. This was Keaton’s second favourite two reeler and has some ingenious mechanical gags. In fact it is an excellent example of Keaton’s ingenuity to invent gags when limited to one basic prop (a small boat bobbing about in the Pacific Ocean) and its attachments.

"The Iron Mule" is a wonderful parody of the cross-country train journey in Keaton’s "Our Hospitality". Arbuckle directs his nephew Al St. John who does a very good impersonation of Joe Keaton as the driver of the Stevenson’s Rocket style train Buster used in his film. The characters come across similar obstacles and wear the same costumes right down to the girl’s ‘Virginia Canfield’ ringlets and large, feathered hat. This time though the train is floated along a river and the passengers meet a tribe of hostile Indians one of which is Buster. A nice gesture of reciprocal appreciation from one comedic genius to another.

Recommended!