Darn hospitality
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Darn hospitality |
| Original title | Our hospitality |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1923 |
| length | 64 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 0 |
| Rod | |
| Director |
Buster Keaton Jack G. Blystone |
| script |
Clyde Bruckman Jean C. Havez Joseph A. Mitchell |
| production |
Joseph Schenck Buster Keaton |
| camera |
Elgin Lessley Gordon Jennings |
| occupation | |
| |
Verflixte Gastfreundschaft (Original title: Our Hospitality ) is an American silent film western comedy by and with Buster Keaton from 1923. Here Keaton consistently implemented his efforts to create a credible story, gags built into the course of the plot, and historical authenticity for the first time. The comedy was in contrast to most of the slapstick comedies of the time and is therefore particularly important in the development of film comedy.
action
The Young United States, circa 1810: The McKay and Canfield families have long had a blood feud. One night the father of one-year-old William McKay and the enemy James Canfield shoot each other. As the only survivor of his clan, William grows up with his aunt, who lives in distant, still provincial New York .
Twenty years later, William came of age and was given the McKays land ownership. Because William only has a rough overview of the blood feud, he goes largely recklessly to his family's home. During the trip he falls in love with Virginia, the daughter of the hostile Canfield family who happens to be traveling with him. She invites him to her family home. But Joseph Canfield, brother of James Canfield, who was once shot by William's father and now the family patriach, is still looking for revenge. Virginia's brothers Clayton and Lee recognize Williams' identity and seek his life. During his visit to the Canfields' home, however, their attempted murder is slowed down by the traditional law of hospitality , because as long as William does not leave the house, he must not be attacked.
William, who only learns after a while that his hosts are the Canfields, stays with them for days. So Joseph and his sons cannot shoot him. In addition, Williams' country estate turns out to be a small hut that has fallen into disrepair after 20 years without residents. After hair-raising dangers and adventurous car chases, he has to save Virginia at a waterfall. William finally manages to end the feud by marrying the girl with the help of the old pastor without the knowledge of her family. At first Joseph Canfield is angry, but then he sees a sign with the title love thy neighbor and agrees to peace. They eventually put the guns aside, it being found that William was armed with almost the entire Canfield gun cabinet.
Production history
The story of the enmity between the McKay and Canfield families is based on the real family feud of the McCoys and Hatfields .
Joe Keaton , the father of Buster Keaton and who appears in many other films by his son, is not the only one starring in the film . Keaton is also in front of the camera with his then wife Natalie Talmadge - who embodies the female lead - for the only time in a feature film (they also made two short films, in which Talmadge only appeared briefly). Also shown in the prologue : Buster's son James, then still a baby as the very young Willie McKay.
While in production, Keaton's long-term film partner and favorite villain Joe Roberts suffered a stroke . Although he was able to play his role as patriarch of the Canfields to an end, he died about a month later after another stroke.
For Buster Keaton, who also built his fame on performing the most dangerous stunts himself, it was extremely dangerous twice in this production. For example, while shooting in the Truckee River, a wire that Keaton was tied to for safety was torn . He was hit by the rapids. Since the cameraman was instructed to continue shooting, no matter what, this moment can also be found in the finished film. The legendary stunt at the waterfall was also risky: Willie McKay, tied to a piece of rope, swings towards his lover the moment she threatens to fall down the waterfall. He manages to take her hands and set it down on the safe ledge. The lover was doubled by a doll and the waterfall on the studio grounds was also recreated. Still, as he hung under the waterfall, Keaton swallowed so much water that his stomach had to be pumped out.
Fred Gabourie was responsible for the production design.
analysis
In his second full-length film (after Three Ages ), Buster Keaton concentrated for the first time on the plot of his story in favor of a reduction of absurd gags. He was convinced that the audience would no longer follow a story if a gag seemed implausible to him. He tried to stay true to this principle in later films as well: In the following Sherlock, Jr. , impossible gags occur, but only within the dreamed level of action. According to Jim Kline, Our Hospitality is at times almost too serious for a comedy . The prologue of the film is indicative of the new style - in his short films he tried to achieve absurdity and exaggeration. The hostility of the two houses McKay and Canfield is dramatized in an emphatically tragic scene that excludes any hint of comedy.
The striving for credibility is also reflected in the authentic setting of the film set in the 1830s. Particularly noticeable: the faithful replica of one of the first steam locomotives in regular service, The Rocket . Because of its ambitious image composition, Our Hospitality is one of Keaton's most beautifully photographed films.
Reviews
"Second full-length feature film by Buster Keaton, one of the most delicious comedies in film history, full of ingenious gags, breathtaking artistry and magical, whimsical poetry."
literature
- Jim Kline: The Complete Films of Buster Keaton. Citadel Press, New York 1993, ISBN 0-8065-1303-9 , pp. 93-97.
Web links
- Our Hospitality in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Our Hospitality at Turner Classic Movies (English) under "Articles"
- ↑ See Jim Kline: The Complete Films of Buster Keaton. 1993, p. 94.
- ↑ Darn hospitality. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed November 1, 2016 .