Another absolutely brilliant short. A lot of people think Keaton had the mind to be an engineer, and shorts like THE SCARECROW are great for making this argument. The appliances in the house are mechanically brilliant, fascinating to watch, and most of the time, completely unnecessary. The latter point to me is where the humor lies. Think about it - how much thought does it take to make those devices for salt passing on strings attached to ceilings, or pulley trains to pass rolls? Probably more thought and time justified to make such a simple task as passing the salt easier. The topper at the end of that scene is the fence that folds over. Again, brilliant, fascinating, yet is it any easier than a door, which we see Sybil Seely use a moment later? Not really. There's the humor. Also love the sign, "What is home without a mother?" Funny because there is no mother in this Keaton/Roberts home.
The chase is awesome athletically and pacing wise. Love the way Keaton deceives everyone as he becomes the scarecrow and the accidental marriage proposal to Sybil Seely while fixing his shoe is classic. Love the mad dog stuffand frankly everything about this short. Ho hum, another ten.
10/10