Before I get to the actual short, a little background for the next 16 Buster shorts we'll be discussing. Buster himself at this point just left MGM and is going through a rough phase with alcohol and a rocky second marriage during this time. I've never been clear the exact moment Buster gave up alcohol, probably during or shortly after his Educational run, but needless to say this is a low point in his personal life. The films themselves have their strong and weak points, as we'll be discussing.
Educational Pictures was around going back to the silent era. Initially they did attempt to make actual educational related films, but very quickly went into the silent comedy two reel genre, making shorts for Lloyd Hamilton, later Larry Semon, and into the talkie era, a handful of Harry Langdon shorts before he went to Columbia. In the silent era, a regular director for Educational was Jack "Preston Black" White, brother of Jules. By the time Buster got to Educational, the studio had a few more years left before folding and their shorts were distributed by Fox the same way Hal Roach was distributed by MGM. A regular director during Buster's time at Educational, and the director of most of these shorts, including this week's is Charles Lamont, he of RESTLESS KNIGHTS and PLAYING THE PONIES fame.
As for THE GOLD GHOST, it's a good start to the series, if not perfect. What stands out about this short are the moments where Buster is basically making a silent comedy. Buster always said his ideal talkies would be minimal dialogue that just advances the plot and extended moments of silence where he can do gags to move things forward. The first reel of THE GOLD GHOST accomplishes this. Buster is able to move around an abandoned ghost town and do simple gags, punctuated but his still body language and reactions. Buster is always fun to watch when pulling off this kind of thing, and it's proof elaborate gags are are not needed for him to be funny....though they definitely do make a nice icing on the cake. Yeah, that's the only thing that's different, no elaborate gags. You know darn well if Keaton had a few weeks instead of a few days to make this thing there'd be a brilliant mechanical gag or two, but what we have I find entertaining. Buster falling on a breakaway table or chair, reprising the gun gag from THE HIGH SIGN where he aims at one object on the screen and hits another, Buster putting his fingers in his mouth reacting in disgust after he runs his hands on a cobwebbed table....all a great opportunity to watch a master do pantomime with simple props.
(Spoiler gag) The best part of the film is Buster using the camera to his advantage like he did in several great silent gags. There is a part where a shirtless Buster is washing his clothes in a trough, the trough covering his hip and groin area, legs and feet exposed below where it looks like he could be naked. He's facing the screen, so there is plenty of space behind him. Sure enough, he uses that space to have a large group of cars and people suddenly occupy it, leaving the impression they are seeing him naked. Of course, as he runs away from the trough, we can see his previously covered groin area are actually covered by boxer shorts. Great gag.
The rest of the film is less entertaining. By the end, the mix up about stealing The Marietta Mine leads into a big confusing fight which may work with Stooge style humor, but just seems too noisy and lacking any wit for Buster. The rest of the cast isn't exactly great in this one, but they don't take over too much, fortunately. We get a lot of Buster, and while THE GOLD GHOST isn't among his best work, we at least have moments to relish. Good start to the series.
