Topic: Day Dreams (1922) - Buster Keaton

[Paul Pain]

Watch DAY DREAMS in the link above and get the Damfino's note here:
http://www.busterkeaton.com/Films/B17_Day_Dreams.html

Phase 2 of our journey is winding down... two more after this!  This is, sadly, a partially lost short, with many important scenes being unfound as of today.  As such, my review reflects what we do have.

This short combines the usual Keatonian themes: love, mechanisms, and chases.  What we have here is presentable, but disjointed because of the missing scenes.  But it is the usual top notch Keaton material.  The episodic nature of this short is its strength as it is impeccably done.  The imagined-to-reality contrasts do quite well, and this short certainly was of great entertainment to those who saw it 95 years ago.

9/10

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

Wrote quite a bit and then accidentally erased it, sorry.  If it shows up somewhere, that's not the real me.  Long story short,  this again could have been acted by Ben Turpin, for all the depth of characterization.  At least the pictorial quality was decent, those last two were dismal.

[Umbrella Sam]

DAY DREAMS is a short that I think gets better as it goes along. The first few minutes are pretty uninteresting and the whole episodic nature to it is really not all that special. It does feel like it could be done by any other comedian. Once it gets to the part where he's part of a stage show, though, I feel it does begins to pick up a little. Keaton getting chased by the policemen is not nearly as exciting as in COPS, though it still is fun enough to watch. Probably my favorite scene is when the first policeman is chasing him and when the traffic cop stops not only Keaton, but also the policeman from chasing him as well. Keaton getting stuck on the ship's wheel is very exciting as well.

The second half of the short isn't perfect, but it does make the short at least somewhat worth watching. If I had to pick my second least favorite short after MY WIFE'S RELATIONS, it would probably be this one, though it still does serve its purpose well enough. Not great, but still decent enough.

7 out of 10

Also, is it just me or does the pickpocket look like Edward Brophy? I know he didn't really start his acting career until THE CAMERAMAN, though I think he was working for Schenk at the time and was friends with Keaton.

[metaldams]

      I think this short is absolutely brilliant.  I suggest watching this followed by Harold Lloyd's SAFETY LAST.  Both films deal with trying to impress the girl by making it big in the working world, and the contrast is fascinating.  Lloyd uses cunning and great physical skill to overcoming amazing heights, literally, to impress the girl and win in the end.  I'm glad Lloyd gets the girl.  Keaton uses hard luck, incompetence, and great physical skill to lose out in the end, culminating in the hysterical suicide attempt that works because of the non chalant nature in which Keaton handles it.  Getting thrown out on his butt at the end after his failed attempt got a huge laugh out of me.  I'm glad Keaton didn't get the girl.  Both styles have their rewards.

      Speaking of the girl, she is played by Renee Adoree.  Died at age 35 tragically young, she is most famous for having the leading female role in MGM's THE BIG PARADE (1925), a classic and MGM's biggest money maker of the silent era.  Her co-star, John Gilbert also died tragically young and his last film was THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA, which featured The Three Stooges.  Adoree also appeared in THE MATING CALL with full frontal nudity, unusual for the era.

      Besides the dark humor, which I love, there are a few standout bits here.  The cop chasing Keaton is fantastic.  The way both cop and Keaton walk and then jog, and then run in perfect synchronicity is flat out awesome, and the camera does a great job of following the action.  Also, who can forget Keaton grabbing on to the back of a running freight car, his body completely vertical in the air while the car runs.  Then there is the infamous boat gag where Keaton is acting like a hamster in a wheel, just an amazing sight gag and physical comedy.  I also like when he's the street cleaner, setting the place on fire and staging off the bass drum with the water hose.  The way Keaton gets dumped into the water filled sewer hole also gets a laugh out of me.  He's completely disposable in this one, a bit of dark humor.

10/10

[Umbrella Sam]

      Speaking of the girl, she is played by Renee Adoree.  Died at age 35 tragically young, she is most famous for having the leading female role in MGM's THE BIG PARADE (1925), a classic and MGM's biggest money maker of the silent era.

I can't believe I didn't realize that was the same actress from THE BIG PARADE. Sad to hear that she died so young.

[Big Chief Apumtagribonitz]

I, for one, would not object to a screen grab of Renee going full frontal.  In the interest of pure cinematic research, of course. 

[metaldams]

Rewatched this one today and laughed harder than I have in a while.  I know the story goes Keaton was at a doctor years later and was told his broken neck healed nicely.  Keaton never knew about the broken neck and assumed it was from SHERLOCK, JR.  After watching the boat wheel gag today, are we sure it wasn’t this film?  Just look at the various ways Buster’s spine gets curved and bent around in this sequence.  The man was incredible.