The Play House [Silent] [1921]

Director:	Buster Keaton Edward F. Cline
Writer:	Buster Keaton Edward F. Cline
Composer:	Robert Israel

Length:	20 minutes
MPAA Rating:	UR
Sorting Category:	Comedy

IMDB Rating:	8.0/10
User rating sites like above are subject to change
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Classifications:

Comedy
Family

Available Formats:

VHS	DVD
HD DVD	Blu-ray
3D Blu-ray	Digital

Collection:	Buster Keaton Classics
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Synopsis: The opening scene, a dream sequence prior to the vaudeville routines which follow, is what makes this film famous. In it Keaton plays everyone in a theatre simultaneously (through multiple exposures).

Reaction: Funny and clearly influenced by classic vaudeville.

Personal Rating: 7/10

Highlights
The section where Buster pretends to be a chimp and eats a female patron's popcorn is simply classic.

Select Cast and Crew

Buster Keaton	=>	Director / Writer / Mr. Brown - First Minstrel / Second Minstrel / Interctors / Audience / Stagehand / Orchestra

Edward F. Cline	=>	Director / Writer / Orangutan trainer ^(uncredited)
Robert Israel	=>	Composer
Joe Roberts	=>	Actor-Stage Manager ^(uncredited)
Virginia Fox	=>	Twin ^(uncredited)

Random Trivia For This Title:

Buster Keaton's stunts are tame in this movie, compared to his usual rugged and demanding stunt work, because he was recovering from a broken ankle.
Buster Keaton used a hand double in the shot where he writes, to avoid showing his right hand with the missing index fingertip.
The multiple Busters on screen together were created in the camera, using a special lens with shutters to film only a portion of the scene at a time. Buster would perform one part, then the cameraman would crank the film back and open another shutter to film another part. A banjo player with a metronome helped Keaton to perform precisely at the right time for each take.
In this short Buster Keaton took credit for every part and job, including editor, director, writer, cameraman etc. This was a reference to ^[?] Thomas Ince's (the "inventor" of the Western) reputation for doing this.