bsmith5552 "Our Hospitality" is built around a long standing feud somewhere in the early 19th century south, between the Canfields (Hatfields) and the McKays (McCoys).Buster Keaton plays Willie McKay who was raised in New York after his father had been killed by a Canfield. One day he receives a letter informing him that he has inherited the McKay "estate". In a wild 1830 train ride south he meets a girl (Natalie Talmadge) with whom he strikes up a friendship. On arrival at their destination, she invites him to her home for dinner.McKay discovers, much to his dismay, that the girl he met on the train is actually a Canfield. Her father (Joe Roberts) and her two brothers (Ralph Bushman, Craig Ward) want to kill poor Willie but are prevented from doing so by a family "code" which guarantees any guests in their home, "Our Hospitality".Of course the Canfields try to trick Willie into going outside and he continually foils their efforts. When Willie finally does escape in a woman's dress the fun really starts which culminates over a cascading waterfall where the hero rescues the heroine.There's some really funny stuff in this film. The train ride over "bumpy" tracks which includes the engine winding up behind the coaches is hilarious. The cat and mouse games at the Canfield mansion keep the action and comedy flowing. The final chase down the rapids contains some incredible stunts performed by Keaton. If I have a criticism about this film it's over the prologue which sets up the feud aspect and shows McCay senior being shot. Entirely unnecessary, especially in a comedy. The whole thing could have bee explained through a few title cards or a scene between Willie and the aunt who raised him.The engineer of the train is played by Buster's father Joe who had some alcohol problems that had forced the Keaton family act to fold five years earlier. Although his part was small, you can see some of the mannerisms that Buster used during his career. For example, watch the scene in which Keaton Sr. is standing almost in silhouette on his engine. You would swear that it was Buster.Buster's wife of the day, Natalie Talmadge plays the girl and his son Buster Jr. plays the 1 year old Willie in the prologue.

braddugg One of the best trips and one of the earliest trips too in the most funniest vehicles.Oh yes, this my most recent film and the second earliest film, I have seen (earliest being 1921 Charlie Chaplin's 'The Kid'). It has a whole range of vehicles from a cart, a cycle, a train, a donkey and a glimpse of Rocket prototype, all are too very funny to notice and our hero John Mckay (Buster Keaton) is even funnier. He is the shortest male character who runs and runs from the villains. This is not contemporary 1923 film but is set in 1830's and that in itself brought out a humorous production design and art director must have been laughing when did a cycle or a train design.Everything is out and out funny and the moments just keep coming. His genius is written in most of scenes if not all. When villains are searching for him, a waterfall saves him wow, can something be more creative than that to cover him. Buster Keaton has an originality that is very pristine that even Chaplin and Welles adored him for the way he carried out a film. That is very well shown in this film, selecting the time period make things look funny intentionally and the characters are so very stereotypical, we will not have sympathy but we will have a word that says, "let him have it". The one scene rather frame in which he expresses love to the heroine is enough to know how funny he was. Keaton stunts, I must mention are tough for in those days there was noting at hand except physical body which took a lot of strain and he did them all effortlessly (at least that is how it seems) and with a lot of courage, kudos to him in all terms. This film was remade as "Maryada Ramanna" in telugu which was a very disappointing and serious take for a film that is extremely funny.All salutations to Buster Keaton.For this, it's 4/5. Please watch if you haven't coz it may be the funniest trips you have ever done on screen.Oh no, there is "THE GENERAL" for me which I will review later.

Bill Slocum "Our Hospitality" isn't Buster Keaton's greatest film, but shows a young pioneer on his way.As Willie McKay, Buster inherits a family estate down South circa 1830. To stake his claim, Willie must survive two things: 1. A ride on the "iron monster" which chugs ungently across hilly terrain. 2. The "hospitality" of the rival Canfield clan who wants to send an unwary Willie to the boneyard with the rest of the McKays.Watching Buster riding a train down South immediately conjures up thoughts of his later "The General," and there are plenty of other signposts for Buster fans. After finding himself unable to wear his foppish top hat in a coach with a low ceiling, Buster shifts to more practical headgear: his trademark porkpie, which remains with him thereafter. He's even joined this one time by his real-life wife Natalie Talmadge, who plays a young woman smitten with Willie to both their perils.I was prepared to not like Talmadge, as she didn't have much of a career in movies other than making misery of Buster's private and professional life later on. But she's quite affecting here. Keaton and co-director Joseph Blystone do a lot to draw out a naturally reticent quality in Talmadge; she and Buster work well together…at least here.The opening section features a very serious, overplayed dramatic "prologue" that isn't really needed and puts things on the wrong footing tone-wise. Buster gets a lot of mileage from his clattering train prop, but overuses the same gags. A big stunt at the end involving a waterfall, while jawdropping, lacks the comic underpinnings typically found with Keaton. It could be something out of "Perils Of Pauline."Most critically, the pacing is off. There are many good gags and funny bits of business, but the set-ups take too long. I'm still amused watching the third straight slow-loading flintlock gag in as many minutes, and that's something, but you so often get more from Buster.Keaton's genius shines through in many places, though, particularly at the Canfield house where he is the unwelcome guest of his would-be killers. They operate under a strict code of honor that won't let them shoot a guest (though the same code apparently says nothing about shooting an unwary victim in the back). Watching Willie work every angle he can think of to stay a guest is Keaton in prime form, whether presenting a series of really bad dog tricks or dressing as a woman.And there are some stunts as funny as they are awesome, like one where Willie is actually "rescued" by one of the Canfields on a steep cliff, and the two men wind up tied to one another as killer and prey. The period comedy is good, too; like an early shot of Broadway and 42nd Street in Manhattan's cowtown days, when Willie sits a bicycle watching a lone wagon pass by: "This is getting' to be a dangerous crossin'!"There's enough of that to make "Our Hospitality" good fun, and the stunt work, however off tonally, remains amazing even today. If it's not as great as other Buster comedies, it's Buster's own fault for making his later work so much better than this.

Jackson Booth-Millard I had seen Sherlock Junior and The General, and this was the third film starring Buster Keaton I was going to see that featured in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Basically, set in the 1830s, 19th Century, Kentucky, there is a feud between the Canfield and McKay families, which gets really serious when John McKay (Edward Coxen) is killed. After this, to avoid getting involved in the feud in the future, one year old Willie McKay (Buster Keaton Jr.) is sent away to New York to be raised by his sister. Twenty years later, Willie McKay (Keaton, also directing) has inherited the old family house in Kentucky, but before he leaves, his Aunt Mary (Kitty Bradbury) tells him about the feud between the two families, and to avoid it. He boards the train, and is joined in his carriage by Virginia, or "The Girl" (Natalie Talmadge, Keaton's real wife), and they go through weird track curves, bumps and mishaps along the way. Eventually they reach Kentucky, and as a kind gesture Virginia invites Willie to dinner with the family. The Canfield family hear that the heir to John McKay is in town, and the sons (Ralph Bushman and Craig Ward) are eager to put a bullet in his back. After seeing the shoddy state of the McKay home, he goes for a quick fish, narrowly avoiding being shot when the dam is blown up. It is when Willie goes to the Virginia's house that he wonders who he will be dining with, and he is shocked to find out it is the Canfield residence. Willie knows though that once he goes outside the two brothers will try and shoot him, the father James Canfield (Tom London, or Leonard Clapham) is trying to look nice in front of Virginia too. After many attempts to kill Willie, the Canfields almost decide to forget the feud entirely, and they also have to put up with Virginia marrying Willie and becoming part of the family. Also starring Joe Keaton as The Engineer, James Duffy as Sam Gardner, Jean Dumas as Mrs. McKay and Joe Roberts as Joseph Canfield. The train track (which Keaton was very fond of) jokes are quite good, the three generations of Keatons in the film makes it fun, and the time period detail is really good. I say this to myself again, my favourite Keaton film is still Sherlock Junior, but this is certainly a most enjoyable and must see silent comedy. Buster Keaton was number 21 on 100 Years, 100 Stars - Men. Very good!