Keaton's 1947 two-reeler UN DUEL À MORT now on DVD/Blu-Ray
Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:00 pm
One of the Buster Keaton's rarest films, UN DUEL À MORT (A DUEL TO THE DEATH) is now available as an extra on Lobster Film's latest BK release. It's the fifth (of 6 or 7) iterations of Buster's famous dueling scene that he performed seemingly everywhere - on stage, screen, TV and even state fairs, into the 1960s. An added prologue features Buster attempting to fish at a lake, where the competition with other anglers leads to a duel when Buster accidentally smacks another fisherman with his catch. The gags are Buster's and his performance is spot-on perfect, but the film's leisurely pacing hurts the laugh quotient. The staging is likewise Buster's but unfortunately he didn't direct or edit the film. This may not exactly be the best two-reeler to show when introducing someone to Buster, but remember that the Cinematheque in Paris was the only place you could see this - until now.
The main attraction on this set is, of course, OUR HOSPITALITY. More on that title in a later post.
The main attraction on this set is, of course, OUR HOSPITALITY. More on that title in a later post.