The Paleface (1922 film)

Last updated

The Paleface
Moving Picture World (Mar 4 1922) page 29.jpg
Advertisement for the film in The Moving Picture World
Directed by Buster Keaton
Edward F. Cline
Produced by Joseph M. Schenck
StarringBuster Keaton
Cinematography Elgin Lessley
Release date
  • 1922 (1922)
Running time
20 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages Silent Film
English intertitles

The Paleface is a 1922 American silent comedy Western two-reeler film starring Buster Keaton.

Contents

Plot

The short

Crooked "oil sharks" led by a man named Hunt have stolen an Indian tribe's lease to their land and given them 24 hours to vacate. Furious, the Indian chief orders that the first white man who enters their encampment be killed. A butterfly collector (Keaton) unwittingly wanders in while chasing a butterfly. They tie him to a stake and collect wood. When he frees himself, the Indian warriors give chase. During the pursuit, he finds some asbestos and fashions himself some fireproof underwear. As a result, when they catch him and try to burn him at the stake, he remains unharmed. Awed by this, the Indians adopt him and give him the title "Little Chief Paleface".

He subsequently leads the tribe in a confrontation with the crooks. When a brawl breaks out, the crooks' leader Hunt flees. The Indians give chase, with Little Chief Paleface bringing up the rear. Hunt captures the hero, forces him to switch clothes and gets away in disguise. After being nearly skewered by arrows from his own tribe, Little Chief Paleface finds the deed to the land in a pocket. As his reward, he chooses a pretty Indian maiden.

Cast

See also


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buster Keaton</span> American actor, comedian and filmmaker (1895–1966)

Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American actor, comedian and film director. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently maintained a stoic, deadpan facial expression that became his trademark and earned him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".

<i>Cops</i> (film) 1922 film

Cops is a 1922 American two-reel silent comedy film about a young man who accidentally gets on the bad side of the entire Los Angeles Police Department during a parade and is chased all over town. It was written and directed by Edward F. Cline and Keaton. This very Kafka-esque film was filmed during the rape-and-murder trial of Fatty Arbuckle, a circumstance that may have influenced the short's tone of hopeless ensnarement.

<i>Sherlock Jr.</i> 1924 film

Sherlock Jr. is a 1924 American silent comedy film starring and directed by Buster Keaton and written by Clyde Bruckman, Jean Havez, and Joseph A. Mitchell. It features Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton, and Ward Crane.

<i>The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak</i> 1984 film by Just Jaeckin

The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak is a 1984 French action comedy film directed by Just Jaeckin, written by Jaeckin and John Willie and starring Tawny Kitaen and Brent Huff. The film is loosely based on the bondage-themed comics of Willie and on the character of Sweet Gwendoline. François Schuiten worked as a graphic designer for the film.

<i>The Playhouse</i> (film) 1921 film

The Playhouse is a 1921 American two-reel silent comic trick film written by, directed by, and starring Buster Keaton. It runs for 22 minutes, and is most famous for an opening sequence where Keaton plays every role.

<i>The Navigator</i> (1924 film) 1924 film

The Navigator is a 1924 American comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton. The film was written by Clyde Bruckman and co-directed by Donald Crisp. In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

<i>The Goat</i> (1921 film) 1921 film

The Goat is a 1921 American two-reel silent comedy film written, directed by, and starring Buster Keaton.

<i>The Cameraman</i> 1928 film

The Cameraman is a 1928 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick and an uncredited Buster Keaton. The picture stars Keaton and Marceline Day.

<i>The High Sign</i> 1921 film

The High Sign is a 1921 two-reel silent comedy film starring Buster Keaton, and written and directed by Keaton and Edward F. Cline. Its runtime is 21 minutes. Although One Week (1920) was Keaton's first independent film short released, The High Sign was the first one made. Disappointed with the result, Keaton shelved it and the film was not released until the following year. The title refers to the secret hand signal used by the film's underworld gang.

<i>Good Night, Nurse!</i> 1918 American film directed by Roscoe Arbuckle

Good Night, Nurse! is a 1918 American two-reel silent comedy film written by, and directed by, and starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and featuring Buster Keaton. The action centers in a sanitarium where Arbuckle's character is involuntarily brought to by his wife to be operated on by Keaton's character for alcoholism.

<i>Back Stage</i> (1919 film) 1919 film by Roscoe Arbuckle

Back Stage is a 1919 American two-reel silent comedy film directed by and starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and featuring Buster Keaton and Al St. John.

<i>Go West</i> (1925 film) 1925 film

Go West is a 1925 American silent Western comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton.

<i>Spite Marriage</i> 1929 film

Spite Marriage is a 1929 American silent comedy film co-directed by Buster Keaton and Edward Sedgwick and starring Keaton and Dorothy Sebastian. It is the second film Keaton made for MGM and his last silent film, although he had wanted it to be a "talkie" or full sound film. While the production has no recorded dialogue, it does feature an accompanying synchronized score and recorded laughter, applause and other sound effects in some scenes. Keaton later wrote gags for some up-and-coming MGM stars like Red Skelton, and from this film recycled many gags, some shot-for-shot, for Skelton's 1943 film I Dood It.

<i>Coney Island</i> (1917 film) 1917 film by Roscoe Arbuckle

Coney Island is a 1917 American two-reel silent comedy film starring, written and directed by Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and featuring Buster Keaton.

<i>My Wifes Relations</i> 1922 film

My Wife's Relations is a 1922 American short comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton.

<i>The Frozen North</i> 1922 film

The Frozen North is a 1922 American short comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton. The film is a parody of early western films, especially those of William S. Hart. The film was written by Keaton and Edward F. Cline. The film runs for around 17 minutes. Sybil Seely and Bonnie Hill co-star in the film.

<i>The Electric House</i> 1922 film

The Electric House is a 1922 American short comedy film co-directed by and starring Buster Keaton.

<i>Day Dreams</i> (1922 film) 1922 film

Day Dreams is a 1922 American short comedy film directed by and featuring Buster Keaton. It is most famous for a scene where Keaton finds himself on the inside of a riverboat paddle wheel. It is a partially lost film and available from public domain sources.

Jail Bait is a 1937 American short comedy film starring Buster Keaton.

<i>The Buster Keaton Story</i> 1957 film by Sidney Sheldon

The Buster Keaton Story is a 1957 American biographical drama film directed by Sidney Sheldon and written by Sidney Sheldon and Robert Smith, following the life of Buster Keaton. The film stars Donald O'Connor, Ann Blyth, Rhonda Fleming, Peter Lorre, Larry Keating and Jackie Coogan. It was released on April 21, 1957, by Paramount Pictures. The film was described by AllMovie as "sublimely inaccurate" regarding details of Keaton's life. It was produced by Paramount Pictures, which paid Keaton $50,000 for the rights to his life story.