Our Hospitality

Directed by John Blystone, and Buster Keaton
Year: 1923
Country: U.S.
Language: English, English intertitles

OUR HOSPITALITY (1923) broadened the boundaries of slapstick and proved that Buster Keaton was not just a comedian, he was an artist. Keaton stars as youthful dreamer Willie McKay, who travels westward on a rickety locomotive to claim his birthright, only to find that his inheritance is a rundown shack. On top of that he learns that the object of his affection (Keaton’s real-life wife Natalie Talmadge) is the daughter of a man with whom his family has been engaged in a long, violent feud. McKay’s personal struggles are punctuated by brilliant slapstick set pieces that involve an exploding dam, raging waterfalls, and a primitive steam engine. Keaton supervised the design and construction of the train, which he revived two years later for the short The Iron Mule (1925).

Cast
Buster Keaton
Natalie Talmadge
Joe Keaton

Crew
Directed by Buster Keaton and John Blystone