I could babble on about how much I love Buster Keaton in Comique’s The Cook … so I will.
This 1918 two- reeler, distributed by Paramount, was shot at Long Beach, California. In addition to Buster, it contains Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle, Al St. John, Alice Lake, and Luke the Wonder Dog. Their setting is The Bull Pup Cafe, a neat little affair with a full band and a dancer. Maybe Luke is the owner.
The Cook was Buster’s last film before deploying to France in World War 1. Yay, Buster. It was considered a lost film until it showed up in Norway. Yay, Norway.
Buster is not The Cook. That honor goes to Roscoe Arbuckle. Buster is a waiter. And what a waiter. Let me count the ways:
*That Face. Every frame is filled with Buster’s patented brand of intensity that leaps off the screen.
*There’s Buster’s genial suavity in trying to make time with every girl he sees—-even when a clearly insane patroness gives him the cold shoulder, he looks more elegant in baggy pants than an ordinary Joe in a tux.
*The way Buster eats spaghetti: daintily, from a teacup…. then watches others try to eat it through a funnel, with scissors, knitting with it, finally using it as a clothesline for tug of war. The Cook scores high for this prolonged, inventive bit if nothing else.
*Buster’s acrobatics, including a 360° on his head. Nobody did it better.
*We cannot ignore Roscoe Arbuckle as The Cook, debonaire while flinging butcher knives, conniving milk, soup, gravy, and pancakes all from the same enormous urn, then using kitchen gear as costumery for his famous snake dance.
*Nor can we overlook Luke The Wonder Dog, outfoxing baddie Al St. John at every turn, even climbing up ladders and rollercoasters to get his man. And let us not forget the cart-drawn wonders of Goatland!
*Buster valiantly struggling to suppress a laugh when villainous Al smashes a breakaway bottle over his head.
*The dancing. Music makes him! Hearing the band, Buster dances in the kitchen, then right out into the dining room, where the harem-getup dancing girl almost clocks him with a flying leg. Buster doesn’t miss a beat, just smooths down his hair and out-dances the pro.
That’s The Cook. You wouldn’t want to eat there, but you’ll gladly return to watch them dazzle while they work.
Many thanks to Lea S. for hosting this Busterthon.
These guys always made it look easy, didn’t they? They were an amazing team.
This is such an absurd and absolutely delightful film, can’t believe it was rediscovered only a couple decades ago (IIRC). And thank heavens it was!
If you haven’t seen it yet, The Cook is very similar to an earlier Arbuckle film called The Waiter’s Ball (1916). I’ve always thought you could stick the two together and have a surreal little mini-movie. 😀
Thanks for covering this film for the blogathon!
This one’s next on my list–it looks great. 🙂
What a great title you came up with. “You wouldn’t want to eat there, but you’ll gladly return to watch them dazzle while they work.” I sure would like to see the floor show on a regular basis. When I was young, the Comiques weren’t available at all. We are lucky to live today when we can see them. And I’m a cat person, but I love Luke.
Everyone, THANKS so much for your comments!