Go West *** (1925, Buster Keaton, Howard Truesdale, Kathleen Myers) – Classic Movie Review 7575

Buster Keaton’s amiable and deservedly well liked 1925 silent comedy Go West finds the great comic homeless and friendless. So he puts all his possessions on his bed and drags it westwards to California, where he goes to work on the posh the Diamond Bar Ranch of owner (Howard Truesdale) and falls for his daughter (Kathleen Myers).

In a personal tour de force, Buster Keaton writes, directs, produces and stars, virtually alone except for Brown Eyes, a cow he rescues from a cattle train. There are some longueurs in the comedy, but the best bits are very funny, including the cow milking and the steers causing chaos in town.

Ray Thompson plays the Foreman and there are uncredited cameos from Joe Keaton (Man in Barber Shop), Babe London (Woman in Department Store), Gus Leonard (General Store Owner) and Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle (Woman in Department Store).

Bovine performer Brown Eyes gets a credit as Herself and even got a salary for her performance – $13 a week.

Lex Neal is assistant writer and Raymond Cannon is credited for the scenario.

Go West is directed by Buster Keaton, runs 76 minutes (or 68 minutes), is made by Buster Keaton Productions, is released by MGM, is written by Buster Keaton, Lex Neal and Raymond Cannon, is shot in black and white by Bert Haines and ElginLessley, is produced by Joseph M Schenck, Hal Roach and Buster Keaton, is scored by Konrad Elfers, and is designed by Fred Gabourne.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7575

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