Today is the anniversary of the release date of The Haunted House a 1921 Buster Keaton short, directed by Eddie Cline. In case you find yourself getting too scared (spoiler alert) the house that bank teller Keaton finds himself trapped in is not really haunted…it is a hideout for counterfeiters. The gang has a ridiculously elaborate plan for scaring off intruders: they frighten them away by making them think the house is haunted. The climax is delightful, with trapdoors, stairs that fold, guys in scary devil and ghost outfits…endlessly ingenious!
To learn more about silent and slapstick comedy don’t miss my new book Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube, just released by Bear Manor Media, also available from amazon.com etc etc etc
