Buster Keaton...The Railrodder (1965)

#1 by Greg Perry , Wed Jun 30, 2021 7:22 pm

Buster Keaton made this film in 1965, not too long before he passed in 1966. Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, this short was meant to highlight Canada and promote the Canadian National Railway that ran across the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

This 24-minute film begins with Buster in England as he sees a newspaper ad touting tourism in Canada. The penny drops and Buster crosses the Atlantic Ocean to arrive in Canada. Buster comes across a small rail track maintenance vehicle and hops on for a ride to the Pacific. There are some classic Keaton routines and mannerisms on display. The film is silent but has a nice, catchy musical soundtrack. My print is in B&W, which is appropriate given Buster Keaton became a star in B&W films, such as "The General", "Cops", "The Balloonatic", and many more. This film, however, was shot in color. A few years back I had a faded Eastman copy (pinkish) which I sold off, but I actually think I prefer this B&W version. In the past, I have seen an LPP print on ebay as well. The print is a bit "dupey", with somewhat soft focus (but not as bad as the pics indicate).

Here are a few pics:







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RE: Buster Keaton...The Railrodder (1965)

#2 by Gwyn Morgan , Wed Jun 30, 2021 10:27 pm

Greg,nice looking print as you say Keaton is best remembered for his black and white films so in a way this print more appropriate.
Nice one.


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RE: Buster Keaton...The Railrodder (1965)

#3 by Robert Crewdson , Thu Jul 01, 2021 9:24 pm

Sounds like another rare film. A very nice item to own.


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RE: Buster Keaton...The Railrodder (1965)

#4 by Tom Photiou , Fri Jul 02, 2021 3:58 pm

Well done finding this one Greg, and in very good condition to.


 
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