Memorable, crazy movie

As Good As It Gets

Blistering performances.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

In this 20 minutes Buster Keaton short, you actually wonder how did he get away with some of those stunts which look life threatening. At one point a side of the house falls on him but the open space for the window goes through him as Keaton just stands on the spot.Newlywed Buster and his bride are given 'portable house' as a wedding present which they build over the course of a week. Love rival Handy Hank who lost out to the bride sabotages the directions which results in the house being built wonky.The film is full of physical comedy and sight gags. There are little touches as the newly married Buster picks up a pair of old shoes that are thrown at him and takes them with him. When his wife is having a bath and she goes to pick up the soap, the cameraman sticks his hand out to preserve her modesty.This film established Keaton as the master of the comedy shorts.

Not to be confused with the similar sounding title as Charlie Chaplin's ONE A.M. (Mutual, 1916) , ONE WEEK (Metro, 1920), written and directed by Buster Keaton and Edward Cline, stars the legendary "stone face" of Buster Keaton in one of his true gems of silent comedy (20 minutes) produced during the early 1920s. Next to COPS (1922), ONE WEEK is one of the prime examples of Keaton's comic genius. After two years supporting Fatty Arbuckle in his series of comedy shorts (1917-1919), Keaton gets to star in what's classified as his first solo effort. The plot, supposedly taking place in a span of one week involving two nameless newlyweds, consists of individual sketches opening and closing through the tearing off of a calendar day sheet followed by the introduction to the next day's activity. Opening title: "The wedding bells have such a sweet sound but such a sour echo." Calendar fade in: "To-Day is Monday the 9th" (no month, no year given): It's Buster's wedding day, with he and his bride (Sybil Seely) exiting from the church surrounded by rice-throwing guests with the exception of one, Handy Hank, a rejected suitor. Before the day's end, the couple arrive on Apple Street where their home, Lot 99, turns out not to be a house with parts assembled in a huge box the from Portable House Company with Buster having to assemble himself. "TUESDAY the 10th" As Sybil prepares breakfast, Buster assembles his new home by the numbers. Not far away is the Hank, who, without Buster's awareness, changes the numbers on the boxes. There's a now classic moment recaptured much later in Buster's feature-length comedy, STEAMBOAT BILL JR. (1928) involving a house fall. Watch for it; "WEDNESDAY the 10th," With the home nearly completed, appearing as if it had gone through a typhoon, a delivery man (Joe Roberts) arrives with a piano, followed by one of the helpers (possibly Al St. John, though there's no clarification to rectify this character nor the rejected Handy Hank) dangling from his head caught on the rooftop; "THURSDAY the 11th," Buster continues assembling his house while Sybil washes up on the bath-tub. Classic moment: A mysterious hand covering the camera lens as she tries to retrieve the soap dropped on the floor; "FRIDAY the 13th," Housewarming party with friends and relatives resulting to a heavy rain storm and house going around in circles in merry-go-round fashion; "SATURDAY the 14th," Buster discovers his home has been built on the wrong lot and must have it moved to its rightful place. "SUNDAY the 15th," Buster and Sybil attempt moving their home to the right location, resulting to a series of unforeseen circumstances in the classic Buster Keaton tradition.Contrary to its title, the story doesn't take place entirely for one week/seven days, which really doesn't matter. One question comes to mind - shouldn't the opening wedding scene been more appropriate on church day Sunday rather than a work-day Monday, and having his Monday the start of his work week assembling his home? Overlooking these minor flaws, ONE WEEK is a near-perfect Keaton comedy of frustration by which, Buster, unlike other comedians as Edgar Kennedy or Oliver Hardy, showing no moments of having a nervous breakdown. He simply takes it in stride and moves on to more frustrating episodes. That's our Buster.Like the masterful work in COPS, ONE WEEK was a familiar item of silent comedy shown frequently on public television in the 1970s, notably WNET, Channel 13, in New York City, with prints from the piano scoring Killian collection. In fact, ONE WEEK preceded the 60 minute feature presentation of Keaton's COLLEGE (1927) as part of the 13-week series of THE SILENT YEARS (1975) hosted by Lillian Gish.Aside from various prints on video cassette and DVD formats with organ or jazzy underscoring, ONE WEEK has appeared on cable television, most recently on Turner Classic Movies with orchestral score not quite suitable for this style of comedy. Regardless of its age, ONE WEEK holds up remarkable well, especially for Keaton devotees. First time viewers certainly will remember this within an hour, a day, or even one week after watching it. ONE WEEK sure has that certain something with lasting appeal, that certain something being the one and only Buster. (***)

Followinng an approximately 3 year 'apprenticeship' working as a supporting player for Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Buster Keaton got his own deal with Joseph M.Schenck Productions. Arbuckle having moved on to Feature Films, Mr. Schenck needed someone to fill the void (Nature and Hollywood both abhor a vacuum!). Buster was elevated to the Starring role in the 2 reel comedy shorts.His time as Second Banana was surely well spent. His own starring vehicles proved to be up to those of any other and could only serve as a little glimpse into what future Keaton projects would be like.His first film(to be released, though not necessarily the earliest to be produced) was ONE WEEK (1920). In it is perhaps the Genisis of the Keaton Film, all of his own, to come. His collaborative effort with Director Edward F. Cline worked very well, as the film moves through the calendar week in brief, episodic installments. The scenes build slowly, deliberately until a peak is reached. Like a finely made jeweled watch, there is no part of the film is out of place.For this production, a basic formula is followed. The Protagonist, Keaton, is pitted against the insurmountable and unchanging natural laws of physics and our world. And before long, we come to understand that Mr. Keaton's little man hero may well be the first known exponent of Murphy's Law. Remember it? "If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong." Just being lucky enough to be able to view Buster's battles with the Laws of Physics and the complications that are certainly and progressively to be thrown into his path.Mr. Keaton's trials and tribulations on his path to success always seem to involve both the Art and the Science. And they always seem to work counter productively to our Hero.Sort of like his Life Experiences.

Monday September 26, 2005 7:00pm The Seattle Paramount Theater"Here's your house!""One Week" begins with church bells and happy guests throwing shoes and rice. The Groom (Buster Keaton) picks up a pair he thinks might fit then tries to kiss his Bride (Sybil Seely) in the back seat of their car. They are always kissing. If his rival, "Handy Hank" wasn't stuck to them like glue everything would be hunky dory. The newlyweds are given a vacant lot with a kit house for a wedding gift and Hank changes the numbers on the boxes. The result is a do-it-yourself disaster that spins like a top in a storm as house guests fly out the doors. "I've had a lovely afternoon on your merry-go-round. It'll be better when you put in your hobby horses." Don't forget the motion sickness pills. Seely is adorable, spinning on a piano stool in the storm, painting a valentine on the house and taking a bath. When she reaches for the dropped bar of soap a hand comes from behind the camera to cover the lens!