Sybil Seely

The Frozen North is a 1922 silent comedy short co-directed by and starring Buster Keaton, with Edward F. Cline. Keaton parodies William S. Hart's Western films, playing a rugged cowboy who arrives in a frozen northern landscape and attempts a series of Western-movie tropes with disastrous results. The short is notable for its surreal humor and self-referential gags, including Keaton breaking the fourth wall. As a 1922 work, the film is in the public domain.

Comedy · Western

The Playhouse is a 1921 silent comedy short co-directed by and starring Buster Keaton, with Edward F. Cline. The film opens with a famous dream sequence in which Keaton plays every role in a theater — the audience, the orchestra, the performers, the stagehands, and even a monkey. The sequence was achieved through multiple exposure, with Keaton filming the same scene dozens of times. After the dream, the film follows Keaton as a stagehand pursuing a romance with an actress. The opening sequence is widely regarded as one of the greatest technical achievements of the silent era. The film is in the public domain.

Comedy

The Scarecrow is a 1920 silent comedy short co-directed by and starring Buster Keaton, with Edward F. Cline. Keaton and Joe Roberts play farmhands sharing a room filled with Rube Goldberg-style space-saving contraptions. When Keaton is chased by Roberts after a misunderstanding involving Roberts' daughter, he disguises himself as a scarecrow. The short features one of Keaton's most celebrated chase sequences and a memorable scene where he runs through a house while it collapses around him. As a 1920 work, the film is in the public domain.

Comedy