The Blacksmith
About The Blacksmith
Buster Keaton, the blacksmith's assistant, cannot control the forge, the blowtorch, the winch, or the hammers. A giant magnetized horseshoe pulls iron objects away, including the sheriff's things. He shoed a horse for an equestrian (Virginia Fox) and smears it with black axle grease. He wrecks a Rolls-Royce. He and the senior smith (Joe Roberts) fight. Keaton kills the magnet, the tools drop, and the smith is arrested.
Cast & crew
More about The Blacksmith
Buster Keaton and Malcolm St. Clair wrote and directed it. Joseph M. Schenck produced. Elgin Lessley photographed it. First National released it on 21 July 1922. Edward F. Cline is not the co-director of this short.
Themes
Background
A July 1922 Keaton short, co-directed with Malcolm St. Clair rather than with Edward F. Cline.
Preservation
An alternate version was found by Fernando Martín Peña in June 2013. Another version is in the Blackhawk Films collection. A copy is on the Internet Archive.
Notes
- Wikidata lists 21 minutes. The English Wikipedia gives 25 minutes.
- In June 2013 Fernando Martín Peña found an alternate version. A third version is in the Blackhawk Films collection.
- Virginia Fox is the horsewoman. Joe Roberts is the smith.
Scenes
- The magnetized horseshoe strips iron off the people nearby.
- He covers the horse in axle grease and wrecks the Rolls-Royce.
Also available
- Internet Archive (TheBlacksmith)
