The Paleface
About The Paleface
Men led by Hunt have stolen a tribe's oil lease and given them a day to leave. The chief orders that the first white man into the camp be killed. Buster Keaton, chasing a butterfly, walks in. They tie him to a stake. He gets loose, is caught again, and has made himself fireproof underwear from asbestos, so the fire does not burn him. They name him Little Chief Paleface. He leads them against Hunt. Hunt swaps clothes with him and runs. Arrows from his own side nearly hit Keaton. He finds the deed in a pocket and, as his reward, picks a young woman of the tribe (Virginia Fox).
Cast & crew
More about The Paleface
Buster Keaton and Edward F. Cline directed. Keaton wrote it. Joseph M. Schenck produced. Elgin Lessley photographed it. Released on 15 January 1922.
Themes
Background
A January 1922 Keaton two-reeler about an oil lease and a butterfly collector who wanders into the camp.
Preservation
Prints are on the Internet Archive and Wikimedia Commons.
Notes
- Wikidata lists 24 minutes. The English Wikipedia gives 20 minutes.
- During the chase a swastika is visible on a blanket, drawn as a geometric pattern.
- Joe Roberts, uncredited, plays the chief. Virginia Fox, uncredited, plays the young woman.
Scenes
- He stands in the fire in asbestos underwear and is not burned.
- He finds the deed in the pocket of the switched clothes.
Also available
- Internet Archive (ThePaleface)
- Wikimedia Commons (The Paleface (1922) by Buster Keaton and Edward F. Cline.webm)
