"The Boat" / STEAMBOAT BILL, JR.

ABOUT THE FILMS: “The Boat,” 1921, Dir. Buster Keaton and Edward F. Cline, 23 Mins, Cohen Film Collection, USA Buster builds a boat in his basement only to run afoul of Murphy’s Law. He pulls the boat out and the house falls down. He names the boat Damfino and it sinks at sea. He sends an S.O.S. to the Coast Guard and they refuse to respond, for when they ask “who are you?” Keaton replies, “Damfino.” The Guard decides that if he doesn’t know who he is, they shouldn’t be expected to. FORMAT: DCP STEAMBOAT BILL, JR., 1928, Dir. Charles Reisner, 79 Mins, Cohen Film Collection, USA The son of a steamboat captain, Buster falls in love with the daughter of a rival steamboat owner. When a cyclone rages, Buster proves himself a hero by rescuing his love and her father from a watery grave. FORMAT: DCP