''The Scarecrow'' is a 1920 American
two-reel
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
silent comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
starring
Buster Keaton, and written and directed by Keaton and
Edward F. Cline.
[Fristoe, Roger.]
"The Scarecrow."
''Turner Classic Movies''. November 7, 2017.
Plot
Buster plays a farmhand who competes with his housemate (Roberts) to win the love of the farmer's daughter (
Sybil Seely). Running from a dog that he believes is
rabid
Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, ...
, he races around brick walls, jumps through windows, and falls into a hay
thresher that rips off most of his clothes. He is forced to borrow a scarecrow's clothes in a nearby field. He then trips into a kneeling position while tying his shoes, and Sybil believes he is proposing marriage. They speed off on a motorcycle, with Joe and the farmer (played by Buster's father, Joe) in hot pursuit. Scooping up a minister during the chase, they are married on the speeding motorcycle and splash into a stream, where they are pronounced man and wife.
Cast
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Buster Keaton as Farmhand #1
*
Edward F. Cline as Hit-and-Run Truck Driver (uncredited)
*
Luke the Dog
Luke the Dog (19131926) was a Staffordshire Terrier that performed as a recurring character in American silent comedy shorts between 1914 and 1920. He was also the personal pet of actress Minta Durfee and her husband, the comedian and director Ro ...
as The
"Mad" Dog (uncredited)
*
Joe Keaton
Joseph Hallie Keaton (July 6, 1867 – January 13, 1946) was an American vaudeville performer and silent film actor. He was the father of actor Buster Keaton and appeared with his son in several films.
Life and career
Keaton was born a few mile ...
as Farmer (uncredited)
*
Joe Roberts as Farmhand #2 (uncredited)
*
Sybil Seely as Farmer's Daughter (uncredited)
*
Al St. John
Al St. John (also credited as Al Saint John and "Fuzzy" St. John; September 10, 1892 – January 21, 1963) was an early American motion-picture comedian. He was a nephew of silent film star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, with whom he often performed on ...
as Man with Motorbike (uncredited)
See also
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List of American films of 1920
This list of American films of 1920 is a compilation of American films that were released in the year 1920.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y ...
*
Buster Keaton filmography
References
External links
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*
''The Scarecrow''on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
*
''The Scarecrow''at the
International Buster Keaton Society The International Buster Keaton Society Inc.— a.k.a. "The Damfinos"—is the official educational organization dedicated to comedy film producer-director-writer-actor-stuntman Buster Keaton.
Mission
According to the Damfinos, their mission is "t ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scarecrow, The
1920 films
1920 comedy films
American silent short films
American black-and-white films
Films directed by Buster Keaton
Films directed by Edward F. Cline
1920 short films
Silent American comedy films
Films produced by Joseph M. Schenck
Films with screenplays by Buster Keaton
Articles containing video clips
1920s American films