MovieChat Forums > The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929) Discussion > Buster Keaton's Sausage Dance

Buster Keaton's Sausage Dance

posted 16 years ago by gtak77
5 replies | jump to latest

What a tedious film. Even Laurel & Hardy who I adore were not particularly funny.

But Keaton... for two minutes I laughed. When he held the sausage to his breast... then went into his hip hop breakdance... What a riot.

I've always felt Keaton was the True Comic and Cinematic genius of the silent era... even more than Chaplin. Just about every comic gag and camera trick you see in comedies from the 30s to today (not counting the more crass and rude stuff... which I do find funny as well) Keaton did back then. Now we can add "inspiration for breakdancing" to his list of accomplishments.

I'm going to dump the rest of the film and just keep the Keaton dance

[–] liscarkat-2 16 years ago

Yes, Buster saved this movie, and the rest of it after him got better than the parts before. It's too bad the MGM execs couldn't see that he was the best part of the film, and use him more effectively during the '30s.

[–] wmorrow59 14 years ago

I agree that Buster's dance was a highlight, but I wish they hadn't deliberately distorted the image to give it that "underwater" effect. I would have preferred to see the dance straight-on, without the shimmering.

Incidentally, I enjoyed Marie Dressler's number, too (i.e. "For I'm the Queen").

[–] yourauntgussie 14 years ago

Yeah -- with that stupid wavy stuff going on, it was hard to see the things he had hanging around his hips -- strainers, graters, all sorts of kitchen gadgets, as well as a hot-water bottle. I assume that the last item is for easing his injuries after all those falls!

When my husband and I watched it, I said the same thing others here apparently did -- "Look at that! Man's bustin moves that are still used today! Talk about Old School!"

dolceri ac dolcere

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jcb-nyc 9 years ago

And speaking of which, check out Bob Fosse's dance in "The Little Prince" (1974). You can see the clip on youtube.

It's like Michael Jackson just lifted the whole thing and dropped it into Billie Jean! Amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-qUMzMVzdw