1196 – Balloon Buster Keaton | Silent Films Sleepers
That’s no a butterfly in the dreamy sky it is Buster flying twice as high and off to dreamland.
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Episode 1196 – Balloon Buster Keaton | Silent Films Sleepers
[START OF RECORDING]
SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time for the podcaster who’s…I’m a little…I’m on the creaky side of dulcet. I don't know why that makes me think of a nineties TV show. I don't think there was…oh, Dawson’s Creek; that’s probably why. Was that in the aughts or the ninety…? On the creaky side of Dawson. Could I have ever…? There was a show…there was…it was a teen kinda soap opera — I think it was the nineties; maybe it was the aughts — called Dawson’s Creek. I think you’re with me thus far. If you’re not, you could check it out. I don't know if it had…has had a resurgence or not, but what if someone…I don't know where you’d be…if Dawson lives…well, Dawson’s creek. I’m on the creeky side of Dawson. That would be the…if you’re any…so, I think it was the town of Dawson’s Creek, right?
Oh boy, I’m off-topic early. I guess I gotta get back to this. Maybe I’ll remember it, 'cause I forgot this is just the very beginning of the podcast, not even the intro. Welcome, by the way, to Sleep With Me, whether your name’s Dawson, Pacey, or any of the other characters whose names I can’t think of. Pacey’s a very…Dawson was the name of the show. Pacey’s just a memorable name. I don't even…I’m surprised that’s in my brain. To be honest, I said, how come the filing system for a show I barely ever watched…though I did aspire to be some characters and had crushes on other characters, how come that is so readily available, but when…for actually anything useful…or if they said, okay, Final Jeopardy as Dawson’s Creek, I would not…they’d say, rhymes with Count Basey, a character on Dawson’s Creek for Final Jeopardy.
I’d have nothing in there. Basey…Masie? I put a question mark. Paisley? No. Oh, but so, this is the very opening of a podcast called Sleep With Me. It’s a podcast to help you feel less alone in the deep, dark night. If you just tuned in, you might be like, what’s this guy so excited about? Well, remembering Pacey, obviously. That’s pretty exciting. But there’s other things I’m excited about…is to keep you company in the deep, dark night, to let you know you’re not alone and that you deserve a good night’s sleep. That’s really what I’m excited about, to see if this show can help. It does take most people two or three tries to get used to this podcast. That’s just what hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people have said. I don't think we’re up to multiple millions, but probably a million people have said that.
They said, at first I didn’t like this show. I didn’t get it. Why were you in such a good mood? Where were the chimes? Where was the steady, calm voice and the breathing? I say, well, this show’s a little bit different. It’s like your friend in the deep, dark night. So, just give it a few tries. See how it goes. We also have a website with other sleep stuff on there; sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, so you could check that out if you already know…you say, for the love of James Van Der Beek, I can never…I can…I say, okay, I understand. I’d say, that’s a weird thing to be…I’d say, 'cause I didn’t say…I only have good things to say about…I said I was…that’s one of the people…that hair, particularly, that was…I mean, I don't know. Well, I couldn’t aspire to it because my hair couldn’t do that, but I would aspire to have the essence of Dawson.
Also available in my imagination; a new scent, the…about twenty-five years too late, but Essence of Dawson with…made…it’s only imaginary creek water, but not from Dawson’s creek or any creeks because it’s imaginary. Oh, so this is a podcast to keep you company while you fall asleep. What we got coming up is support — that’s how the show is free; great news, you don’t gotta pay for it — then a long, meandering intro you don’t want to miss out on even if you don’t like support of the show or whatever, because it’s meant to ease you into bedtime. We’ll obviously be talking more about how to be on the creaky side of dulcet. Wouldn’t want to be on the cranky side of Dawson, though. I don't know if Dawson was cranky. I didn’t watch enough episodes.
Maybe in-between…not in-between takes, but Dawson had to live a regular life when…they only show the interesting parts on that show; sunsets, minor…you say, we’ll…I wrote a poem in my notebook and this person…I don't know if that was a plot of an episode and they thought it was about them, but it was really about them, and…but what was I saying? Long, meandering intro that’s meant to ease you into bedtime, then we’ll have a bedtime story where we’ll look at a Buster Keaton…a silent movie. That’ll be…put you right to sleep or keep you company. So, that’s the structure of the show. I make the show, like you said, 'cause you deserve a good night’s sleep. So, I’m glad you’re here, and thanks for making it possible, my patron peeps.
INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake. It could be thoughts on your mind you’re thinking about about the past, present, the future, TV shows, streaming shows. It could be thoughts about anything. It could be emotions related to those thoughts or feelings that are just there, physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, schedule, work schedule, travel, guests, anticipation, dread.
Whatever it is, the reason I kinda go through all that is to let you know you’re not alone. There’s other people listening right now, and while I might not know exactly what you’re going through, I can guess that it’s probably not easy and I can probably relate to how it feels. I don't know if it feels anything…when I can’t sleep or when I’m thinking…thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, but I can relate…I can…if I can’t relate to how it feels, somebody listening right now probably can, and it’s important to know…for you to know we’re alone together and we’re together alone or whatever. I don't know…there’s not quite a…there’s not a…I don't know if there’s a quaint way to say it ever, but it’s not easy in the deep, dark night. That’s why I call it the deep, dark night.
But this podcast is a little bit of a salve, just to let you know, hey, there’s other people listening that know how I feel and that believe you deserve a good night’s sleep. You deserve a bedtime where you get the rest you need so your life is more manageable, a bedtime you don’t have to dread, a bedtime you could feel neutral about or look forward to. So, that’s really what this show’s here to provide, to be a friend in the deep, dark night that keeps you company, that takes your mind off of stuff, a friendly presence, and also the idea that there’s other friendly presences out there listening along at the same time as you that say…that don’t think, hey, why don’t you just try to sleep harder or whatever? Why don’t you close your eyes tighter? That know, that say, hey, this is tough and I really do want to get some rest.
So, that’s why I make the show. Those are the two reasons I make the show. What I do is I send my voice across the deep, dark night. I’m gonna use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, and superfluous tangents, which you’ve already seen; creaky related pointless meanders and superfluous tangents where I go off-topic and I don’t really know what I’m talking about, but I still keep talking. If you’re new or you’re a regular listener, believe it or not, James Van Der Beek and Dawson’s Creek have come up before in this intro. I don't know when and I don't know what I talked…maybe I talked about the creaky side of Dawson. But this one, I don't know if I laid out a geographic definition of it, because well, one, let’s use our imagination 'cause it’s…I think it’s an imaginary place.
One, you’d have to say, what is…how can you define a creaky side of town? I’d say, well, if you were in a conversation with somebody else and you were physically closer to the creek than them and you were in town or on the side of town that was closer to the creek, you’d be on the creeky side of town. So, that would be one way to define it, an easy way. But let’s also say that Dawson’s Creek has a creaky tone. Let’s just imagine its actual…a Hollywood creak. It’s a Holly…I don't know if it was filmed in Hollywood, but…and I don't mean it like people say it, like pish-posh. I mean a glamorized creek or an idealized creek. Scoots, how did…? Well, it has to be creeky. Come on. We all know…let’s not bandy about. This isn’t a debatable thing. Can there be an idealized creek? Yes, there can. What is…?
Okay, I’ll just give you my definition of an idealized creek. It’s creeky. There’s a lot of swishing water, maybe not any…giant rocks, it’s rushing, it’s swishing, it’s swashing, and maybe it has — in certain hollows or areas — a creaky tone. So, that would be the other thing. So, then you could get into…you say, wait, we’re having multiple definitions within the Dawson’s Creek…no, we don’t have to be in the city limits; in the vicinity of Dawson’s creek, in the vicinity of Dawson’s Creek within the hamlet of Dawson’s Creek. If you can hear the creek, then you’re definitely…wherever you are in conversation, you’re on the creeky side of Dawson. So, you could say…I just thought of a terrible joke about cranky Dawson. Hopefully I’ll remember it. It’s not even…it’s not…it’s just not funny.
But just using Scoots…'cause a lot of people don’t find me…you say, how do I know I’m on the cranky side of…? How…what’s the cranky side of Dawson? I say, well, if he was…whatever side of the room Scoots is sleeping on, if they’re roommates, that would be the cranky side of Dawson. Whatever side Scoots is on, that’s the cranky side of Dawson, the person…was James Van Der Beek Dawson? I don't even know, honestly. That would be embarrassing and not the first time I’ve gone on tons of tangents. Well, that would be interesting. Maybe he wasn’t, because…did he own the creek? Huh, that’s a problem, then. Yeah, it’d be strange if there was a character and he lived in Dawson’s Creek, but I don't think I should look…I don't think I should spoil it. But by the way, I think that’s the best definitely of the creeky side of Dawson.
If you’re…any town that has a creek that’s named Dawson. So, if you just live in Dawson, you could say I’m on the…I can hear the creek; I’m on the creeky side of Dawson. ‘Cause that would be…it wouldn’t be a very good way to find somebody if you were supposed to meet up. You say, meet me on the creeky side of Dawson. You say, well, that’s an eighteen-mile span because the creek’s really loud. Well, sorry, I got the idea from a sleep podcaster. You’re right. So, there you go. Meet me on the creeky side of Dawson. Some people might say meet me on the cranky side of Dawson, 'cause that’d be fun. We’d have a sleepover or whatever. Okay, I think that’s enough though, but…about Dawson’s Creek, but what about Sleep With Me? Okay, well, a couple things to know. I said why I make the show.
This podcast does take some getting used to. I think I said it before. Takes the average listener two or three tries to get used to the podcast 'cause it’s a podcast you just kind of listen to. Clearly, right? I’m just maybe…I thought Pacey was another character, so…I’m pretty sure that it was…I don't know. So, yeah, and for…Dawson’s Creek’s only a relevant pop culture reference for a very thin slice of people, I don't know, between the ages of what? Like, fifty and thirty? Fifty and…? No, I don't know. So…but that’s not important, either. You could look it up. You’d say, holy cow, Scoots was right about only one thing, that there may have been a creek…there was a show called Dawson’s Creek at one point in history.
Scoots was right about that, and James Van Der Beek was on it, and there’s a character named Pacey, so he had three things correct. He’s not…also, he goes by Jim Van Der Beek now. I’m just kidding. But that would be pretty cool if he did. You say, no, he goes by Jimmy Van Der Beek. If I met him, I would say, could I call…? I would eventually ask him. I’d say, do you mind if I call you Jimmy? Jimmy VB? No, Jimmy Van Der Beek. I’d like to call him Jimmy the Van Der Beek, but…okay, so, where was I? I was trying to introduce…was I trying to introduce a sleep podcast? Holy cow. Regular listeners are just laughing along with me, barely. Okay, so, this is a podcast you just barely listen to. It’s kinda like elevated background noise, but it has a certain insensibility, right? It’s a non-sensibility.
It’s meant to kinda barely make you laugh and barely be entertained, because the show is not here to put you to sleep. The reason the episodes are over an hour, the reason this show comes out twice a week, the reason I make every single episode different and put a lot of work into the show is because I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep, to take your mind off of stuff if you fall asleep. There’s people who are listening who can’t sleep or need a break during the day, and I’m just here to be here for you while you drift off, to be your friend in the deep, dark night, your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your bore-bestie, your neigh-bore, your bore-bor, your Borbie, your bore-bud…I don't know, bore-bruh.
So, it’s kinda like some…you called somebody and said, hey, tell me about your breakfast for an hour while I fall asleep or just to comfort me. I say, that’s what I’m here to do, to be your bore-friend. So, those are a couple things to know. The other things to know is that the show, it doesn’t work for everybody. Structurally the show is designed in a very specific way. Now, you could adjust how you listen as you become a regular listener, but let me just tell you at first the structure of the show. Show starts off with a greeting; that way you feel seen and welcomed in and you say, hey, I might check this podcast out. Then there’s support so the show could be free, paying for it’s optional, and then there’s a long, meandering intro meant to ease you into bedtime, and that’s a show within a show.
Some people get so…you wouldn’t believe the strength of…even though I have sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, but the support is separate from the intro, and the intro is really a show within a show meant to ease you into bedtime, slowly, to quiet down the day, and that’s why the intro goes on and on and on. That’s why the intro is different every single time. Who would have known we’d be talking about Dawson’s Creek and I’d look it up and probably realize that they’re…that I’m incorrect about multiple things, which is okay 'cause I’m not perfect, right? That’s one of the keys about the show, why people keep coming back. They say, oh, Scoots has got a little bit of extra human in him.
Even when he’s just making a podcast to put his best foot forward, his shoe…something with his shoes or shoelaces or socks shows his humanity. What does that have to do with the intro? Meant to ease you into bedtime…oh, so, some people are listening while they’re in bed getting comfortable; other people are getting ready for bed or doing some other wind-down activity. It’s like a landing strip. Then there’s support and then there will be a bedtime story. It’ll be a Buster Keaton movie, and then there’s thank-yous at the end. So, Dawson’s Creek, according to Wikipedia…it’s a teen drama television series. Capeside, Massachusetts. Went from ‘98 to 2003, so late nineties to the early aughts. Dawson Leery was James Van Der Beek. Pacey…I was correct. So, I said…I was correct about a couple things.
I was just trying to figure out why it’s called Dawson’s Creek. It was on the WB. Dawson, fifteen-year-old filmmaker…okay, I don't know. But…whatever. Let’s just imagine the town was called Dawson and his name was Dawson. Or whatever; my…all those analogies still work, one, for a sleep podcast, but two, for a town called Dawson. You’d say, it still works; Dawson’s…this is the creek that runs through Dawson. This particular creek is named Dawson’s Creek. Our town’s named Dawson. It could be any…well, you’d need only one creek 'cause you’ve…if it was a town with multiple…oh, Dawson. We’re the creek capital of the world, man. We got more creeks than you can shake one of those water-finding things that Scoots can’t think about what they’re called.
You know, one of those sticks that finds water at…but this…so, the analogy would work better if the town was called Dawson and there was one creek. If it was called Dawson’s Creek, that wouldn’t work 'cause you couldn’t say I’m on…well, yeah, you’d still say I’m on the creeky side of Dawson. If you said I’m on the creeky side of Dawson’s creek, you’d say, what does that mean? ‘Cause I don't…is there a difference between the two sides of the creek? So anyway, that’s everything you need to know, is that I know very little but I’m here to keep you company, maybe make you barely smile and help ease you into bedtime. So, I’m so glad you’re here. I really appreciate you coming by, and I really hope and work hard, and I yearn and I strive. I hope I can help you fall asleep, and these are a couple ways we’re able to do it for you for free twice a week.
Alright everybody, Scoots here. We’re doing another one of these Buster Keaton things, Buster Keaton…sleeping…Sleeping With Buster Keaton? I don't think that’s what I called it, but…so, yeah, it…but we’ll…this is…so, this movie’s called Balloon Bud, and it’s so…we’ll see if we can make sense of it. It’s twenty-two minutes or twenty-three minutes depending on the version you find, and it’s 1923. But we’ll run through it — I think it’s sleepy — and then we’ll see how long it takes me to meander. Maybe we’ll do two movies or maybe we’ll stop and look stuff up. I don't know. We’ll see how this goes. So, this was the first national picture, Buster Keaton in Balloon Buds. Name may have been changed to become more sleepy. Eddie Klein and Buster Keaton…written and directed. Buster’s in quotes.
Oh boy, does it start off…I was like, did this really…how it started off? Okay, so it starts off with…first off, you say, time-travel possibility, right, to start, 'cause he’s…face is lit by a cell phone. I like how it…I think the couple things that worked the first couple times I watched this is well, one, his face may be lit by a cell phone. So, his face is lit from below. I think he’s wearing makeup and you could kinda see how he’s known for having a face…an expressionless face. I think this is also the movie where I decided one day I’ll pitch a Buster Keaton…not a bio-pic, but I think I know Javier Bardem should play Buster Keaton at some point in the future, or a Buster-Keaton-like character. Maybe…I don't know. I never watched the director’s commentary or any interviews around that movie he was in with Josh Brolind.
Actually, I have watched behind-the-scenes stuff about that movie. A country where it’s…the movie’s called A Country Where We Grow Old Together, Happily Together. Josh Brolin, Tommy-Lee Jones, and Javier Bardem. Other people…a country where we all grow old together. His character…there’s a lot of movement. I don't know, it was just…it’s striking to me, maybe just me, though. But I don't know if it was in this movie 'cause I’ve watched a lot of Buster Keaton in the last two weeks. Okay, so anyway, he’s got his hat on. He’s got a tie and a coat on. His face is lit from below. Everything else is dark. It does look like a cell phone. Then he blows it out, though, so it’s a light. Then he’s in a room and there’s a lot of comedy, physical comedy. Obviously it’s…so, he goes to…he’s in some sort of bedroom or, I don't know, hall…a big living room.
He goes to one door. He looks around, then he opens the door, and there’s a surprise that says, hello. Why don’t you jump in surprise? Then he goes to another door and there’s a fog machine inside that door. Also to the left of the door is a chair. Now, these chairs…I know not everybody’s from my generation and I don't know if this was just a generational thing before my generation, but there used…so, it has this chair that people…at least we had one in my house, a really high-backed chair. I’m not talking about just a high-backed chair. It’s a chair that looks terribly uncomfortable, is terribly uncomfortable, somewhat fancy…and I didn’t live in a fancy house, either.
Usually if you were to label the chair…if it was ever actually used, you say, that’s the chair where you tie your shoes or when someone comes in and they need to sit down right away. That’s the chair. It’s like a entrance hall high-backed chair, so high that Buster Keaton standing up, the back of the chair is almost as tall as him. Ours had a wicker back and a wicker butt, which with six kids…I know it was replaced at least once in our life, 'cause…kids, if you’re listening, don’t do this to wicker stuff. I don't know if it was wicker but it’s round…I think that was wicker. I don't know, some sort of…but…a steak knife. Don’t do it, though. But you can’t help yourself when you’re a kid, but do…if you’re listening to this podcast, don’t do it. Help your…help everybody and don’t do what Scoots would ever do.
Use that as a life lesson. Let Scoots do it for you, 'cause it turns out…it comes with consequences and regrets. So, we had that chair. Ours was…it had some sort of paint on it like swirlies, and it was kind of like a black lacquer. But there’s just one to the left of this door with the fog machine. So, he opens it; he’s surprised to see fog, so he closes that door 'cause he says, I don't want to see what else is in the fog. Then he goes to a third door and apparently…oh no…yeah, so he goes to that door. First he says, well, let me get a statue in case whatever surprises me really surprises me. So, he grabs a statue to the side of the door, then opens the door, and there’s a really large effect. It’s double doors and it’s a animated…large, animated figure from a roleplaying game. I think there’s even smoke.
I don't know; for some reason this version of YouTube doesn’t have bounce-back, so I can only…but so, he’s surprised by that so much that he falls down. Then…this has gotta be the highlight. I don't even know…so this movie may, for Sleep With Me listeners and Scoots, peak way too early. Let me just see if this is a real thing. Let me look it up. Okay, let me explain it to you first. Okay, so he goes to open this third door, grabs the statue, opens the third door…surprised by this, I don't know, five-feet-tall, five-feet-wide large being that could have different flavors of breath, may have even had steam coming out its mouth that’s just in the…that pushes forward into the doorway to surprise him. So, then he finds a door in the floor, kinda like a door for stage performances, and that door opens up.
Okay, then we cut…then it cuts when he goes through the floor, and we see outside we’re at some sort of seaside amusement or…what are those things called? Boardwalk amusement. Now, I’m not making any of this up, either, and that’s why I say this peaked early. There’s something called the House of Trouble, and right when I paused it, just barely a minute in, it has a large thing; the House of Trouble. We’re getting…right now it’s a wide shot and there’s someone outside advertising for it in a suit, like barking, saying, come on in the House of Trouble. The house…if you ever wondered what it was like inside of Scoots’ brain, we’ve just seen it in three acts and three doorways; fog, something way bigger, and something from the past, you know? Past, future, imagination…five cents…I think it does have a price coming up.
There’s a few people walking by. There’s someone also in a ticket booth which is…seems to be…what is that called? The ticket booth is sunken in, and then on the roof of the ticket booth is a slide, but the slide goes right outside…my goodness. It’s very comedic, too, but there’s a slide that just goes out of the House of Trouble right out onto the side of the…the sidewalk. Oh, so gently for Buster Keaton. I think it’ll zoom in next. Let’s just see. Let’s hit Play again. So, he lands, he sits down, he looks behind him. Ten cents, trouble, trouble…get into trouble; ten cents. This dude’s like, yeah, come on in the House of Trouble. Slide on out. There’s probably other ways outside of the House of Trouble. Then a woman comes and pays. She goes up to the thing. She’s very happy. She’s totally optimistic.
She’s giggling when she gets her ticket…and hands it to her. Now, I think…I don't know if Keaton is being…he’s like, well, I gotta…he goes, I don't know what that…he goes, is that schadenfreude? They say, what are you talking about, dude? This is the House of Trouble. You get into trouble for ten cents. Just ten cents. Good question; how much was ten cents in 1923? I looked up House of Trouble, but that’s kind of a general term. Okay, this can’t be right. No, that’s for retirement. Ten cents…adjusted for inflation since 1923…$1.76. So, yeah, two bucks. Okay, so makes sense. Actually, that’s a bargain 'cause usually…but anyway, even at ten cents in 1923 dollars…so, then Keaton sits down. This carnival person or whatever is advertising, and yeah, he is…Keaton is in for…well, let’s look up schadenfreude and let’s see if Scoots can learn some stuff here.
Yeah, this was the one time I actually…using a word correctly. Pleasure from somebody else’s not having it work out, which you could say by viewing this you’re doing it, but we’re not…we’re delving in. So, then he sits down, then he gets up off the curb and he clears out…there’s a couple leaves or something on the area where the slide should end, and clearly this is a relatable character. I read into a little bit of Keaton’s history, so he is relatable to me in more than…but he’s not a patient…his character’s not a patient person. Then he sits back down and he can’t…he’s like…then he stands back up, then…he can’t wait. Then he tries to flirt with somebody walking by. That doesn’t go well, so then he has low…let down. Then they say, you want some schadenfreude?
Then the woman comes down the slide and gently arrives with Keaton…connects with Keaton. She says, so much fun. She goes right back in. That’s the end of that sequence, but let’s just see…I looked up…it’s just a hard…let’s go to this other tab. There’s a lot of things called the House of Trouble, and…Mickey Mouse funhouse; no. House of Trouble lyrics…funhouse…so, I don't know if we’ll ever know. I mean, not right now, but…I don't know. I had no idea there’d be something called the House of Trouble where you’d be surprised. But then he goes off and then he sees…I think it was the same woman he was trying to flirt with. She’s trying to cross a puddle. This was always a thing; I guess in silent films and cartoons, which…with Looney Toons with Bugs Bunny and maybe even Donald Duck, this was a staple of these type of cartoons.
There was a time…and you always say what…? Kids today say, what’s up with these adults? You say, okay, well here’s the thing; when we were…our value system was based on consumption of media to encourage us to eat sugared cereal, mostly, and drink juice boxes that contain no juice, and Fruit-by-the-Foot, which was…I don't know if that contained any fruit, either. Or, what were they called? Before that Fruit-by-the-Foot, it was Roll-ups. But by the way, during that consumption, one of the standard values from the past…because we were already watching rerun cartoons, so I don't even know when these cartoons were made. There was this thing that said, one of the value system our society has is that there’s something with puddles, and puddles form a huge opportunity for romance and chivalry, but also a huge challenge.
So, this is what happens here, is there’s a puddle…but usually it’s also set up as a expectation, in this case very well, but because we’ve been set up with this expectation enough, it doesn’t…it’s not as surprising as the whole House of Trouble thing, which because this movie actually has a very…I would say a cold open; you just get Keaton in this room…but so, he goes and tries to lay his jacket down to show his chivalrousness, and she goes and steps in his jacket, gets in a car with another dude, and they drive off. Then his jacket’s soaking wet. Then we see Ye Olde Mill. This must be a movie. Also there’s…so then he’s flirtatious or something. He sees this woman going to a movie, Ye Olde Mill…or is it a ride? I guess it’s another ride? But there was ice cream for sale. I wanted to see how much that ice cream was. Can we go back?
Yeah. So, there’s also a ice cream stand behind…in the background, so I wanted to price that out as well, if we can. So, I rewound it. She’s getting picked up in a car, some sort of T-model-type car. 1923 was when…okay, so, soft drinks of all makes, crescent ice cream…oh, I missed it again. Maybe we’ll get another shot of it. One cent for something? Wish I had the thing where I could just jump back. Oh well. So, she pays for a ticket to go on Ye Olde Mill, then he buys a ticket. Oh, so this is a water ride. I forgot…I already forgot. It’s a boat ride, so then they’re in the same boat together. She also has a really cool purse, by the way, and…kinda like Journey Into the Pirate’s Friendship or whatever, they go off. They do a fade-in, then they fade back out. He is…what is his…? His hat is messed up.
So, it looks like he was…so, it’s like a…it looks like his hat got wet in the water. The same day, the National Geographic…Graphical Society was sending an explorer on a scientific expedition. So, now he’s all down. He leaves the fair and he sees a balloon. Now, it must not be a hot-air balloon; it must be a helium balloon. There’s about fifteen monopoly men, one of whom looks like Brian Cox. They’re getting this balloon ready to go up. It’s got also…it’s got a wash tub, a bunch of things, a good-luck banner…they say, hey, Buster…Buster Keaton…they’re like, hey, hang this banner up on the top, man. Then this person from the Explorers…National Geographic or whatever gets in there and he pulls something that causes it to take off, but actually there’s a hole in the basket.
This is the second Buster Keaton movie with a hole in the basket. The other one was on the way to a vet appointment. But Buster Keaton was on top of the balloon when it took off with the good-luck banner. Again, this…I don't know if this was the…this was pioneering, but…if this was the first time, but this has been a thing seen in action movies and probably comedies, too. So, he’s standing on top of the balloon. So, then they cut back with the balloon and he’s climbing down the balloon, and then they show the monopoly men being like, what…by…my word. Who makes baskets here in this silent movie era? Then Keaton gets in the basket, realizes the basket has no bottom, then it was pretty cool…of him trying to sit himself in the basket.
Then some time has elapsed and he’s been in the basket so long that he’s doing his laundry. But he has found a way to stand up in the basket. He’s even trying to dry his laundry. He puts out some wooden ducks 'cause he says, I decided I want some pets and I want to make a mobile. Then of course he realizes there’s a bird on his balloon, then his balloon oh-so gently deflates, and then he finds himself at the top of a tree, covered in a balloon. Then after a little vulcanizing, the prince and the balloon pause to get their second wind, according to the card…word card. So, then we see him working some sort of…I don't know what he’s working on. Some sort of of pipe. I don't know if he’s filling it with hot air. He also has a canoe, a three-part canoe, which he ties together, or maybe he found somebody else’s canoe?
I didn’t understand that. Then we see a woman fishing, then he’s getting ready to go fishing. Again, this was…I guess I’m still confused by it all. Whatever. He goes fishing. He’s got waders on. I think he’s doing fly fishing, though I’m not…he goes in ‘til it’s really…’til he ends up swimming. He doesn’t connect…successfully connect…collect any fish, but his waders fill up with water. Then he does a handstand to get the water out of his waders; that was good. He actually is good at handstands, I think from a yoga perspective. The water’s really moving, so I’d say, hey, I don't think you’re gonna catch any fish. Then he ends up hooking his rear end, and then he hooks his rear end over a branch. We also see this woman fishing. I think she thinks she’s catching something.
I don't know if it’s his…at this point he’s…his pants are falling down, he can bare…he’s waddling, he’s got string everywhere, he’s lost his fishing pole. So, then he starts fishing just by…he’s holding the fishing line by his hand and he’s out on a little isthmus or peninsula. Then he gets in the water, and it’s very comedic, him moving around. I think there’s even a fish. Very good humor. Then he’s trying to…he’s using his pants to get…keep some fish moving, maybe? Then we cut back to the woman fishing. She actually catches a fish, but then in whatever this…just like the wicker chairs, her fish basket has a hole in it. Then we see him go up a smaller creek. He’s guiding the fish. He’s saying, go this way. Then he tries to build his own dam. I don't know, then we see the woman is camping.
Then he has built…fully built a dam. I say, well, that’s quite good work there. The woman that was fishing is now swimming, and his dam is holding back a significant amount of water. The dam he’s built is about…if he’s five foot six, it’s five feet high. Clearly you kinda get an idea. He starts picking up fish, so I guess he’s blocking a small creek tributary that should go into the…was this the intro where we talked about Dawson’s creek? This could be Dawson’s creek he’s backed up. No, I think that’s the next silent movie we have the Dawson’s creek one. Okay, so in the future, Scoots will talk about Dawson’s creek. Okay, he’s still…then he has a fish in his shirt. Not ants in his pants; now he’s got a fish in his waders, so he’s dancing around. Wader like W-A-D-E-R-S, not…okay, then we see this…the woman that was fishing, she’s getting ready to go for a swim.
He’s still got fish in his pants. Then the…his dam fails. He starts swimming, but he’s not very good at swimming so he’s doing a lot of flopping, I think 'cause his waders are so full of water. This is a big creek to a river-size thing, so he’s floating around. That was pretty funny. The female fisherman does a giant…a very nice dive into the water, bumps into him, and then she says, what are you doing standing in my way when I’m trying to swim? Get outta my river, man. Then he goes out of the river, walking. She throws something after him. It’s like, you really ruined my dive into this water. So, he’s waddling away on his waders. We fade out, fade back in. He’s got a three-piece canoe now. He’s got two tennis rackets. I don't know if that’s what he’s gonna use for the canoe.
Oh no; he does have a paddle, but I’m sure he’ll be using his tennis rackets, too. Oh, the canoe…then he starts paddling. He doesn’t realize he’s still tied to shore on a stick. Then his canoe falls apart 'cause it’s made of three pieces that are just interconnected. I would say, you’re not getting me in that canoe. So, he loses one-third of his canoe, then he has to go back. I don't know, I’ve seen those foldable canoes, though, so who am I to judge, right? So, we keep seeing his not success, and then the woman who was fishing, she’s actually now cooking her dinner. He finally fishes a fish. Oh, instead of a net, he uses a tennis racket to scoop it out of the water. He was sitting in his canoe on the shore. Okay, then he doesn’t…he’s not…then he tries to cook the fish in the canoe on a tennis racket.
Oh, inside of two tennis rackets so he can flip it. So, obviously that doesn’t go well, but that’s a really good effect, too. So, I guess thinking about it that this is fiction, it’s really good effects. He realizes…I’m not supposed to have my cooking element for my fish in the canoe? Then we have a really good sequence of…just a brief one where the woman who was fishing — it’s actually kind of a universal experience — she pours herself a cup of coffee or tea from her campsite, and it’s very warm so she…steams out her mouth, but she kinda makes the typical face that’s slightly comedic of if you had something too hot. Then we go back to Keaton. He’s finally in the…now he’s trying to canoe down the…downstream, and he’s not doing bad in the first couple seconds. He just has to guide himself. Then we see a bunny.
At this point, his canoe…I guess you can…oh no, okay, so he’s walking. So then we see the canoe’s around his waist and he must have canoe…what do you call that? Where you got…canoe suspenders. Then we see the bunny has a baby, then we see the bunny has one, two, three, four, five, six babies. He stops; he says, those are cute babies. But he’s still walking with his canoe waistband. Then he gets back in; he’s paddling. Again, I don't know if this was the first time we’ve seen these on…these type of effects on film 'cause I’m not…but if…these are common things we would see today. I’m sure if you saw one of the fun beta breakers, there’s probably someone running with a canoe or a kayak, right, as…his suit? Then he overturns it, so there’s a cool thing with his legs.
Now, the woman at her campsite, she’s cooking dinner, maybe, or making something else. She goes, even though this guy ruined my swim, I’ll pull him…I’ll help him turn over. So, she tries to throw a rope to him, but he’s kinda dancing. She tosses the rope but doesn’t manage to hold on. Let’s see, then he…then she gets to the boat. She turns it over; she realizes it’s just his waders. Then he, again, comes up from swimming and knocks her back in the water. But they help each other out of the water and then they sit down on the shore. She says, I’m cross with you. Then he spits some water out, puts his hat on. Fade out again. Now we have…okay, I guess this is gonna be a big sequence. He has the canoe and it looks like it has some sort of canopy on it or something. Then we see a bull.
Oh, and the woman that was swimming has encountered a bull. So, she says, oh, this is a prototypical thing, so come…and he has a picnic blanket and an oar. She’s across the water and…okay, that’s a good one. That’s sixteen or seventeen minutes in. He jumps in the water to swim to the other side, but he is shallow water, so he’s swimming while he’s stationary. Like, his belly’s on the bottom of the creek. Okay, then we cut back. He’s crossing the creek and then he’s trying to be stealthy with the bull. Then he uses, actually, one of those squirt things with the pump that sprays a ton of water that people use in pools, and instead of the bull, he sprays her. Then he seems to use some sort of fog machine. Yeah, or maybe those…a smoke machine or something.
Then she goes up to the bull and says, hey bull, let’s not be cross with one another. The bull says, okay. She goes, why don’t we work together? ‘Cause I’m pretty powerful. The bull says, clearly you are. Then she takes off and is relieved that she’s done with this bull but that she had taken…then she sees him. She goes, get over here, but he walks off in the opposite direction. She goes, get over here, and he walks off again. But I think she’s trying to help him, but he doesn’t realize it. So, then she chases him; he runs off. She goes, fine. But what he doesn’t realize is there’s another forest friend that starts to follow him, but he’s clueless so he’s just walking and forest friends are following him. Then she’s getting firewood ready, so we see her getting firewood ready. Even chop, chop, timber, she says.
That was a game I used to play in my bed. He’s still walking, being followed by a forest friend, but I will pause it to tell you what chop, chop, timber was. So, chop, chop, timber was a game me and my siblings would play, but I shared it on the podcast many, many years ago. Apparently I didn’t make it up. I thought I did, but someone must have taught it to me or it’s a ubiquitous game. You can play it as an adult, though it’s been a while, but I will play it after…I swear I’ll play it after recording. But now if you…if a hotel has its own TV channel or they pay people to do hotel reviews, people do a reverse…where they fall into the bed. I don't know, we…my daughter and I, we go to…we went to Universal maybe…I don't know, not…but we watched their TV channel.
Their hotel TV channel only has one loop, like a two-minute loop, and the family…80% of the loop is the family doing selfies of them falling into the beds. But they fall backwards, but I’ve seen it in other YouTube videos, too. But chop, chop, timber’s different. So, when we were kids, we had twin beds, obviously, or maybe not obviously. This must have been pre-bunk beds, 'cause you can’t do it in a bunk bed. So, you stand at the head or the foot of your bed. Obviously you want to make sure you have enough clearance, so you wanted to be a kid that’s shorter than the length of your bed. You don’t have to stand elevated; you could just stand at the head of your bed, though I’m sure it would be cooler if you were elevated, but you don’t have to be.
Then you just take your hand, you flatten your hand out as if it was some sort of chopping device, and then you chop yourself. That’s it. You go, chop, chop, timber, and then you fall forward like a tree. So, you just chop yourself at the mid…I would chop myself at the mid section so that I could stand upright. I guess technically you’d want to chop yourself at the ankles. But you’re chopping yourself because if someone else was chopping you, you probably couldn’t…it’d be like, don’t chop me like that, man. But I guess if you saw me chopping, you’d say, Scoots, but you’re falling at your ankles. I say, it’s a…I guess it’s a proverbial. But yeah, you do chop, chop, timber, and then you just fall forward through your natural momentum onto your bed. That’s it.
Now, you can do…'cause I would share the…I shared a room with my brother. So, you could do it in sync. That was when it was really fun, or if three people were doing it. Or sometimes I think my sister would be in her room, so we’d do it synchronized. That’s really it; chop, chop, timber. Yeah, it’s not an excite…you say, what kind of games…what do sleep podcasters do as children to prepare to be…for a career of boring people? Chop, chop, timber’s one of them. It was pretty exciting to me. We didn’t have tablets, so any of you laughing that are younger…at some point around…even on the weekends, there was no consumable programming for children, so…and usually there was only one or two devices in your home that could consume media. So, this is what we were forced to do with ourselves.
That’s why somebody came up with this idea of puddles being a big obstacle for people. I realize it was more of the idea of, whatever, the warped values of our time. But not chop, chop, timber. Chop, chop, timber’s just good child…good fun. Okay, back to this video, though, or movie. So, he’s being followed by a forest friend. He’s walking casually, then he sees a squirrel. So, then he starts crawling after a squirrel, but meanwhile a forest friend is crawling right behind him. So, they’re both crawling along. The woman who was swimming can see all this. Then Keaton tries to encounter the squirrel. He sees another forest friend who sniffs and licks him, and the other forest friend pats his behind and laughs. Then it all works out great.
He realizes, actually, they’re not forest friends; they’re people dressed up like forest friends. I don't know why that’s impressive, but some reason…oh, 'cause he wrote the movie himself. He says, I can’t believe two people would dress like forest friends. He’s doing a lot of pacing. He rolls up one shirt and he says…but then the people are dressed…moving around again. He says, wait a second, the people are dressed as forest friends; now they’re…or are they forest friends? Then they’re leaning back-to-back, but he says don’t you realize they might be forest friends? Then they get in the canoe that has a canopy over it. He pushes it into the water. I’m presuming…so, now it looks like it’s a canoe with a canopy. They’re going down the water. He leans back. Then we see the forest friend and he’s like…whatever.
She says, don't worry about it. Let’s just float in the canal. Then he starts playing something on a ukulele, then we see a big waterfall. Now, that’s not a great effect 'cause it was a long time ago, and the waterfall is a model of a waterfall shot in a little bit slower or, I don't know, a different…she pecks him on the cheek. So, we see, yeah, it’s a model and it’s just…what…not stop-motion, but…holy cow, actually, so this is interesting. Wow. So, this is really interesting. I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. I’ll throw this idea out. So, this is the exact same idea I had for a updated version of the Jungle Cruise if they moved…so, Disney World and Disneyland have this ride, the Jungle Cruise, right? I guess it doesn’t need to be messed with 'cause it mostly relies on the skipper being very entertaining and doing these dad-joke-type jokes.
They have updated some of the animatronics, but I always thought, oh, if they moved it to the Animal Kingdom and they wanted to do it with real animals, then they could take all the animatronics and put them in the queue. But I thought it would be cool…and this is the same thing they do here. I guess I’ll play out the end of the movie 'cause there’s only thirty seconds left. So, they go over the waterfall but they stay in the air, because then you realize, oh, the canoe and the thing is attached to the balloon. So you go, okay. Then that’s the gimmick. But then two ends of the balloon fall off. But they start kissing, and it fades out. The end. But so, the thing was that I thought that…would be cool is that…so, okay, so you got the Jungle Cruise, right? It’s alright, but…I don't know, recently it’s a pretty long line for it, so obviously I’m…it doesn’t need to be changed and there’d probably be a lot of pushback.
That’s why I said, if you made a new Jungle Cruise, one, you’d move it somewhere. Because at least in the…both Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, that’s a big piece of land that they could use for more modern attractions. Now, I’m not saying there’s not a lot of nostalgia and stuff, but moving it to Animal Kingdom where there’s actual animals and then, I don't know, putting everything in the queue or, whatever, figuring out a way to keep the animatronics…but that would be the effect that I had planned, is that…so, you’d be in the same kind of boat you’re in, this Jungle-Cruise-type boat, but at some point…now, I couldn’t figure out how to achieve the…where…I guess everybody would know about it anyway, but I think it would be a glass-bottom boat so you could actually go through places and see real animals.
But then because they have…what do they call that? Safari-type ride…if you could have it be where somehow you gain elevation during the ride…maybe that’s a part with the regular Jungle Cruise? I don't know…that you are…look like you’re gonna go over a waterfall, but the thing is actually…what do you call that? It’s got a…it’s like a gondola, too. So, the same effect, and then you go out over the…what do you call that? The Safari ride and you could see…you could go over some of the enclosures or see the animals from above. Now, I know people are always throwing stuff, so you’d have to figure out…that part out, too, and it would cost a bunch of money so they’d never do it, but it would be so cool to be in a boat and then your boat actually goes…and then it’s free-flying. So, it’s a actual floating boat and a gondola.
So, it’s cool to see it, that Buster Keaton already figured that out a long time ago as an effect for the movie. So, let me just try to figure out, though, this funhouse, man, because I really would love to check it out. But I don't know how to Google something that’s so generally…House of Trouble funhouse; that doesn’t work. House of Trouble…let’s try amusement. Amusement park? House of Trouble…there’s funhouse…something about other things. Mysteries…Matel…House of Trouble boardwalk brings up stuff about Boardwalk Empire and boardwalks. Let’s just try House of Trouble, Buster Keaton. But I don't know, that’ll…that might bring up the name of the movie. B-U-S-T-E-R. House of Trouble, Buster Keaton. Oh, at the House of Trouble…I think that’s just a sequence from the movie.
Yeah, it doesn’t bring up anything…oh, here’s Chaplin Keaton Lloyd film locations. This is a…silent film film locations. Let’s see what this one is, silentlocations.com by John Bengtson, a great detective of silent film locations. This is a blog, so…oh, it’s really deep, so let’s see if there’s just one. He does lectures…Chaplin Keaton and Lloyd tours on Hollywood Boulevard, Buster Keaton studio tour, Buster Keaton Hollywood tour, Silent Echoes tour, Harold Lloyd film location book, Silent Visions, Chaplin film location book, Silent Traces, and his Keaton film location book, Silent Echoes. Yeah, let’s see. Newport Beach…Sherlock Junior, the boat…oh yeah, let’s just kinda slowly…San Francisco daydreams, the navigator…Steamboat Bill…that was in Sacramento. So, that might be another resource if we were actually…let’s see, this one’s searshomes.org.
Buster Keaton in Sears Homes. This is a pre-cut kit house in 1920. This is another movie. Ready-to-assemble house. We won’t ruin it in case we do it, but it’s…these Sears homes were ready-cut homes. Quickly, easily, economically. These are the kinda things that are coming back now. Framing members were shown marked to…thing. This is a book about it; buy the Sears Homes book. So, yeah, a lot of pieces of history here. But yeah, I can’t find anything about this House of Trouble, so maybe it was just made for the movie? Maybe if I put ‘House of Trouble 1920’ as we kinda roll towards the end here. House of Trouble, 1920s…no, they never…it just brings up houses. They definitely need more rooms and more stuff to do than they had there, but it still looks like it would have been a cool thing to check out. I don't know, maybe I need to learn more about funhouses from the 1920s to get to the bottom of this. But yeah, for the time being, that’s a little bit about silent films…sleeping through silent films while Scoots rambles on and on and on. Goodnight, everybody.
[END OF RECORDING]
(Transcribed by Leah Hervoly)
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Silent Film Sleepers
Dawson’s Creek
https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/1/25/16911234/dawsons-creek-20-years-love-triangle-joey-pacey
https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/dawsons-creek-music-soundtrack-history-interview-8095191/
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/01/dawsons-creek-20th-anniversary-writers-room
The Balloonatic
https://archive.org/details/vidtb_201705
https://www.vice.com/en/article/vvyx9j/why-buster-keatons-the-og-of-physical-comedy
https://travsd.wordpress.com/2023/01/22/buster-keatons-the-balloonatic/
Movie Visual Language
https://industrialscripts.com/cinematic-language/
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/soviet-montage-theory/
Silent Film Locations
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/chaplin-keaton-lloyd-silent-film-alley
DOWN TO BUSINESS
I’m on the creaky side of dulcet
Why do I remember Dawson’s Creek so easily?
Essence of Dawson
Deep Dark Night United
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INTRO
Maybe there’s some dread involved
We’re alone together and we’re together alone
A friendly presence that won’t cajole you for not trying harder
James Vanderbeek and Dawson’s Creek have come up before you
The Geographic Definition of Dawson’s Creek
The Creaky Side of Town
A real Hollywood Creek
Scooter’s Ideal Creek
Swishing water, no giant rocks, rushing, swishing, swashing, and a creaky tone
In the vicinity of Dawson’s Creek
If you can hear the creek, you’re on the Creaky Side of Dawson
What’s the Cranky Side of Dawson? Wherever Scooter is
Did James Vanderbeek own the creek?!
How does Pacey fit into all this?
Can I call you Jimmy Vanderbeek?
Dawson’s Creek Facts
Who thought I’d get here?
Oh, the town isn’t even called Dawson’s Creek? What?
Dawson, the Creek capital of the world
I guess this analogy still works in certain contexts
STORY
Buster Keaton Sleeps
Balloon Bud
First National Picture
Is this really how it starts?
Is his face lit by a cellphone?
Javier Bardem should play a Buster Keaton like character some day
Oh, must be a candle
A lot of physical comedy in this room
A surprise at one of the doors
A fog machine in another door
A really high-backed chair
A wicker back and a wicker butt
Don’t cut wicker with a steak knife, kids
He’s surprised to see fog
Going to a 3rd door
This movie may have peaked way too early
Grabs a statue for self-defense
A large being that’s 5 feet wide and 5 feet tall
A being with different flavors of breath
A trapdoor that opens up
Cut to a boardwalk amusement
The House of Trouble
This whole sequence is the perfect analogy of my brain
A sunken-in ticket booth
A slide on the roof of the ticket booth
A slide right out onto the sidewalk
10 cents for the House of Trouble
A woman comes and pays
Is that schadenfreude?
How much was 10 cents in 1923?
$1.76 – decent price
Oh, I was using schadenfreude correctly
I can relate to Buster Keaton in several ways
He’s not a patient person
Unsuccessful sidewalk flirting
Woman comes down to side and gently connects with Keaton
There are a lot of things called The House of Trouble
He sees the flirting woman from earlier
The Classic Crossing a Puddle Trope
The idea of the puddle really impacted my generation
Puddles as opportunity for chivalry and romance
His puddle play doesn’t work
Ye Olde Mill
Is it a movie or a ride?
How much does that ice cream cost?
Oh right, this is a boat ride
She has a really cool purse
He’s in a boat with someone else
A Scientific Balloon Research Experiment
One of these scientists looks like Brian Cox
This is the second Buster Keaton appointment with a whole in a basket
He’s standing on top of the balloon as it ascends
Keaton gets into the basket and realizes there’s no bottom
He’s in it so long that he’s doing laundry
Making a life in the balloon
The balloon deflates and he lands in a tree
How did he get this 3 part canoe?
He doesn’t successfully get any fish
He does a handstand to get water out of his waders
He hooks his own rear end
A woman is fishing
He’s lost his pole and his pants
He’s fishing by hand
Very Good Humor, here
Woman fishing actually catches a fish
Her fish basket has a hole in it
He tries to build his own dam
The woman that was fishing is now swimming
His dam is very successful
Maybe he backed up Dawson’s Creek!
His dam fails
He’s more flopping than swimming
The woman tells BK to get out of the river
We keep seeing his not success and the woman’s actual success
He uses a tennis racket to scoop up a fish
These are really good fish effects
A really great sequence
Fishing Woman pours herself some tea
The relatable face after you drink something too hot
He’s actually walking with the canoe around his waist
The bunny has babies
These must have been some pioneering filmic ideas
He capsizes and she helps him
She’s still cross with him
Another sequence
A canoe and a canopy
The woman has encountered a bull
Help me, this is a prototypical thing!
Trying to be stealthy with the bull
He tries to squirt the bull, but squirts the woman
She talks some reason into the bull
Another forest friend starts following BK
Memories of Chop Chop Timber
It’s like falling into the bed
You can’t play Chop Chop Timber in a bunk bed
I should’ve chopped myself at my ankles
Chop Chop Timber definitely prepared me to be a sleep podcaster
He’s chasing a squirrel
Oh, they’re people dressed up like forest friends
Back to the Canoe
He’s playing something on a ukulele
A waterfall model
She pecks him on the cheek
Whoa, this is exactly like how I thought they could update the Jungle Cruise!
They go over the waterfall, but they stay in the air
The canoe is attached to the balloon
They start kissing, the end
Back to the Jungle Cruise
Move Jungle Cruise to the Animal Kingdom with actual animals!
Put the animatronics in the queue
It could have a glass bottom boat
Safari-Type Ride (STR)
You think you’re going over a waterfall, but then it’s actually a gondola!
An Actually Floating Boat
I’d love to figure out this fun house thing
Is the House of Trouble real?
Silent Film Locations
Oh, wow, this is really in depth
Chaplin Keaton Lloyd Film Locations
Buster Keaton and the Sears House
Maybe I need to learn about more fun houses in the 1920s first…
PATREON THANKS
Molly, Abby, Becca, Carrie, Sene, Shauna, Daniel S, Daniel R, James, Regina, Alicia, Em, Monica, Bebop, Meesh, Patrick, Shaina, Jessie, K, Priyanka, Caras, Math, Mark, Lisa, Dara, Emily, Uliana, Lily, James, Mary, Emily, Ben, Amanda
SUMMARY:
Episode: 1,196
Title: Balloon Buster Keaton | Silent Film Sleepers
Deep Dark Night United: Looking for all kinds of supporters (spread the word, patreon, or sponsor supporter)
Plugs: Northwoods Baseball Sleep Radio; WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strike Support; The Midnight Mission; Orlando Park Stop/Trevor Project; Patreon; SleepPhones; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline; Annual Survey
Sponsors: Odoo; Polysleep; Helix Sleep
Patreon Thanks: Molly, Abby, Becca, Carrie, Sene, Shauna, Daniel S, Daniel R, James, Regina, Alicia, Em, Monica, Bebop, Meesh, Patrick, Shaina, Jessie, K, Priyanka, Caras, Math, Mark, Lisa, Dara, Emily, Uliana, Lily, James, Mary, Emily, Ben, Amanda
Notable Language:
- For the love of James Vanderbeek
- Essence of Dawson
- Glamorized Creek
- The Cranky Side of Dawson
- Schadenfreude
- The House of Trouble
- W-A-D-E-R-S
- Canoe Waistband
- Chop Chop Timber
- Safari-Type Ride (STR)
Notable Culture:
- Dawson’s Creek
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- Buster Keaton
- Count Basie
- James Vanderbeek
- Balloon Bud
- Javier Bardem
- No Country For Old Men
- A Country Where We All Grow Old Together
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Brian Cox
- National Geographic
- Jungle Cruise
- Sears
Notable Talking Points:
- Maybe there’s some dread involved
- We’re alone together and we’re together alone
- A friendly presence that won’t cajole you for not trying harder
- James Vanderbeek and Dawson’s Creek have come up before you
- The Geographic Definition of Dawson’s Creek
- The Creaky Side of Town
- A real Hollywood Creek
- Scooter’s Ideal Creek
- Swishing water, no giant rocks, rushing, swishing, swashing, and a creaky tone
- In the vicinity of Dawson’s Creek
- If you can hear the creek, you’re on the Creaky Side of Dawson
- What’s the Cranky Side of Dawson? Wherever Scooter is
- Did James Vanderbeek own the creek?!
- How does Pacey fit into all this?
- Can I call you Jimmy Vanderbeek?
- Dawson’s Creek Facts
- Who thought I’d get here?
- Oh, the town isn’t even called Dawson’s Creek? What?
- Dawson, the Creek capital of the world
- I guess this analogy still works in certain contexts
- Buster Keaton Sleeps
- Balloon Bud
- First National Picture
- Is this really how it starts?
- Is his face lit by a cellphone?
- Javier Bardem should play a Buster Keaton like character some day
- Oh, must be a candle
- A lot of physical comedy in this room
- A surprise at one of the doors
- A fog machine in another door
- A really high-backed chair
- A wicker back and a wicker butt
- Don’t cut wicker with a steak knife, kids
- He’s surprised to see fog
- Going to a 3rd door
- This movie may have peaked way too early
- Grabs a statue for self-defense
- A large being that’s 5 feet wide and 5 feet tall
- A being with different flavors of breath
- A trapdoor that opens up
- Cut to a boardwalk amusement
- The House of Trouble
- This whole sequence is the perfect analogy of my brain
- A sunken-in ticket booth
- A slide on the roof of the ticket booth
- A slide right out onto the sidewalk
- 10 cents for the House of Trouble
- A woman comes and pays
- Is that schadenfreude?
- How much was 10 cents in 1923?
- $1.76 – decent price
- Oh, I was using schadenfreude correctly
- I can relate to Buster Keaton in several ways
- He’s not a patient person
- Unsuccessful sidewalk flirting
- Woman comes down to side and gently connects with Keaton
- There are a lot of things called The House of Trouble
- He sees the flirting woman from earlier
- The Classic Crossing a Puddle Trope
- The idea of the puddle really impacted my generation
- Puddles as opportunity for chivalry and romance
- His puddle play doesn’t work
- Ye Olde Mill
- Is it a movie or a ride?
- How much does that ice cream cost?
- Oh right, this is a boat ride
- She has a really cool purse
- He’s in a boat with someone else
- A Scientific Balloon Research Experiment
- One of these scientists looks like Brian Cox
- This is the second Buster Keaton appointment with a whole in a basket
- He’s standing on top of the balloon as it ascends
- Keaton gets into the basket and realizes there’s no bottom
- He’s in it so long that he’s doing laundry
- Making a life in the balloon
- The balloon deflates and he lands in a tree
- How did he get this 3 part canoe?
- He doesn’t successfully get any fish
- He does a handstand to get water out of his waders
- He hooks his own rear end
- A woman is fishing
- He’s lost his pole and his pants
- He’s fishing by hand
- Very Good Humor, here
- Woman fishing actually catches a fish
- Her fish basket has a hole in it
- He tries to build his own dam
- The woman that was fishing is now swimming
- His dam is very successful
- Maybe he backed up Dawson’s Creek!
- His dam fails
- He’s more flopping than swimming
- The woman tells BK to get out of the river
- We keep seeing his not success and the woman’s actual success
- He uses a tennis racket to scoop up a fish
- These are really good fish effects
- A really great sequence
- Fishing Woman pours herself some tea
- The relatable face after you drink something too hot
- He’s actually walking with the canoe around his waist
- The bunny has babies
- These must have been some pioneering filmic ideas
- He capsizes and she helps him
- She’s still cross with him
- Another sequence
- A canoe and a canopy
- The woman has encountered a bull
- Help me, this is a prototypical thing!
- Trying to be stealthy with the bull
- He tries to squirt the bull, but squirts the woman
- She talks some reason into the bull
- Another forest friend starts following BK
- Memories of Chop Chop Timber
- It’s like falling into the bed
- You can’t play Chop Chop Timber in a bunk bed
- I should’ve chopped myself at my ankles
- Chop Chop Timber definitely prepared me to be a sleep podcaster
- He’s chasing a squirrel
- Oh, they’re people dressed up like forest friends
- Back to the Canoe
- He’s playing something on a ukulele
- A waterfall model
- She pecks him on the cheek
- Whoa, this is exactly like how I thought they could update the Jungle Cruise!
- They go over the waterfall, but they stay in the air
- The canoe is attached to the balloon
- They start kissing, the end
- Back to the Jungle Cruise
- Move Jungle Cruise to the Animal Kingdom with actual animals!
- Put the animatronics in the queue
- It could have a glass bottom boat
- Safari-Type Ride (STR)
- You think you’re going over a waterfall, but then it’s actually a gondola!
- An Actually Floating Boat
- I’d love to figure out this fun house thing
- Is the House of Trouble real?
- Silent Film Locations
- Oh, wow, this is really in depth
- Chaplin Keaton Lloyd Film Locations
- Buster Keaton and the Sears House
- Maybe I need to learn about more fun houses in the 1920s first…
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