As I wandered through the list of rediscovered films on Wikipedia and got into the nineteen-teens there were far more titles viewable online than the prior decades. Four of the titles, three that you can view here, feature both Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton.

These are obviously two of the bigger figures in silent comedy. I know I’ve had occasion to view a few Arbuckle Keystone titles when TCM has done Mack Sennett nights, but I never really focused on him as I should have. Especially considering the fact that his star-power and acclaim were perhaps unprecedented as was his decline.

As for Keaton, the only of his films I was sure I saw of before this was Limelight. Yes, I am a Chaplin aficionado by breeding but in spite of these titles being middling you can see what both could do in glimpses. Depending on your mood you may prefer the all-out chaos of His Wedding Night, the subdued reaction Fatty has to a fire at the beginning of The Rough House or the escalating zaniness of Back Stage. Regardless, enjoy!

His Wedding Night (1917)

The Rough House (1917)

Back Stage (1919)