Our Hospitality (1923)

Buster Keaton & John G. Blystone's “Our Hospitality”


Buster Keaton’s “Our Hospitality” is Keaton’s first feature length motion picture. It is Keaton’s first attempt at what he considers a ‘comedy epic’ in which he uses his vaudeville background to perform physical comedy, but on a grander scale. The epic nature of the film is due to the extensive setting the film contains. Keaton utilizes a train travelling across country, a large country mansion to run through, and even a dangerous river with a waterfall at the end. 

The premise of the story is taken straight out of history, specifically the legendary feud between the Hatfields and the McCoy’s. The title of the film is used to crown the piece with an arching irony. The hostility between the two families in the film directly contradicts the notion of ‘Southern Hospitality.’ It directly pokes fun at the hypocrisy of this notion as the two families are ruthless in their violence towards the other, even as they have a framed quote above their door, “Love your neighbor as you would yourself.” 

Keaton’s focus in this film seems to lie with the psychical nature of the piece, rather than any thematic elements or visual camera tricks. One of the biggest pieces of psychical comedy comes when the protagonist must travel across country by train. Keaton uses the train for various gags. The way the train continues to cause the passengers disruptions when it keeps going over bumpy terrain, the train eventually comes off the track without the conductor realizing, and the train even accidentally splits itself in two as the front comes crashing into the back. These are the various ways that Keaton pulls out the humor of the piece, as well as many others.

Overall, Keaton’s ‘Our Hospitality’ was generally entertaining. It provided a lot of visual gags that leaves the viewer amused. The themes of the piece seem to be either lost in the comedy or completed undermined. 


Best Shot:

The best shot of the film is the continued use of the shot of the “Love Thy Neighbor” piece on the wall of the family’s home. The shot is meant to completely instill in the viewer the irony of the behavior of the family – undercutting their actions and demonstrating the artificiality of their ‘Southern Hospitality’. 



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