Directed by: Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle
Starring:
At one time Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle was as popular as Charlie Chaplin.
The teaming of Arbuckle and Keaton began to wear thin with The Hayseed. They would only make one more movie together after this one. Not only is the plot sadly like many of their other movies, but even some of the sets are the same as well. The building used for the general store looks like the same one that Arbuckle stood in front of, trying to light his cigarette in the rain, in Good Night Nurse.
In The Hayseed, Keaton runs a general store while Fatty is a mailman. In one scene he delivers the mail to a girl he likes and they end up playing hide-n-seek in the haystacks. As usual, another man has the hots for Arbuckle's girl. This time it is a crooked police officer. Keaton catches him stealing.
The best joke the movie has to offer is when Keaton suggests to Arbuckle that he eat a bunch of onions because it will make his soar throat feel better. Everyone reacting to Arbuckle's bad breath is the funniest and most original gimmick to be found here. Keaton, Arbuckle and the cop fight and do some slapstick but at this point in their film careers it was old hat.
The one noticeable change is that Arbuckle's long time companion, and nephew, Al St. John is nowhere to be seen. I am not sure why he stopped working with Arbuckle, but after watching this snooze of a comedy it was probably not a bad thing for him.
Photos © Copyright Paramount Pictures (1919)