Thursday, October 10, 2013

The Blacksmith (the 1922 version = the second version = the general release version) in benshi performance with Ichiro Kataoka

THE BLACKSMITH (Saltarello fabbro) (Comique Film Corporation, Inc., US 1922) D, SC: Buster Keaton, Mal St. Clair; P: Joseph M. Schenck; DP: Elgin Lessley; tech. dir: Fred Gabourie; C: Buster Keaton, Virginia Fox, Joe Roberts; orig. l: 550 m.; DCP (from 35 mm), 21' (transferred at 22 fps); source: Lobster Films, Paris. English intertitles, with French subtitles. Benshi commentary: Ichiro Kataoka; live M: John Sweeney, Frank Bockius. Viewed at Teatro Verdi (Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, Pordenone), with e-titles in Italian, 10 Oct 2013

Two different versions of Buster Keaton's comedy classic The Blacksmith were screened in Pordenone. About the newly rediscovered version please see the comment of Saturday, 12 October, 2013.

This general release version has gags that are not in the earlier version such as Buster Keaton, the assistant blacksmith, soiling the fine lady's white horse with grease.

A curious DCP with certain scenes repeated.

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