The Boat (1921)

Buster and his family set off on a trip in his homemade boat, but everything goes wrong. “The Boat” is a 1921 American silent comedy short, created and starred in by Buster Keaton. Many people think it’s one of his best shorts, along with “One Week” (1920), “The Playhouse” (1921), and “Cops” (1922). The film is now in the public domain. The International Buster Keaton Society, called The Damfinos, gets its name from the boat in this film.

“The Boat” is a classic Keaton film about the theme of Man Versus Machine. In the movie, chaos and disaster give the “little man” a chance to take control. After working on several two-reelers with Virginia Fox, Buster Keaton brought back Sybil Seely, intending to combine this film with “One Week” (1920) into a four-reel comedy about the misadventures of a husband and wife. However, the feature never materialised.

The playful name “Damfino,” derived from the expression “Damned if I know,” becomes clear in the final gag when Keaton mouths these words (without intertitles) in response to the question, “Where are we?”

The boat’s name, Damfino (meaning “damn if I know”), reflects Keaton’s feelings about the confusing world he faces in his films. This name is repeated many times throughout the movie and is considered one of the longest-running puns in silent film history. Keaton got the name Damfino from a powerboat in a regatta at the Actors’ Colony in Muskegon, Michigan, and he used it again for a racing boat in his 1927 film “College.”

Buster Keaton’s technical effects man, Fred Gabourie, built two boats for the filming. One was designed to sink for the famous launching scene, while the other was a fully functional boat for the rest of the shoot. However, the boat meant to sink refused to do so; even when loaded with scrap iron, the bottom fell out, and the shell floated on the surface. Conversely, the boat intended to float kept taking on water and threatened to sink. Gabourie eventually solved the problem by attaching the sinking boat to steel cables on underwater tracks, forcing it underwater. The second boat stayed afloat only because a crew inside the hull operated hand pumps.

When James Mason purchased Buster Keaton’s old house in 1952, he discovered this film along with several other lost Keaton shorts in the cellar. Since the rolls were made of nitrate, they had suffered significant disintegration. Mason ensured that this film and the other classics were saved and restored at a film lab.

(Los Angeles times – 23 Jan 1949 – Page 87)

Watch the full film by hitting the play button below.

The Boat (1921) Cast

• The Boat Builder: Buster Keaton
• SOS Receiver (uncredited): Edward F. Cline
• His Wife (uncredited): Sybil Seely

The Boat (1921) Storyline

Buster, a married man with two children, has constructed a large boat named Damfino inside his home. However, when he tries to take the boat out to sea, he realizes it’s too big to fit through the door. Despite enlarging the opening, towing the boat with his Model T car causes the house to collapse.

During the boat’s launch, Buster loses the family car. The boat smoothly navigates under low bridges in Venice, California, thanks to Buster’s clever design. Once at sea, they encounter a storm. The boat, already in poor condition, develops a leak when Buster nails a picture inside. Drilling through the bottom to drain water results in a gushing leak.

When Buster sends a Morse Code distress call, the Coast Guard dismisses it as a prank. They then use a tiny dinghy, actually a bathtub, and resign themselves to sinking until they realize they are in shallow water. They finally reach a deserted beach at night. His wife asks where they are, and Buster comically mouths “Damn if I know” to the camera.