Moonshine (1918)

“Moonshine” is a silent comedy film produced in 1918 in the United States. It was directed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle and includes Buster Keaton in its cast. The film opens with the conclusion of a long-standing feud between the Owens and the Gillettes, marked by the demise of the final Gillette family member. However, a fresh wave of challenges arises for the mountain community when a U.S. revenue agent and his assistant arrive on the scene.

In an intriguing side note, Alice Lake, the film’s leading lady, experienced an injury during its production, as reported in the December 1918 edition of Photoplay magazine. The incident occurred as she was about to mount a horse, and unfortunately, the horse accidentally stepped on her foot. Luckily, Alice was standing on a soft, sandy surface at the time, preventing any fractures, but her foot remained sore for several weeks following the mishap.

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Cast

• Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle is cast as a Revenue Agent.
• Buster Keaton takes on the role of a Revenue Agent.
• Al St. John portrays the character of a Mountain Man.
• Alice Lake plays the part of the Moonshiner’s Daughter.
• Charles Dudley features in the film.
• Joe Bordeaux, credited as Joe Bordeau, is also part of the cast.

Moonshine (1918) – Story line

The story unfolds in the Virginia Hills, where Arbuckle and Keaton assume the roles of revenue agents on a mission to apprehend bootleggers and bring them to justice. Accompanied by a multitude of volunteers (remarkably fitting into Buster’s compact car), they embark on their pursuit of the bootleggers. However, a mishap leads to Fatty and Buster becoming separated from the group, resulting in their pants getting soiled. Fatty cleans Buster in a river and leaves him suspended upside down in a tree to dry, after which he encounters Alice (Alice Lake), the daughter of Jud Grew (Dudley), the bootlegging ring’s leader. A whirlwind romance swiftly develops between Fatty and Alice.

In a confrontation with a bootlegger smitten with Alice (St. John), Fatty is reunited with Buster, and the duo stumbles upon the bootleggers’ storage area, revealing a cache of illicit moonshine. Fatty is captured and taken by the bootlegger, while Buster escapes and eliminates the lovesick rival by pushing him off a cliff.

Fatty finds himself at the bootlegger’s hideout and draws inspiration from Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo.” He engineers a daring escape by feigning death, causing the bootleggers to toss him into the river. Fatty drifts downstream before swimming to shore, where he reunites with Buster. Together, they formulate a plan to rescue Alice and dismantle the bootlegging operation. However, they realize their volunteer group is nowhere to be found. The lovesick rival bootlegger surprises them, incapacitating Buster and, with assistance from fellow bootleggers, takes Fatty to a cabin and ignites a bomb’s fuse inside. The cabin explodes but miraculously reassembles itself (achieved by running the film backward), leaving Fatty unharmed. Fatty overcomes the rival bootlegger using a specially modified gun capable of shooting around corners, while Buster deals with the remaining bootleggers, except their leader.

The leader acknowledges Fatty’s worthiness and grants him permission to marry Alice. However, Fatty surprises everyone by revealing he already has a wife. Buster steps forward to marry Alice, and Fatty departs for new adventures, descending the hills.