The Rough House (1917)

“The Rough House” is a 1917 American two-reel silent comedy film that marked the debut of Buster Keaton. This comedic piece was written, directed, and stars both Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle and Buster Keaton. The film revolves around Roscoe, who operates a seaside resort with his wife and mother-in-law.

Buster Keaton plays various roles throughout the film, starting as a gardener who extinguishes a fire accidentally started by Roscoe.

He later morphs into a delivery boy and finds himself in a humorous scuffle with the cook, portrayed by St. John.

As the story progresses, Buster eventually takes on the role of a police officer, adding to the comedic chaos.

In “The Rough House,” Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle showcases a precursor to the famous “dancing dinner rolls” routine that Charles Chaplin later used in his film “The Gold Rush” (1925). Interestingly, this gag was initially attributed to Chaplin until “The Rough House,” long believed to be lost, was rediscovered, revealing that Arbuckle had performed this humorous sequence earlier.

You can watch the full movie by pressing the PLAY button below.

Cast

• Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle in the role of Mr. Rough
• Buster Keaton portraying various characters: Gardener, Delivery Boy, and Cop
• Al St. John as the Cook
• Alice Lake as Mrs. Rough
• Agnes Neilson playing the role of the Mother-in-Law
• Glen Cavender
• Josephine Stevens as the Maid

The Rough House (1917) – Story line

Mr. Rough nods off smoking and wakes to a blazing bed. Unconcerned, he leisurely fetches single cups of water, stopping to flirt with the maid and snack. Despite his wife’s pleas, he persists with this ineffective routine until getting a hose from gardener Keaton, who initially misses the flames. Rough finally extinguishes the fire.

Delivery boy Keaton arrives and chases cook St. John over the maid, prompting Rough to eject them. A cop arrests the pair, offering police work or jail.

With the cook gone, Rough bungles dinner for guests, slicing potatoes with a fan and using gasoline as rum. He ignites the steak, ruining dinner and embarrassing his wife and mother-in-law.

The “distinguished” guests are actually disguised thieves who steal Mrs. Rough’s necklace amidst the chaos. But a plainclothes officer tails them and calls the station. Now-cops Keaton and St. John comically race over, crashing into fences. They arrest the thieves as the reckless Rough reclaims the necklace.