College | 1927 | Silent comedy

Title: College | 1927 | Silent comedy Director: James W. Horne, Buster Keaton Studio: Joseph M. Schenck Productions Starring: Buster Keaton, Anne Cornwall, Harold Goodwin Release Date: September 10, 1927 Runtime: 67 minutes Format: Silent, black-and-white; 35mm; 1.33:1; 6 reels Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Comedy, Sports --- Chapters: 00:00:00 “Brains vs. Brawn” graduation speech 00:12:00 Freshman arrival and campus jobs 00:28:00 Athletic tryouts and setbacks 00:45:00 Regatta and coxswain scheme 00:55:00 Dorm rescue and epilogue --- Summary: A studious young graduate follows his sweetheart to college after publicly denouncing athletics. To win her back from a popular athlete, he cycles through campus jobs and joins multiple teams, failing spectacularly at each. His academic ideals clash with the school’s sports culture as he struggles to prove himself worthy. After a humiliating series of athletic misadventures, he is made coxswain for a crucial regatta and later races across campus to rescue his sweetheart from his rival. In a final burst of improbable prowess, he outwits the antagonist, restores his standing, and secures a future with the woman he loves. --- Background: Produced by Joseph M. Schenck Productions and released through United Artists, College filmed interiors at Buster Keaton’s Hollywood studio with exteriors at Southern California locations including the University of Southern California, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the campus that is now Los Angeles City College, and Balboa in Newport Beach. James W. Horne received the directing credit, though Keaton also directed significant portions. Principal photography ran from early February to early July 1927, and the picture opened in September 1927. --- Trivia: Several notable athletes appear on screen, including Olympic champions Bud Houser and Lee Barnes, sprinter Charles Borah, and USC football star Morton Kaer; Baseball Hall of Famer Sam “Wahoo Sam” Crawford plays the baseball coach. Surviving prints are held by archives and private collections, including the Raymond Rohauer collection and the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, and the film has been widely issued on home video. The film includes a restaurant sequence in blackface, a depiction that reflects period conventions and is now recognized as offensive. United Artists distributed College following Keaton’s independent features and just prior to his transition to sound-era projects with major studios. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: September 10, 1927 Original Studio / Distributor: Joseph M. Schenck Productions / United Artists Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: College1927 BusterKeaton SilentFilm ClassicCinema PublicDomain UnitedArtists 1927 FilmHistory Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:College_(1927).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/College_%281927%29.webm