The Railrodder

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The Railrodder
Directed by Gerald Potterton
Produced by Julian Biggs
Written by Gerald Potterton
Buster Keaton (uncredited)
Starring Buster Keaton
Music by Eldon Rathburn
Cinematography Robert Humble
Distributed by National Film Board of Canada
Release date(s) 1965
Running time Short: 24 min.
Country Canada
Language English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

The Railrodder is a 1965 short comedy film released by the National Film Board of Canada and starring Buster Keaton in one of his final film roles (it was also his final silent film insomuch as the film contains no dialogue).

Directed by Gerald Potterton, The Railrodder is a 25-minute comedic travelogue of Canada. It begins with Keaton, playing an unnamed English gentleman, reading a newspaper in London, England. A full-page ad proclaiming "SEE CANADA NOW!" catches his attention. He promptly throws the newspaper away and jumps into the Thames. He subsequently reemerges on the east coast of Canada (having apparently swum the Atlantic) where he is greeted by a sign indicating the direction to the other side of Canada, more than 3,000 miles away.

Buster starts his long hike, but soon finds a one-man, open-top rail maintenance vehicle parked on a rail track. He sits in the driver's seat intending to take a nap, but he accidentally puts the vehicle in gear, and it speeds off down the track.

The remainder of the film is a series of mini-adventures shared by Buster and the rail car as the vehicle (with an apparently inexhaustible fuel supply) follows the Canadian National rail line across Canada. En route, Buster is shown making breakfast, acting as a maid, and even doing laundry, never once stopping the vehicle (though he later does stop in order to obtain camouflage so he can do some bird-hunting). A running gag involves a storage compartment in the vehicle which, much like Mary Poppins' bag or Doctor Who's TARDIS, seems to be infinitely large on the inside, as he pulls out everything from pillows and a fur coat to a full tea service. Along the way he also has some close calls with locomotives coming the other direction, but emerges victorious each time.

The backdrop to all of this is the Canadian countryside, as the film provides scenic views of Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies, the Rockies and the West Coast, circa 1964-65. Two cities visited by Buster include Montreal and Vancouver.

The film ends with Buster finally arriving at the West Coast. After taking in the view for a few moments, he gets ready to start the long ride back, only to discover his rail car has been taken by a Japanese gentleman who has just emerged from the ocean and has decided to take his own tour of Canada. With a shrug, Buster starts walking down the long track.

Concurrent with the production of this film, the National Film Board produced a documentary entitled Buster Keaton Rides Again which combines behind-the-scenes footage of the making of The Railrodder, including sequences showing Keaton and the director discussing (and occasionally arguing over) gags in the film, as well as Keaton meeting fans across Canada, with retrospective footage of Keaton's Hollywood career. With a running time of 55 minutes, it is more than twice the length of The Railrodder.


The films of Buster Keaton
Full Lengths
Three Ages - Our Hospitality - Sherlock, Jr. - The Navigator - Seven Chances - Go West - Battling Butler - The General - College - Steamboat Bill Jr. - The Cameraman - Spite Marriage - Hollywood Cavalcade - Easy to Wed - In the Good Old Summertime - Excuse My Dust
Shorts
The Rough House - Convict 13 - One Week - The Scarecrow - Neighbors - The Haunted House - Hard Luck - The High Sign - The Goat - The Playhouse - The Boat - The Paleface - Cops - My Wife's Relations - The Blacksmith - The Frozen North - The Electric House - Daydreams - The Balloonatic - The Love Nest - The Gold Ghost - Allez Oop - One Run Elmer - Tars and Stripes - Grand Slam Opera - Blue Blazes - Mixed Magic - Love Nest on Wheels - Life in Sometown, U.S.A. - Hollywood Handicap - Streamlined Swing - The Railrodder
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