Hard Luck (1921 film)

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Hard Luck
Buster and his Chinese wife and children in the finale of the film.
Directed by	Edward F. Cline Buster Keaton
Written by	Edward F. Cline Buster Keaton
Produced by	Joseph M. Schenck
Starring	Buster Keaton Virginia Fox Joe Roberts Bull Montana
Cinematography	Elgin Lessley
Edited by	Buster Keaton
Distributed by	Metro Pictures
Release date	March 14, 1921 (1921-03-14)
Running time	22 minutes
Country	United States
Languages	Silent film English (original intertitles)

Hard Luck

Hard Luck is a 1921 American two-reel silent comedy film starring Buster Keaton, written and directed by Keaton and Edward F. Cline. It runs 22 minutes. For sixty years it was Keaton's only major lost film until it was partially reconstructed in 1987, with the critical final scene—which Keaton called the greatest laugh-getting scene of his career—still missing. It was later discovered in a Russian archive print, and now the full film is available.^[1]

Plot

Buster plays a down-on-his-luck young man who decides to commit suicide after losing his job and his girl. After several inept attempts to end his life—and bolstered by whiskey disguised as poison—he joins an expedition to capture an armadillo. He finds himself becoming more confident through a series of adventures (such as fishing and fox hunting) as the film proceeds. But the confidence becomes his undoing as he misses the pool in a dive from a high board and hits the ground on the far side with such force that he disappears into a hole. Some years later, an Asian-garbed Buster climbs out of the hole in the now dry and deserted pool followed by a Chinese wife and three young children.

Cast

Buster Keaton – Suicidal Boy
Virginia Fox – Virginia
Joe Roberts – Lizard Lip Luke
Bull Montana – Virginia's husband (uncredited)

References

^ "TCM Short Subject Schedule October 10–23". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2014.

Bibliography

Keaton, Eleanor; Vance, Jeffrey (2001). Buster Keaton Remembered. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 0-8109-4227-5.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hard Luck (1921 film).

Hard Luck at IMDb
‹The template AllMovie title is being considered for deletion.› Hard Luck at AllMovie
Hard Luck is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
Hard Luck Archived January 6, 2019, at the Wayback Machine at the International Buster Keaton Society

v t e Buster Keaton
Filmography
Shorts (1917–1923)	The Rough House One Week Convict 13 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 Day Dreams The Balloonatic The Love Nest
Feature films	Three Ages Our Hospitality Sherlock Jr. The Navigator Seven Chances Go West Battling Butler The General College Steamboat Bill, Jr. The Cameraman Spite Marriage
Shorts (1934–1937) (for Educational Pictures)	The Gold Ghost Allez Oop Tars and Stripes Grand Slam Opera Blue Blazes Mixed Magic Love Nest on Wheels
Works about	The Buster Keaton Story (1957) Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965) Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow (1987) The Great Buster: A Celebration (2018) Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life (2022)
Miscellaneous	The Buster Keaton Show (1950) Go West: Music for the Films of Buster Keaton (1995) The High Sign/One Week (1995) International Buster Keaton Society

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Plot

Cast

See also

References

Bibliography

External links