"Coney Island" is a live action short film from 1917, so this one will have its 100th anniversary next year. And as it is so very old, nobody should be surprised that it is a black-and-white silent film. This one includes two of the biggest movie stars from a century ago, namely Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, also the director, and Buster "Stoneface" Keaton. The action here feels fairly random, exactly the same what you would see in a dozen other (short) films from that time. A touch of romance here and there and some (not really serious) drama, but it is really all about the comedy. The reference about bossy wives, who keep getting in the way of their husband's fun plans was also very common back then. I personally had the impression though that this film really required more intertitles. It was occasionally pretty much impossible to understand what exactly was going on. I like Keaton and Arbuckle as much as the other big stars from the silent film era, if not more, so I am slightly disappointed with the outcome here. Thumbs down from me, not recommended.
Review of Coney Island
