The Saphead (1920) – A Proper Old-School Comedy Fika

So here I was last Friday, stuffing myself with knäckebröd and staring at Buster Keaton’s spooky stone-face. The Saphead isn’t one of those films that gets much play outside film nerd circles, you know? But c’mon, Keaton! Some folks say he was just warming up for his later flicks, but the guy already has this magnetic, goofy energy (even when his face is stiffer than a Swedish winter).

To be honest, the plot’s not exactly a beefy smörgåsbord. Keaton plays Bertie, this millionaire’s son who can’t do anything right and ends up kinda winning by sheer accident. You’ve got William H. Crane too, another old-timer who was massive back in the day, and those two together have this wacky, odd uncle and clumsy nephew vibe. My grandfather once saw a Keaton short at Bio Spegeln in the 50s – he told me folks laughed so hard a guy dropped his kexchoklad and never picked it up. That kinda communal giggle is missing today.

Metro’s Joseph Schenck produced, which back then was like, say, getting Ruben Östlund to do a slapstick with Robert Gustafsson. Nuts! And Herbert Blaché and Winchell Smith direct, bit of a surprise-blend, I have to say.

But is it, like, hilarious all the way? Nah. The rhythm is choppy, and sometimes the silent-era title cards kinda break the flow. Still, the physical gags, that vintage stock-market chaos—reminded me weirdly of how we Swedes get when IKEA has a sale on köttbullar. And the soundtrack on the print I watched sounded like an accordion losing a deathmatch, which might actually be part of the charm…

If you wanna see the start of Keaton-magic, or just fancy a glimpse at how awkward rich kids were 100 years ago, grab some coffee and give it a whirl. Just don’t expect to fall off your chair. Maybe just wiggle, a bit.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

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