Overinflated: Film #203 - The Balloonatic (1923)
Viewed July 22, 2006
The Balloonatic is a rather trite little entry in Bustern Keaton’s series of shorts. A typical series of sight gags, it lacks the more detailed storyline found in Keaton’s better shorts.
Basically, we follow Buster as he finds himself (after a few initial escapades) trapped on a hot air balloon and then stranded in the wilderness. Luckily for him, a young woman (Phyllis Haver) is also on her own and the two must band together to combat the elements.
Some of the effects and gags in The Balloonatic are truly amazing. I honestly cannot guess how they shot the scene of Buster standing on top of the balloon while it was in the air. (I mean, he could have just stood there, I guess. He was that crazy.) Most of the others bits are less spectacular, but still impressive. As for the comedy pieces, they aren’t as numerous as I’ve come to expect, but Buster gets plenty of mileage out of a modular canoe and there’s still plenty of good bits.
Phyllis Haver shows something that’s a bit of a staple of Keaton leading ladies: a real independence. She doesn’t come across as the kind of woman who needs constant rescuing or who will fall for the hero just because he saves her. She does fall for the hero, but it seems more natural than was often seen in films of the era.
Still, The Balloonatic suffers from the habit of many silent film stars in that it seems to have been constructed around an idea (the balloon) and not around a story. Take away the gags and the stunts and there’s very little story here to capture the audience’s attention. Not a terrible film by any means, but The Balloonatic just doesn’t reach the heights.