I generally enjoyed this Buster Keaton comedy short, more than some others. We can think of the screenplay as going through 4 PHASES. PHASE1: The Indians regard butterfly-collecting Keaton with suspicion, and eventually hostility, since they are mad at other oil-mad whites, who stole their land deed, and ordered them to vacate within 24 hr. .After following him around, as he collected butterflies, they decided to burn him at the stake. However, the guard they left with him didn't notice that Keaton had pulled up the stake, and was moving around when the guard wasn't looking. Hence, the guard wasn't making much progress in piling up firewood around Keaton. Eventually, Keaton bent over and knocked his guard out, with a head shot with his pole(funny).. After acquiring some minimal Indian clothing plus a feather in his cap, an Indian eventually recognizes him for what he is, and the chase is on. Eventually, they capture him again, and again tie him to the well -implanted stake. They begin to roast him, and his clothes are partially burned. But, he is not materially burned because he's wearing fire-proof underwear(Yes, very silly!) The Indians conclude he must have supernatural powers, and bow down before him........ PHASE 2:: Keaton is accepted into the tribe, and given the name Little Chief Paleface. Soon, Keaton leads the Indians on a visit to the oil company headquarters. Keaton boldly enters and badgers the executives. He calls the Indians to enter and perform a war dance around the desk. This unnerves the executives, and they begin to crawl to the doors. Keaton takes some hair off one, with his tomahawk, then smacks another with his tomahawk, before the man gives him his toupee. Then, a man in formal dress, including top hat, gets on a horse, and gallops away. Keaton and the Indians chase him. Eventually, Keaton catches him, but he trains a pistol on Keaton, ordering him to swap clothes........PHASE 3: The Indians don't recognize Keaton in his new garb. Hence, they shoot at him and chase him. Cornered on one side of a gorge, Keaton goes across a rope bridge to the other side. This bridge has only a few mobile slats to crawl on . Thus, Keaton keeps moving the last to the front, thereby preventing the Indians from following him. When he gets to the other side, he finds more Indians, so he tries to go back, but the slats fall off, and he falls into the river below. Eventually, he and the Indians make it back to the village....... PHASE 4: Keaton enters a tepee and changes to his usual clothes(What?). In the jacket, he finds the deed to the Indian land, and shows this to the chief(Played by Joe Roberts),who is ecstatic. He kisses Keaton, and asks what he can do for him. Keaton replies that he would like an Indian squab? Usually, unmarried Indian women are referred to as maiden or princess. Squab usually refers to the young of pigeons. Here, it becomes an interesting play on squaw(married woman) . In any case, he immediately finds a willing squab, who looked distressed when he was being roasted.......Of course, there is the much better known 1948 film of the same title, starring Bob Hope, and Jane Russell........See it at YouTube.
Review of The Paleface
