Three Ages (1923)

A cyclone of laughs and thrills

Keaton made the leap from shorts to features by effectively stringing three shorts into one overarching narrative. Covering prehistoric times, Ancient Rome and then the "modern" 1920s, Keaton demonstrates all the filmmaking ambition and rapid-fire laughs that defines the best of his filmography.

Three Ages (1923) depicts the rituals of courtship, romantic rivalry and love over three era as a man vies with a villain over a girl. In the Stone Age, the rivalry is set off by dinosaurs, a turtle used as a ouija board, and a round of golf with stones. In ancient Rome, the men display their brawn through a chariot race, using dogs instead of horses. In contemporary times, the man finds himself overcome by modernity, including a very fragile car.

Screens with The Paleface (1921), a comedy-Western that includes some of Keaton's most death-defying stunts.

Rating

G

Cast

Buster Keaton, Margaret Leahy, Wallace Beery, Joe Roberts, Blanche Payson, Kewpie Morgan, George Davis, Louis Emmons

Director

Buster Keaton

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