The Goat



In 1921's The Goat, Buster Keaton goes from Forgotten Man to Most Wanted when his photograph is mistakenly circulated as that of an escaped criminal.

The Goat can be seen in its entirety at Google Video.


 * Amusing Injuries
 * Bring It
 * Buried Alive
 * Chase Scene
 * Cosmic Plaything: Buster, seemingly.
 * Double Take
 * Droste Image: See the page image.
 * Elevator Gag: Various.
 * Failed a Spot Check: See picture.
 * Fainting
 * Flashback Cut
 * Frame-Up
 * Dead Shot Dan substitutes a picture of Buster for his mugshot.
 * A crook shoots at a cop and leaves the gun in Buster's hand.
 * Impending Doom POV
 * Karma Houdini: Dead Shot Dan, apparently.
 * Left Hanging: One would expect Buster to clear his name, most likely by capturing the real Dead Shot Dan..
 * Literal Ass-Kicking: Played straight, and subverted when Buster jabs a dummy with a pin.
 * Look Behind You!
 * Love At First Sight
 * Meatgrinder Surgery: Invoked
 * Meet Cute
 * Mistaken Identity
 * Murderous Mannequin: Buster keeps running afoul of display mannequins.
 * Mistaking two tailor's dummies for men standing in a breadline costs him a free meal.
 * He strikes a match on a cigar store Indian that turns out to be a living, and irate, person.
 * Nobody Here but Us Statues
 * The Oner: A train appears on the horizon, steams forward, and stops just far enough from the camera for a medium shot of Buster, who was seated on the locomotive's cowcatcher the entire time. Apparently done solely to demonstrate the cameraman's Nerves of Steel.
 * Open Says Me
 * Outside Ride: Subverted
 * Railroad Tracks of Doom
 * Sarcasm Mode: The opening intertitle, "On Millionaires' Row," is followed by an iris open on a breadline.
 * Smoking Is Cool: Right after The Oner, Buster puts a cigarette in his mouth and lights it against the side of the train engine.
 * Super Window Jump
 * Train Escape
 * Traintop Battle: Subverted -- Buster uncouples the train car occupied by the cops.
 * Wanted Poster
 * What a Drag: This being Buster Keaton, he comes to no harm.