Hard Luck



"Fired from his job, jilted by his girl, down on his luck..."

- opening title

In this 1921 short, a despondent Buster Keaton decides to end it all, but then he gets a job, meets a girl (Virginia Fox) and his luck changes -- or does it? Hilarity Ensues.

"Hard Luck" can be seen at Google Video.

"Safari sponsor: "Are you attached to a scientific organization?" Buster: "I was attached to a branch of the zoo.""
 * Alliterative Name: Lizard Lip Luke.
 * Anvil on Head: Averted. Buster tries to set this up with a safe being hoisted with a rope and pulley, but fails.
 * Beach Episode: Much of the action is set at a country club with a pool.
 * Black Comedy: Did I mention that Buster spends much of the film trying to die?
 * Bungled Suicide
 * Chase Scene
 * Cunning Like a Fox
 * Digging to China: Or in this case,  to China.
 * Dragged by the Collar: Literally, and by the seat of his pants.
 * Drinking on Duty: A waiter.
 * Everything's Worse with Bears
 * Fan Service: The country club's pool is an excuse to put several actresses in bathing suits; later, Buster takes a dip and dresses accordingly.
 * Glove Slap
 * Horrible Camping Trip
 * Human Ladder: Actually, human mounting block.
 * I Have You Now, My Pretty
 * Improvised Weapon: Fishing rod versus handgun.
 * Incredibly Lame Pun: Some time after Buster tries to hang himself from a tree.


 * Interrupted Suicide: The first fourth of the film is a series of unsuccessful suicide attempts.
 * Large and In Charge: Joe Roberts as Lizard Lip Luke.
 * Love At First Sight
 * Love Triangle
 * The Man They Couldn't Hang
 * Nobody Here but Us Statues
 * Only in It For the Money: Why Buster hunts for an armadillo.
 * Outside Ride
 * Paper-Thin Disguise
 * Railroad Tracks of Doom: Subverted in Buster's suicide attempt involving a trolley.
 * Rule of Funny: How Buster survives his high dive.
 * Shot in the Ass
 * Slapstick
 * Slobs Versus Snobs: Buster wanders into a country club and joins a fox hunt.
 * Train Escape
 * Unsuspectingly Soused
 * Walking on Water: Subverted. Buster tries to mimic a man walking on the surface of a swimming pool -- he turns out to be.
 * Wanted Poster