It is one of my favorite silents, marked by his technical wizardry (with lots of in-camera effects), wit, acrobatic ability, unbelievably nervy stunts,* and flawless timing.
In one segment, he even does exceedingly difficult bank shots that would be the envy of most pool sharks.
IMHO this 42-minute gem is superior to most of the revered Chaplin films.
Only Harold Lloyd was in his class. Lloyd fortunately made a lot of money, though not as much as Chaplin, and re-emerged from retirement to make some successful sound films.
Keaton's career was ruined by a disastrous MGM studio deal that took away his creative control. Aside from what is essentially a cameo appearance in "Sunset Boulevard," about the only time the postwar public got to see him was in Ford van commercials from the early sixties. (See Youtube video link below.)
His masterpiece is "The General," which I first saw in Paris, of all places. (The French's devotion to Jerry Lewis notwithstanding, they do appreciate great cinematic art.)
* In one of the incredible stunts, he actually fractured his neck — although it wasn't diagnosed until years later.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000036/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhMmqdiEt10
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