I may be biased toward Buster Keaton since I have seen so many more of his films than of Fatty Arbuckle's, but I think that he was a far better physical comedian than Fatty was. Arbuckle performs some astonishing tricks as the cook, flipping pancakes behind his back and tossing utensils and such, and he should be recognized for this as well as his tremendous contributions to silent comedies. Both actors have much stronger works, but this is a clean short comedy, surprisingly well restored for having been sitting lost in some attic for more than 70 years. It makes me wish I was around back then, when the magic in Hollywood was still alive.

Read the trivia section of the IMDb listing for this film--it's really interesting how this silent short somehow survived to only be recently discovered.

The is a Fatty Arbuckle film with assistance from perennial support players, Buster Keaton and Al St. John. It's interesting how much silent comedies had evolved over just a few short years. In 1914, most comedy shorts were incoherent snippets with little plot and lots of slapping and kicking. But 1917-1918, the films, though still short, had real plots and weren't all stupid slapstick (falls, punches, kicks, etc.). This film is an excellent example of a decent well-plotted comedy of this era. Fatty is a cook at a restaurant and lots of silly things occur both here and when he takes a trip to a very strange amusement park late in the film (where people ride around in carts pulled by goats). My personal favorite scenes involve Fatty's dog chasing the bully.

This isn't a great film--Fatty and other silent comedians did better films, but for having a coherent plot and excellent pacing, it's a film worth seeing. If you want to see a GREAT Arbuckle comedy, try finding a copy of FATTY AND MABEL ADRIFT--the best one of his shorts I have seen.

I was amazed at the effortlessness and grace of this "lost and found" Fatty Arbuckle-Buster Keaton comedy. The first reel is particularly hilarious, with Fatty cooking and juggling his utensils, "flipping a flap" onto waiter Buster's plate. A less inhibited Buster also provides a spontaneous, exotic dance. And, as usual, Arbuckle's nephew, Al St. John, heartily contributes to the anarchy.

One get the sense that these three men (along with Luke the dog) had the time of their lives designing such memorable slapstick!

This treat ranks alongside "The Garage" has one of the best Keaton-Arbuckle shorts!