Buster Keaton made his screen debut in Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle’s two-reel short “The Butcher Boy”. For his second film – also released in 1917 – he not only reunited with Arbuckle on screen, he co-wrote and co-directed with him. “The Rough House” is a 22-minute short starring Arbuckle, Keaton, and regular Arbuckle collaborators Al St John and Alice Lake. It is a master class in physical comedy, and an absolute delight.

The film opens with a slovenly bachelor waking up, accidentally setting his bed on fire, and slowly meandering through to his kitchen for a glass of water. When he returns to finally notice the inferno building in his bedroom, he throws his half-empty drink into it. The futility of the genre, and the absurdism of it, combined with his dry half-disinterest in the growing crisis, are all as crisp and funny as they were back in 1917. I had not seen this short before, but it is honestly as amusing as anything else I have seen this year. The timing is impeccable. The comedy is sharp as a blade. When later events disintegrate to a panicky shoot-out between closed doors, it feels as relevant to America today as it ever was.

In addition to co-writing and co-directing, Buster Keaton plays both a gardener and a messenger during this film. It is a much better showcase for his talents than his debut short, and that goes a long way in making this a funnier short than “The Butcher Boy”. Honestly it is a stronger work for Arbuckle as well: the set-ups are better, the comedy is tighter, and it feels generally more inventive and stimulating.