Blank Check with Griffin & David

College / Steamboat Bill, Jr. with John Hodgman

Jun 4, 2023

02:26:26

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Introduction

2min

The Prohibition Comedy of Jimmy Durante and Buster Keaton

4min

The Blank Check Run of Mr. Skank

3min

The History of Steamboats

2min

The Differences Between Root Beer and Birch Beer

2min

The Coolidge Corner

2min

Buster Keaton and the Village Voice

2min

The Little Tramp

2min

The Importance of Honest Excerptism

2min

10.

Buster Keaton's Loss of Creative Control

2min

11.

Skank's Deal With Metro

3min

12.

Chaplin and the MGM Period

2min

13.

Steamboat Bill Jr.

2min

14.

Looney Tunes: A Goofy Short

3min

15.

Duck Tails: A New Character

2min

16.

The Goofy Movie

2min

17.

Double Fine Productions' Dented Access

2min

18.

The Curse of Athletics

3min

19.

The Man in a Shrunken Suit

2min

20.

Buster Keaton's Kid Hair Fall

2min

21.

The Fucking Senior Soda Jerk

2min

22.

The Life and Times of Ruckus

2min

23.

The Sotodrick Sequence

2min

24.

The College Comedy of 32

1min

25.

Buster's College

2min

26.

The Dean's Guide to Buster's Life

3min

27.

The Cockswain and the Coach

2min

28.

Buster Keaton and the Boat Race

2min

29.

David's Platform Is Less Phones, More Trains

3min

30.

The Three Ages

2min

31.

No Beans on Urban Dictionary

2min

32.

What No Beans, Images of Women and Sexuality and Burlesque Comedy

2min

33.

Madam Soltewan's Life

2min

34.

The Dumbass Cockswing

2min

35.

The Poor Nut

3min

36.

The Importance of Norma Talmett

2min

37.

The Wallfall Gaga

2min

38.

Steamboat Bill Jr.

3min

39.

The Life and Times of MC Cardigan

2min

40.

The Last 15 Minutes Feel Like He's Going

2min

41.

Buster's Take on the Mississippi River

2min

42.

The House Gong in College

2min

43.

The Father Relationship in Earnest Torrents

3min

44.

The Importance of Keeping Your Father Around

4min

45.

Buster Keaton: A Comedy Out of Nothing

4min

46.

Marion Byron in Laurel and Hardy

2min

47.

The Importance of Confidence in a Movie

2min

48.

Steamboat Bill Jr.

2min

49.

The Mississippi Grind

2min

50.

The Untangled Story of Steamboat Bill Senior

3min

51.

The Little Man With His Fingers Running Away

2min

52.

The Cyclone Scene

2min

53.

The Fuck Is Wrong With People

2min

54.

The Nail in the Ground

2min

55.

Joe Skank and Buster Keaton's Battle Over Supervisors

2min

56.

The Worst Mistake of My Career

2min

57.

The Fragility of the Human Body

2min

58.

The Sheik of Muddy Waters

2min

59.

Dumbo Bill Jr. At the Box Office

2min

60.

Fran Hoffner's Ramona

2min

61.

Something Always Happens

2min

62.

The Tenderloin District

2min

63.

Steamboat Bill Jr.

2min

64.

The Dakos: A Bottle of Wood Alcohol and Bitters

4min

65.

Bubble Wrap: A Playmobil Movie I've Long Had My Eye On

5min

After his “blank check” for THE GENERAL bounced, Buster Keaton found himself creatively and financially shackled. Thus, 1927’s COLLEGE lands on the lesser end of the quality spectrum (not to mention a very difficult watch with Buster putting on blackface for a scene - yikes). But, his follow-up STEAMBOAT BILL, JR. features some of the most memorable and dangerous stunts of Keaton’s career, and acts as a beautiful send-off to his period as a self-sufficient filmmaker. The wonderful John Hodgman joins us to chat about both films and his life-long love of Buster. Plus - as always with a Hodgman episode - we go down several delightful rabbit holes: Doctor Who, beans, Goofy’s “George Geef” period, large pants, and more!

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