How Long Is “The Playhouse”?

This two-reeler features the famous theater sequence in which Buster Keaton plays every role, from the stage actors to the orchestra and audience, appearing in the same frame two, three -- and in one scene, nine -- times. This was amazing technical wizardry in a day when special effects really were special. But there's more to The Playhouse than this one segment. The film bounces from dream to reality, from optical illusion to confusion, all with a playhouse as backdrop, and the various theater skits are a prime example of Keaton's infinite comic variety. In one scene he disguises himself as a monkey so effectively that it's easy to forget he's really human. "This fellow Keaton seems to be the whole show," an audience member remarks in the all-Keaton sequence. In spite of the co-direction credit by the highly capable Eddie Cline, that statement's pretty much correct.