Halfback Buster Review: That dog is a better actor than the kids

So, is Halfback Buster worth your time today? If you have ten minutes and you don't mind the flickering grain of a film that's a century old, yeah, it’s a fun little distraction. 🐶

History buffs or people who grew up seeing Pete the Pup in Our Gang will probably get a kick out of it. If you can’t stand silent movies or 'old-timey' humor, you’ll likely find it pretty tedious.

It is based on the Buster Brown comics, which I mostly only know because of the shoes. But here, Buster is played by Arthur Trimble, who has this incredibly serious face for a kid.

The real star, though, is The Wonder Dog Pal. He plays Tige, and honestly, the dog has better comedic timing than most of the humans in the cast. 🐾

There is this one moment where the dog is just sitting there watching the kids, and he looks genuinely disappointed in their athletic abilities. I felt that.

The plot—if you can even call it that—is basically just an excuse to get everyone onto a dirt field. They are playing football, but it looks more like a low-stakes riot than a sport.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Halfback Buster (1928) through its definitive frames.

The uniforms are the best part. They look like they were sewn together from old rugs and stuffed with hay. 🏈

I noticed one kid in the background who just seems to be wandering around, totally lost. He isn't even looking at the ball; he's just looking at the sky.

It reminded me a little bit of the energy in The Winning Stroke, but way less professional. This feels like someone just pointed a camera at a bunch of neighborhood kids and told them to go nuts.

The film quality is pretty rough in the version I saw. Its like watching a movie through a window that hasn't been cleaned since the Great Depression.

But there is a charm to that jittery, high-speed movement. It makes the physical gags feel more explosive than they actually are.

I think I saw a goat at one point? I'm not entirely sure because the frame was so blurry, but I’m choosing to believe there was a goat. 🐐

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Halfback Buster (1928) through its definitive frames.

Lois Hardwick and Hannah Washington are in this too, and they mostly just have to react to the boys being messy. It’s a very typical 1920s setup.

If you’ve recently watched something like Felix Monkeys with Magic, you’ll recognize that specific brand of weird, slightly surreal humor from the silent era.

There is a scene where Buster gets tackled and his hat flies off perfectly. I wonder how many takes that took, or if he just got lucky.

The movie doesn't really 'end' so much as it just stops. It’s a short, after all. 🎬

I liked it, mostly because it’s short and doesn't overstay its welcome. It doesn't try to be a profound exploration of anything; it’s just a dog and some kids in the mud.

Sometimes that is all you really need on a Tuesday afternoon. It’s a nice little time capsule of how people used to amuse themselves before the internet ruined our brains.

Don't expect a masterpiece, just expect some charming chaos and a very talented dog in a sweater. 🐕‍🦺