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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 811

The Frozen North

192217 minUnited States

Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs: 17:06
Subtitles: English

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Wikimedia Commons · Buster Keaton · Public domain

Subtitles: Wikimedia Commons · Open Classic Cinema

Synopsis

A cowboy steps out of a subway station into an improbable frozen wilderness. His attempts at robbery, romance and masculine authority repeatedly expose the gap between his pose and his behavior. A succession of absurd misunderstandings turns the harsh northern setting into a parody of the stern heroes and moral certainties of popular westerns.

Cast

Buster Keaton

DirectorsBuster Keaton Edward F. Cline

Inspirations

Keaton borrows the setting and emphatic gestures of contemporary western melodramas, particularly those associated with William S. Hart. The central character is deliberately less innocent and sympathetic than many of Keaton's other screen figures.

Sources and availability

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Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

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Buster Keaton — Unknown author · Public domain

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