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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1231

The Goat

192123 minUnited States
Comedy
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs
23:23
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Buster Keaton and Malcolm St. Clair · Public domain

Synopsis

An accidental photograph puts Buster's face on a wanted poster meant for a murderer. Unaware of the substitution, he moves from one misunderstanding into a widening police pursuit. His attraction to a young woman becomes another complication when her father leads the chase.

Cast

DirectorsBuster KeatonMalcolm St. Clair

Behind the scenes

Buster Keaton and Malcolm St. Clair organize the comedy around misread images and mistaken identity. A train approaching the camera until Keaton's face fills the frame gives the short one of its most distinctive visual moments.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — 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 15, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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