Open ClassicCINEMA
Back to the collection

OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 832

The Paleface

192220 minUnited States
ComedyWestern
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs
24:54
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Buster Keaton and Edward F. Cline · Public domain

Synopsis

A butterfly collector wanders into a Native American community just as its people face eviction by dishonest oil interests. Mistaken for another enemy, he survives through an unlikely invention and becomes an ally. Recovering the stolen document to their land then draws him into chases and disguises that repeatedly threaten to turn that new alliance against him.

Cast

DirectorsBuster KeatonEdward F. Cline

Historical context

The plot makes dispossession by oil speculators the source of the conflict, while its comedy also uses the exaggerated Native American imagery common in contemporary westerns. Both elements belong to the film's historical representation of the frontier.

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 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

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

Audience rating

Loading ratings…

Keep exploring

Collection