After being nicknamed Buster by Harry Houdini for escaping unscathed after a tumble down the stairs at the age of six months, Keaton played vaudeville many years with his parents, taking the role of the prankster child who was disciplined by being thrown around the stage and into the audience. Through it all, the "little iron man" remained impassively poker-faced.

Moving on to fifteen Fatty Arbuckle two-reelers after his twenty-first birthday, Keaton starred in his first feature film, The Saphead, in 1920 before producing, writing, directing, and starring in 1923's The Three Ages. At 63 minutes, it qualifies as a feature, but Keaton designed the film so that it could be broken up into three two-reelers if the longer version bombed with audiences.

Based on the simple premise that love themes run throughout history, the film places Keaton as a suitor in three historic ages--the Stone Age, the Roman Age, and the Modern Age. Always playing the underdog to his stronger rival, favored by protective parents, the situational comedy relentlessly features hilarious sight gags and Keaton's deadpanned delivery.

Just the opening sight of "The Great Stone Face" in prehistoric skins scanning the horizon for the girl (Margaret Leahy) is enough to bring chuckles, which soon turn to belly laughs when Keaton rides a brontosaurus in early stop-motion animation. Vying for the girl is stocky Wallace Beery as the villain, and the girl's parents want the best match.

Patterns repeat throughout the ages, so the Stone Age parents compare the two rivals on brute strength, the Roman parents on military status, and the modern parents with bank accounts. Buster ends up on the short end in each case, but this comedy incorporates the longtime theme of rescuing the girl from a bad marriage at the altar (or whatever is suitable for the age), in a finale reminiscent of 1969's The Gradate. The fun comes with the details and delivery, and it would be criminal to describe them in depth and spoil the fun for first time viewers.

Of course the film is dated, and one Roman scene would never stand today's political correctness, but can be considered humorous at its outrageous stereotyping of blacks (unintentional at that time). The biggest challenge is the quality of the print, as a few sequences are spotty and damaged, but we are fortunate that the film has survived at all.

Keaton performs his own stunts, and a few tumbles are truly remarkable. Sight gags like the Stone Age version of rock golf, Keaton's mis-matched chariot horses and his adjustment to snow conditions, and the soothsayer's "wee-jee" board method of telling fortunes are just a few of the stand out moments. Keaton's timing and inventiveness rank him far ahead of modern comics like Jim Carey or Adam Sandler, and The Three Ages adds significant evidence in the continuing debate whether Keaton or Chaplin are the greatest film comedians of all time (Keaton is currently in vogue).

This often overlooked Keaton film won't profoundly change your life unless you are suicidal--films like this do give sufficient reason to look forward to more movies. Sometimes it's enough to just have a good laugh fest!