Bearing more than a passing resemblance to Harold Lloyd’s 1925 silent comedy The Freshman, Buster Keaton’s 1927 release College was a marked departure from its immediate predecessor, the riotous masterpiece The General (1927). The trademarks which dominated Keaton’s other films - transportation (automobiles, trains, and boats) and his ingenious, often life-threatening, stunts - are noticeably absent; instead, College’s emphasis is on the comedian’s penchant for slapstick and satirical humour.

Despite not being one of his funnier films, College proved to be far more successful than The General, and accomplished what Keaton had set out to achieve: to produce an affable, if somewhat light-weight, farce. Nonetheless, the film has no true cohesiveness when compared to some of his other efforts, and seems to be simply a series of integrated gags with little emphasis on either character or plot. This is not to suggest that College itself is a comedic failure, for it certainly delivers the payload of laughs, but it lacks the classic stature of Keaton’s aforementioned American Civil War epic.

Released on 9 September, 1927, College is also distinctive in that it features one of the few instances where Keaton used a stunt double; in this case, it involves the pole vault sequence near the film’s end, which was accomplished by Olympic champion Lee Barnes.

Perhaps the most episodic of all Keaton’s comedies, College concerns the misadventures of Ronald (Keaton), a scholarly young man who, despite his sharp intellect, is woefully inadequate when it comes to sports. Enamored with Mary Haynes (Anne Cornwall), an attractive coed who is interested only in athletes, Ronald attempts to join the college’s baseball and track teams in an effort to impress her. Failing dismally, he pays for his student fees by accepting a job at the campus’ soda fountain; much hilarity ensures before he loses his job.

With the generosity of the dean (Snitz Edwards), Ronald is appointed the coxswain on the varsity rowing team and, through a combination of sheer tenacity, ingenuity and pure fluke, manages to win a major race against his rivals. Livid with Mary’s new-found admiration for Ronald, the egotistical school athlete Jeff Brown (Harold Goodwin), kidnaps and detains her. Responding to her cries for help, Keaton, in his typical heroic fashion, strives to rescue the hapless girl and win her affections.

College is presented in its correct screen aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and is, of course, not anamorphic.

For the most part, black levels are quite solid and seem relatively consistent, however, there are several moments where they appear to be somewhat opaque. Details are of a variable nature; while it is true that there are occasions where delineation is sharp, it also exhibits a tendency to become softer in some scenes. Shadow detail, too, is slightly erratic, alternating between being very good and quite poor.

There are no discernible MPEG artefacts or film-to-video artefacts. Despite the fact that there is an abundance of film artefacts - consisting of nicks, dirt, hairs and frequent evidence of editorial cuts - which are present in nearly every frame of the film, they seem subdued in comparison to other motion pictures of this vintage. As College was filmed in black-and-white, there are no issues relating to colour-bleeding or oversaturation.

Although the film has been subjected to restorative work by film historian David Shepard and supposedly digitally remastered, the transfer’s print betrays indications of having incorporated footage from other poorer-quality prints and significant print damage, most notably at 40 minutes/53 seconds. In this particular instance, the screen image is, for 11 seconds, obliterated by what appears to be a severe watermark; approximately 14 minutes later, the same anomaly again makes its presence known.

There is but one audio selection available: the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono sound track. The accompanying music score, featuring a light and humorous organ composition authored by composer John Muri, is both clear and devoid of audible drops in sound and quality; Muri’s music is not at odds with the film’s maniacal on-screen antics, and compliments its comic twists and turns with a disarming charm.

In addition to the main feature film, two noteworthy Keaton shorts, each running for approximately 19 minutes, have been included on this disc: The Blacksmith (1922) and One Week (1920). The former classic sees Keaton as a blacksmith’s assistant until they become involved in a riotously funny disagreement, resulting in the blacksmith being sent to gaol, and leaving Keaton free to single-handedly ruin the business’ reputation with his usual shenanigans.

Featuring Keaton and one of his favourite leading ladies, the long-suffering Sybil Seely, One Week revolves around the misadventures of a newly-wed couple; amongst their numerous honeymoon gifts is a do-it-yourself kit for a mobile home. However, a jealous would-be suitor of Keaton’s bride seeks revenge by altering the numbers on the construction kit’s crates... what follows is inspired lunacy at its finest.

Despite the constant comparisons to his nearest rival, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton’s film legacy contains ample proof of his superior comic timing, dynamic athleticism, and multiple talents as a performer, writer, and director. He is, to coin a cliché, the undisputed King of Comedy; his contributions to the fields of cinema and comic entertainment are immeasurable, while his films - many of which are recognised as artistic triumphs - have never been surpassed in terms of their ingenuity and brilliance.

Though the transfer is not without its flaws, this presentation of College would be perfectly acceptable, were it not for the fact of the aforementioned moments of watermark deterioration; nonetheless, the inclusion of the two Keaton featurettes does provide some compensation for this. For the Keaton fan and the connoisseur of silent cinema, College is an essential purchase.