This classic Keaton comedy is a satire of movie westerns of 20's. Keaton plays Friendless who heads west to seek a better life. As a ranch hand, he strikes up a close friendship with a cow named Brown Eyes and must save her from the slaughter house. An attempt by a rival rancher to hijack the train fails and hilarity ensues. Accompaniment for this film will be from Dale and Gail Zieger.

Our September Silent Film is another classic, the very funny Go West starring Buster Keaton. We will be welcoming back the very popular and talented husband and wife duo, Dale and Gail Zieger to accompany and entertain!

Go West, written, produced and directed by Keaton, finds him as a young man named Friendless who decides to head east when his luck runs out. After nearly getting trampled by an average New York pedestrian crowd, Friendless takes Horace Greeley's advice and heads west via rail. Friendless accidentally is sent off the train. He ends up at an Arizona ranch, where the owner gives him a job as a hand. Soon there after he meets his first friend, a cow named Brown Eyes. When Brown Eyes is to be taken with the rest of the herd for the slaughterhouse, Friendless goes with Brown Eyes to prevent her turning into a steak dinner. A rival ranch holds up the train, and Friendless ends up driving the entire herd through the busy 1920's streets of Los Angeles to market.

While this is not one of Keaton's best known works, many consider it one of his most humorous. It has been described as an "off-beat satire of movie westerns and sentimentality". He took the popular 'boy meets girl' western formula and created a 'boy meets cow' satire. He didn't consider it one of his best films but it is obvious that he had fun making it. If you watch carefully you will see Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle playing the woman in the department store, but only in long shot. It is classic Keaton and one that you will not want to miss!

The Ziegers are a very popular husband and wife team who perform together, with Gail on the grand piano and Dale on our Wurlitzer theater organ. The Ziegers live in the Grand Rapids area and have a large following around the State, Country and Internationally.

Dale Zieger is an internationally acclaimed organist having traveled for the world giving concerts in 12 countries and five continents. He began performing in public at the age of eight years. He is now in his 53rd year of musical performance and currently plays for the Grand Rapids Griffins Hockey Team.

Gail is a native of West Michigan and has been a professional musician for over 45 years. She is self-taught and is at home at the piano, organ, keyboard, as well as five other instruments. She has also used her talents as a church music director, teacher, and entertainer.