The Face on the Barroom Floor (1932 film)

The Face on the Barroom Floor is a 1932 American pre-Code short film directed by Buster Keaton. It's a comedy adaptation of the popular poem "The Face Upon the Floor" by Hugh Antoine d'Arcy, published in 1887. The film stars Keaton as a struggling artist who is down on his luck and ultimately recreates the tragic scene depicted in the poem. The short is notable for its comedic take on a melodramatic subject matter and for Keaton's physical comedy. Although relatively obscure compared to some of his other works, it represents a later period in Keaton's career after his transition to sound films. The film's plot revolves around an artist falling in love with a woman who leaves him for a richer man, leading him to despair and eventually using the barroom floor as his canvas. The short film preserves the core narrative of unrequited love and artistic expression present in d'Arcy's original poem.