Goodbye, cruel world.
Fired from his job, jilted by his girl, down on his luck...
— opening title
In this 1921 short, a despondent Buster Keaton decides to end it all, but then he gets a job, meets a girl (Virginia Fox) and his luck changes — or does it? Hilarity ensues.
"Hard Luck" can be seen at Google Video.
"Hard Luck" contains examples of
- Alliterative Name: Lizard Lip Luke.
- Anvil on Head: Averted. Buster tries to set this up with a safe being hoisted with a rope and pulley, but fails.
- Beach Episode: Much of the action is set at a country club with a pool.
- Black Comedy: Did I mention that Buster spends much of the film trying to die?
- Born Unlucky: Luck just hates Buster in this entire short.
- Bungled Suicide: In a bit of Black Comedy, Buster attempts to kill himself several times, only for it to fail spectacularly.
- Digging to China: Or in this case, diving to China.
- Dragged by the Collar: Literally, and by the seat of his pants.
- Drinking on Duty: A crafty waiter who conceals his whiskey by labeling it as poison.
- Fanservice: The country club's pool is an excuse to put several actresses in bathing suits; later, Buster takes a dip and dresses accordingly.
- Improvised Weapon: Fishing rod versus handgun.
- Incredibly Lame Pun: Some time after Buster tries to hang himself from a tree.Safari sponsor: "Are you attached to a scientific organization?"Buster: "I was attached to a branch of the zoo."
- Interrupted Suicide: The first fourth of the film is a series of unsuccessful suicide attempts.
- Large and in Charge: Joe Roberts as Lizard Lip Luke.
- Only in It for the Money: Why Buster hunts for an armadillo.
- Railroad Tracks of Doom: Subverted in Buster's suicide attempt involving a trolley.
- Rule of Funny: How Buster survives his high dive.
- Slobs Versus Snobs: Buster wanders into a country club and joins a fox hunt.
- Walk on Water: Subverted. Buster tries to mimic a man walking on the surface of a swimming pool — he turns out to be wearing stilts.
