Click to enlarge – newly discovered footage from My Wife’s Relations at the Alvarado Arms.
Click to enlarge – an entirely new stunt – who knew this was awaiting discovery for 95 years?
An astonishing new Keaton stunt, Buster’s return visit to a classic apartment house, and yet another surprise appearance of the Cops – The Kid – Safety Last! Hollywood alley – the Lobster Films restoration of My Wife’s Relations (1922), with over a minute of restored footage unseen for decades, is a cornucopia of new discoveries and delights.
On screen Buster is mistakenly married to a harridan, moves in with her caveman brothers, and after a climatic family brawl, the film concludes (in the version we’ve been accustomed to seeing) as Buster flees for a Reno-bound train. In the Lobster restoration, Buster flees the family apartment, is chased back inside by the cops, only to escape from the top apartment floor by swinging diagonally from upper window awning 
to lower window awning. Dropping safely to street level, Buster’s triumph is short-lived, as he is hauled into the back of a police wagon (where? – at that Hollywood alley, see below). But when the wagon hits a pothole, Buster escapes in time for the final fadeout, presumably headed for that Reno train.
Buster at “the” Hollywood alley. Buster had already filmed here for Neighbors (1920) and Cops (1922), while Chaplin filmed here for The Kid (1921), and Lloyd filmed here for Never Weaken (1921) and Safety Last! (1923). See more below.
The Alvarado Arms stands behind Buster.
Buster appears in the courtyard of the Alvarado Arms apartments, at 847 S. Alvarado (you can see the “A” initials in the doorway and on the sidewalk post, at top). This was familiar territory, as Buster filmed here the year before for an introductory shot of Virginia Fox (below) walking beside the apartment complex during The Goat (1921). You can also see the twin wings of the Alvarado Arms behind Buster’s head in this publicity shot from The Goat (right), staged in front of the extant Weymouth Apartments, 914 S. Alvarado, that portrayed Virginia’s home during that film.
Deja vu – Virginia Fox appearing in The Goat with the courtyard entrance of the Alvarado Arms behind her.
Although I like to think I would have eventually solved this location mystery, I ‘discovered’ it by what is the most satisfying coincidence I have ever experienced. I viewed this ‘new’ apartment scene for the first time on a Wednesday at my home in the bay area. By that Saturday I had traveled to LA to introduce Safety Last! for the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats. Due to downtown crowds, I ended up eating breakfast that day at Langer’s Delicatessen at Alvarado and 7th, and because of where I had parked, decided to take Alvarado to Olympic for my return drive downtown. As I drove past the apartment where Buster filmed Virginia’s introductory shot, I glanced at the interior courtyard. I almost kept going, but something in that brief glimpse caught my eye. Circling the block for a better look, I could clearly see it was the same spot from My Wife’s Relations. So after watching this scene at home in the bay area, there I was, only 3 days later, standing in front of that very spot out of all the spots in Los Angeles! I wish I had this type of luck picking lottery numbers instead, but it sure was fun.
If that wasn’t enough, when I saw that the newly discovered final scene was filmed at the Cops – The Kid – Safety Last! alley, I nearly fell out of my seat.
Click to enlarge – similar views from Never Weaken, My Wife’s Relations, and Safety Last!, both before and after the Palmer Building on Cosmo Street (just south of Hollywood Boulevard) was completed at back.
The discovery of Buster’s new stunt also explains the appearance of the unusual Keaton Studio set visible below.
You can easily see the My Wife’s Relations stunt set in this aerial view of Buster’s studio. Buster used the set later that year for a scene with some police in Day Dreams (1922) (inset). These sets appear in other films described in my Mr. Keaton’s Neighborhood post. The open frame tower (standing beneath the stunt set) may have been placed in front of the set to capture Buster’s upper floor antics at eye level. HollywoodPhotographs.com.
As a further bonus, the scene where Buster first runs into his future bride, played by Kate Price, was filmed at the corner of N. Beachwood Drive and Santa Monica 
Boulevard, across the street from the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. In the scene at right you can read the 6025 address over the doorway. Although the corner has since been 
remodeled, it appears in this 1927 McDougall “Alley Kids” comedy Oh Boy, preserved for online viewing HERE by the National Film Preservation Foundation. As shown on the vintage map below, Keaton staged this scene, as many others, just a few blocks away from his small studio.
Another scene from Keaton’s oeuvre filmed just blocks from his small studio on Eleanor and Lillian Way.
Looking north from the cemetery towards Buster and Kate’s corner (box) on Santa Monica Blvd. HollywoodPhotographs.com
My Wife’s Relations from Buster Keaton: The Shorts Collection 1917 – 1923 (C) 2016 Kino-Lorber, Lobster Films.
The Alvarado Arms, twice appearing in Keaton’s films.
Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd film locations (and more) 
Wow!! Fabulous information, it’s so exciting how your discoveries keep coming! I’ve been enjoying that new set too, and now that I know the “new” scenes are set in THAT alley I’ll have to watch My Wife’s Relations tonight.
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Thanks Lea – viewing this ‘new’ footage was such a blast. I still can’t believe how all of these elements fell into place. John
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Yes , thank you ! I didn’t know this site existed until today . I have the book , “Silent Traces” but wanted more . Again , many , many thanks .
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Thanks Kerry – if you live in the area be sure to check out the written tours. John
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A superb bit of luck!
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Thanks Greg – stumbling upon that apartment was so much fun. John
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As usual, John, you are a Treasure Trove of Film History. There’s NO ONE quite like you. God Bless.
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Thank you for your kind words Javi – it means a lot. Cheers, John
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Reblogged this on nitrateglow and commented:
Always cool to hear more silent era discoveries are being uncovered, even in the modern world!
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“I wish I had this type of luck picking lottery numbers instead, but it sure was fun.” We’re lucky that you have this kind of luck. It is fascinating to learn how filmmakers made use of the place where they lived.
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Thank you Joe – this ‘new’ footage is beyond belief, especially that stunt.
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Thanks for contributing this to the blogathon, much appreciated! It’s just unreal that this kind of footage is still turning up all these decades later.
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Thanks Lea – it wasn’t like they found ten seconds of Buster doing mundane things, it’s footage of a visually striking stunt, and a repeat visit to where he’d filmed many times before. I would never have imagined something like this footage would suddenly become available. Beyond belief.
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Exactly! It’s MINDBLOWING!!
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Incredible footage! I can’t believe it was hidden for so long.
Also, kudos on the apartment discovery. You’re like a forensic movie location scientist. 😉
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Thank you – it really is remarkable that this footage was unseen for decades – especially that wonderful ‘new’ stunt.
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I wish they would have thrown the Reno Train in after the new ending. While the new ending makes more sense, the very end feels abrupt.
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Hi Ferd – I agree. Buster escapes from the police van, and then they could have cut to the Reno train. Those scenes don’t preclude each other
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