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Buster Keaton Remembered (Movies Film Art Ebook)
Buster Keaton Remembered (Movies Film Art Ebook)
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Remembere
Elemaor Keaton andjejfrey Vance
C:,iii;ulaS6S.l)(l
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Wi^Hu r ubLXu
iown for his IcgcncUm- "stone face" and incredible physical gags.
.
nineteen sliort films and ten silent features that todav
laugh. "No
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'man," he said, "can he a genius in slap-shoes and a flat hat." But
Ihstjitcilih' (192^^),
Buster Keaton
Rewemhered
jr. (1924), i/ic Navigator (1924),
Bill,
is a
}r.
unique
( 1928).
illustrated sur\e\ ot
The
^
late Klcanor Keaton, and film historian
intuitixe artist w ho
^
and was an inspired inxentor of mechanical gags. Locomotixcs,
<
jnsi because he had a face that belongs on Mount Rushmore, at
that face was attached to one of the most gifted actors and directors
k-iiud-whitc ijholograJjJis
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Buster Keaton Remembered
Eleanor Keaton and Jeffrey Vance
Remembered
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Contents
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IN KAKl,^ 1 9 ') S , WIII.N I HIS BOOK WAS ONI,'*' A T !•; N T \ I I \ I : I'KOJI. CI SI 11. I l\
the talking stages, I found myself taking a \ery elose look at our holdings of still photographs relating to Buster Keaton at
the Margaret Herriek Library of the Aeadeniy of Motion Pieture Arts and Seienees.'l'he L,ihrar\ owns, in its various eollee-
tions, by far the largest and most comprehensive body of Keaton photograj^hs known to exist in an\ lihrarx or archive on the
planet, hi terms of quantity, quality, range, and \ariet), the Academy's holdings are trul) extraordinar), numbering some-
By far the largest concentration of Keaton ])hotographs is found in the Metro-Cioldwyn-Mavcr C'ollection, donated to
the Library by M-G-M in 1978, which arrived in 969 uninvcntoried and unorganized record storage boxes. The collection
had remained \irtuall\ inaccessible in deep storage in a New Jcrsev warehouse since the NSOs.'I'weKe vcars later, when we
completed the sorting, processing, and inventorying of the massive collection, we finalK knew preeiscK what it contained.
Among the nearly one million items, there are nearly complete files of all seven of Keaton's M-G-M talkies, as well as large
files on Spite Marriage (1929), The Cameraman (1928), Battling Butler (1926), Seven Chances (1925), and, miraculously, The
Navigator (1924). (1 say miraculously because there was very little in the collection prior to 1925, and The Navigator was not
produced, but mereh distributed, b\' Metro-Goldwyn — before the Mayer was tacked on to the companv name.) .-Xside from
these production files, the M-G-M Collection also contains a biographical file of Keaton stills, numbering more than three
hundred prints.
Another significant group of Keaton photographs is located in the Jules White Collection. White was the head of the
Columbia short subjects department from 193^ to 1958, and he donated the collection to the Librarv in 1975. The collection
consists of stills (and scripts) from 522 films and includes photographs from nine of Keaton's ten Columbia shorts
A third, and possibh the rarest, large cache of Keaton stills came to the Library as a gift in the 1950s. Shortly after I start-
ed working for the Academy in 1972, 1 found these prints in the basement of our former premises at 9038 Melrose Avenue,
an old theater that the Academv had made its headquarters in the 1940s. 4'hc stills were in a box and were dirt\ and
extremely curled — 1 quickly dubbed them "Keaton's Dead Sea Scrolls," which should give a clear impression of their condi-
tion at that point. Although se\erel\ curled, thcv' had luckiK suffered no moisture damage, which would have caused them
to stick together. This made it possible for us to rewash and regloss the prints, restoring them to their original condition. We
achieved excellent results, and the photographs ha\e since resided in the Library's Core Collection Production Files. The
Keaton box proved to contain more than twelve hundred stills, including prints from nine of Keaton's silent features, dating
from 1923 to 1928, and from ten of Keaton's silent shorts, dating from 1920 to 1922. Original stills from the short films are
Our most recent acquisition of a large body of Keaton photographs came from Keaton's widow, Eleanor Keaton, who
donated the photos to the Library in June 1998, thanks large!) to the efforts of Jeffrey Vance, who believed it was of para-
mount importance that the materials be preserved and maintained in perpetuity by an archive and not fall into the hands
of private individuals or, worse, end up on the auction block. Jeffrey was instrumental in bringing Eleanor to agree with the
Eleanor's material dates primarily from the time she met Buster (1938) through his death (1966), and so it was the perfect
complement to the Academy's holdings, which were strong on the earlier period but weak on the later period. She also had
some very early original vintage photographs from Keaton's infancy, childhood, and vaudeville days, as well as a Keaton
family photo album of snapshots dating from 1909 to 1917. Certainly the Academy previously had nothing like this !
Eleanor's collection consists of more than nine hundred items and provides a rich representation of Buster's last three
decades. It comprises many personal photographs, candids, and snapshots, as well as good material documenting his later
A happy by-product of Eleanor's donation was that it inspired Jeffrey Vance, Manoah Bowman (this book's photographic
editor and creator of the prints herein), and me to pursue outside sources and unearth additional Keaton material for the
Academy Library, with the goal of making our Keaton holdings as comprehensive as possible. Of particular help along these
lines were Marc Wanamaker, James Karen, and Robert S. Birchard, who generously and freely let us copy anything we
wanted from their own personal collections. Richard W. Bann and Kevin Brownlow also allowed us to copy several of their
Keaton stills.
So, 1 can cheerfully conclude that the Academy Library's photographic holdings on Buster Keaton are now even
greater due to the generosity of Eleanor Keaton, this book, and all the help we have had along the way. But we are always
Robert Cushman
Beverly Hills
The Buster Keaton Stills: A Note on the Photography
••
I N \' i: N 1 1
\- 1; WAS I III. Kiv woKO iisi;n in c; i: i, i: b k ii ^ r ii o i oc i< \ r ii i, k sin wiu'i'
about one ot his favorite subjects, Buster Keiiloii. w licii I asked hiui about his photo shoot witli the great eoniediau for U.S.
Steel ill I'^iCi^ As one of the few photographers still living who aetualK knew Keaton and photographed him, his eoniinents
reinforee a fact that is not always readily apparent; that liustcr Keaton showed just as nmeli iuiagination and ereativity for
For his silent films, Keaton otten used his in\enti\eness to create a cartooulike effect in his still photographs. He wanted
man\- of his publieit\ photographs to be as amusing and entertaining as possible so that the popular film magazines of the
time, such as Photoplax and Motion Picture Classic, would publish them.
hi light of this fact, Jeffre\- Vance and I, following the ad\iee of the late Eleanor Keaton, selected man\ of the photo-
graphs that display Buster's creativity and imagination. This was not an easy process, as there were literalK thousands of
images from which to choose, hiiagine the ditficultv of having to narrow down more than se\en thousand photographs to a
mere 225 (this book's limit). This process was complicated bv the knowledge that some of the most famous stills of Keaton
were cartoonish "gag" shots that did not even appear in the films thev were supposedlv representing. For example, two of the
most instant!)' recognizable photographs of Keaton from The Navigator (Keaton sitting stoicallv on the steamship, and
Keaton hanging ott the rigging ropes looking out at the sea) are nowhere to be found in the film.
Our ultimate goal became to make this book as comprehensive as possible, bv mixing the most famous and iconic images
of Keaton with behind-the-scenes and scene stills that best represented the films themselves, and finalK bv adding many
previouslv unpublished personal photos of Keaton, in an effort to create a unique and hopefullv definitive photographic
Determining the identitv' of the photographers proved to be an obstacle. As is typical of the silent era, most of the various
still photographers for the films remain unknown. This is unfortunate because manv of the photographs that appear in this
book are masterpieces of composition for which their creators deserve proper credit. We know that Byron Houck was the
still photographer for Keaton's greatest film The General, and that he w orked w ith two still cameras — an 8 \ 10 F,astman for
the stationarv and posed shots and a 5 x 7 Graflex for the more difficult action sequences, as w ell as for the candid behind-
the-scenes photographs. Sadlv, our abilitv to make an attribution to a ]xirticular photographer is an anomaly.
Although the identitv of most of the scene still photographers is a mystery, the portrait still photographers of the period
are well documented. Keaton posed for some of the world's finest photographic artists, including Nelson Evans, Arthur
Rice, Melbourne Spurr, Clarence Sinclair Bull, Ruth Harriet Louise, George Hurrell, Richard Avedon, and, of course,
Sid A\'er\-. Witliin these pages you will find at least one portrait by most of these photographers — some credited for the
first time.
Choosing the images and identifying the photographers was only one part of assembling this book. Apart from serving as
the photographic editor of this book, I also decided to create the prints in the darkroom myself. The process of making the
photographic prints was a long and arduous one, which I accomplished over a period of about one year. In many cases we
had access to the original nitrate 8 x 10 camera negatives, from which I always printed when available. For the other images,
we had original \'intage prints as the primary source material. From these. Producers and Quantity Photo, hie. of Hollywood
produced splendid 8 x 10 copy negatives, following our specific instructions as to exposure, filtration, and polarization.
As for the prints from original negatives appearing in this book, the earliest is the shot from Cops (1922) on page 89, and
the latest is the still of Keaton and Charles Chaplin at their dressing tables from Limelight (1952) on page 204. In creating
the prints from the negatives, I attempted to make them all look better than they had ever looked before. In the darkroom,
this involved paying careful attention to varying degrees of contrast, tonal values, and all necessary burning and dodging to
bring out and retain all the detail possible. Normally, I made at least three prints of each image and chose from these. All the
prints were archivally processed and made, direct contact, on Ilford double-weight fiber paper. I truly strove for perfection
in the creation of these images and hope that I got as close to it as is humanly possible.
Although the Academy offered a wealth of material from which to choose, it should be noted that there are some small
gaps. In the case of Keaton's film The Saphead, the Academy seems to have the only extant vintage still. We were lucky that
Buster was in it! In many instances, when searching for images from each short film, we had onh' t\\ o or three stills from
Because the Buster Keaton Collection that Eleanor donated to the Academy largely contained images of a personal
nature, we had to look elsewhere to fill some of our gaps. Until the mid-1950s Keaton himself held the best collection of his
own film stills. However, as a result of his and Eleanor's generosity to various authors, researchers, newsletters, and other
publications, many of the original photographs they lent out were subsequently lost or never returned. Hence, one of the
most daunting challenges in prc]Daring this book was to locate some of this material or to find other similar first-generation
Also, the reader might notice that there arc films or appearances that are not represented in these pages. Some of these
have been omitted because Eleanor counted them among Buster's lesser efforts and did not w ish to conimcniorale them in
this book. lH)r example, there are no photos included of Keaton's last starring feature film, the I'-Hf) low-budget Mexican pro-
duction /','/ Moclenu) Harbd Aziil (a.k.a.7'//e Modern Bhieheard or Bouiii in the Moon). We rcadiU concur with ElccUior that
10
It is our tin;il liopc tli.it lliis book will Itiid t rcdcncc lo llu' idea lliat the best ol llic still plioloi^raplis ol Biisfcr Kcatoii can
slaiul as ^rcal works in llicir ow ii li^lif, alongside his inoiuniRiilal acliic\cnicnls on the niofion-pictiirc screen. 'I licsc
images ean stand alone not onU heeanse the\ are sneh wonderlnl photographs, hnl also hceause ofKealon's own eoin-
pelling personal inystiqne —a ni\sliqne so powerlnl that it transeends the era in uhieh it was erealed and sneeeeds in with-
Mcinodh Bowman
I A)s Angeles
1 wonid like to thank the tollowing people whose assistance w itli the pliotograplu' for this book was in\alnable: l^obcrt
Cnshman, Photograph Cnrator at the Academy of Motion Pietnre Arts and Sciences' Margaret I lerrick l,ibrar\, who gave
me special and repeated access to the I,ibrar\ s \ast holdings of Kcaton i)hotographs. Peter Avellino and Michael Whitfield
for their dedicated darkroom assistance in the prodnclion of man\ of the photographic prints herein reprodnccd. .\ special
thanks lo l-anra Ni\ and Windham Beacham for helping me ont in a pinch. f'inalK, I wonld like to express mv gratitnde to
Jasmine Brnnsn/.\an and Shahe Mclelian of Prodnccrs antl Onantit\ Photo for ha\ing the rcser\es of patience it mnst take
M.B.
Ji
6DUCT ON I by Jeffrey Vance
an unassuming young bride named Eleanor Ruth Norris said "I do" and became the third wife of a
man twice her age, who just happened to be the legendary film comedian Buster Keaton. None of the
small group of family and friends present, and perhaps not even the groom himself, realized that
followhig the
Keaton's tremendously successful career of the 1920s had derailed in the 1930s when,
advent of talking pictures, his artistic creativity and ingenuity were quashed by the burgeoning studio
system. Private adversity, the result of an unhappy first marriage, also contributed to his professional
decline. Keaton, who had once enjoyed great critical acclaim and the fruits of being a top box-office
draw, had become a chronic alcoholic and, by all accounts, was finished in the motion-picture indus-
try. Enter Eleanor Keaton. Eleanor kept her husband away from alcohol, remained with
him until he
her final tribute to the man she loved but also her final contribution to the Keaton legacy.
Born Joseph Frank Keaton in Piqua, Kansas, on October 4, 1895, Buster Keaton was as old as the cine-
ma when he began his career in motion pictures at the age of twenty-one. Within a few years, Keaton
Keaton had spent a lifetime as a performer before he was captured on even a single frame of cellu-
loid. His first appearance on stage was at the age of nine months and, at the age of five, he became the
newest member of his parents' vaudeville act. The Three Keatons was among the most violent and rau-
Keaton always maintained that it was the great escape artist, Harry Houdini, who gave him his nick-
name, "Buster," after seeing the child take a fall down a flight of stairs with little or no collateral damage.
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Keaton began working, first in New York and later gi\es them another) — first appear in the .\rbuckle
in Los Angeles, w ith Roseoe "Fatt\ " Arbnekle, a series, hi Back Stage (1919), one of the best of the
rotnnd, baby-faced man who was one of the most Arbuckle-Keaton films, Arbuckle is unharmed as a
beloved eomedians in the cinema. He was regarded as balconv facade collapses and falls around him while
the best comed\- director in films next to Charles he stands protected w ithin an open w indow that pass-
Chaplin. Like Chaplin, Arbnekle had learned film es o\er him. The precision of this gag would be repli-
comed\ from pioneer film producer Mack Sennett at cated by Keaton in One Week (1920), The Blacksmith
the Ke\stone Film Compan\, where his film career (1922), and most memorabK in Steamboat Bill, Jr.
began in earnest in \9]\'' Arbnekle, in turn, formed (1928). Also in Back Stage, the audience thinks
Keaton's conception of film. Once Arbuckle saw what Buster's bedroom is coming apart around him as he
a brilliant craftsman as well as talented comedian he lies in bed until it is re\ealed that this is not Buster's
had in Keaton, he soon had him codirccting as well bedroom at all but a stage set being struck. 'I'he scene
as acting in the Arbuckle films. They began working would be re-created in Keaton's The Playhouse (1921).
out gag routines together, and in a short time This surprise effect, in which a situation appears one
Arbuckle's work began to bear an unmistakably way but is then revealed in its total context to dis-
Keatonian touch. close that the \ iewcr has been fooled, would be
Two hallmarks of Keaton's st\le of comed\ — emploNcd b\ Keaton throughout his film career.
mechanical precision and outguessing his audience Keaton worked w ith .\rbuckle in fifteen comedies
(the audience expects one result and the comedian between 1917 and 1920 (the run was interrupted 17
'
Buster with a wooden statue
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of himself on the steps of his
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M-G-M bungalow, c. 1930.
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The statue was a gift from a
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German woodcarver.
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hy George Hurrell.
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when Kccilon sciNctl iii World War I iii 19lS-1919j.
awa\ from the films lie had made with Arbucklc just ing in front of it. Keaton's understanding of the cam-
a short time before. era as his partner, his high le\el of craftsmanship, his
Keaton alwa\s thought in terms of the camera engineering brilliance, and his imiquc performance
when de\ising comic situations. His films from this skills are apparent in e\en his earliest independent
to tell a stor\ with the camera instead of merely plac- Some of these earl\ films, such as The Paleface
ing the camera in a stationar\ position and perform- (1922) and The Frozen North (1922), re\eal Keaton's
prepared in advance.
CeoroelhirrelLc. 1950.
m Oppoxite: Phologroph by
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1923 and 1928, Kcaton made ten independent Despite careful planning, Keaton missed a jump, hit
Hospitality, Sherlock jr., The Navigator, Seven Three Ages. While filming Our Hospitality, Keaton's
Chances, (192 S\ Co West (192 S), Battling Butler hold-back wire snapped, and he was propelled down
(1926), The General, College (1927), and Steamboat a raging river, almost drowning in the mishap. When
(1928). These ten films showcase Keaton's executing a stunt for Sherlock ]r, Keaton broke his
Bill, ]r.
incredible imagination at its greatest heights, stretch- neck (although, incredibly, he did not realize he had
ing silent comedy to its outermost boundaries and broken his neck until he had a complete physical
ensuring his place as one of the aftistic geniuses of examination years later). The footage of the accidents
the twentieth century- proved so effective that Keaton kept the shots in the
Receiving the requisite bumps and bruises during final versions of the films. Ne\er has a filmmaker phys-
but his feature films of the 1920s nearl\ killed him. films possess a realism that clearly reflects that fact.
Bi/ster as "the three wise monkevs" c. 1921. Photograph attributed to Mhiir Rice
A hvo-beaded Busier, c. 1921. Double-exposvre photograph by Arthur Rice.
had burst onto the movie scene. Large, mono- first comedy for M-G-M, The Cameraman (1928), is
talkies
tures failing commercially, and in an effort to stay regimented M-G-M workplace with its carefulK pre-
27
production, Joe Schenck pared scripts and endless timetables. Worse still, the
ahead of the shift in film
studio chose stories for Keaton without cousulting
ing broadcast of the Ed Wynn Show, which aired in
to be a creative filmmaker and was reduced 'mam^ __ cle, "Comedy's Greatest Era," which officially
cult occasions, to drink. Further adding ^ ic greats. Keaton did not think himself a great
to his unhappiness was the deterioration of artist and was embarrassed by and mis- ^
his marriage to Natalie Talmadge. The I trustful of those who did. He saw himself
'
resultant erratic behavior and long as a vaudevillian who had been fortunate
absences from the studio caused costly k enough in silent films to have had the
delays in the production of his films. W opportunity to make pictures the way he
After seven commercially successful but wanted them; but he was now an actor
artistically abysmal sound films at M-G-M, for hire, and he made himself available
which were plagued behind the scenes with for virtually anything. When asked,
Keaton's drinking, Louis B. Mayer terminat- Keaton was also willing to contribute
At only thirty-seven years old, the leg- was important for Keaton, as it was pub-
endary comedian was out of work, an alco- lished at a tiine when Keaton was the only
holic, and a shell of his former self. He was one of the great silent-film comedians avail-
ended with such rancor that she legally only occasionally and after 1940 made
changed their sons' names from Keaton to only four films. Harold Lloyd had
comedies for Educational and Columbia, helped preserve and eventually re-
and relegation to the status of a gag man and release Keaton's classic silent films,
supporting player. Keaton was convinced ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ introducing him to new genera-
his days at the top were over. w "Buster di Milo" a gag shot from tions of film-gOCrs wllO had
^ through guest
various &
Norris in 1940 reversed this seemingly des- n . II ^ \A I
opposih Buster, Harpo Marx, James
Opposite:
"^
" & his
perate personal and professional down- Cagney, and George Bums at a charity appearances on film and televi-
starting in 1947, to play the Cirque Medrano in Paris, was complete. He received an honorary Academy
was television that allowed Keaton to Cinematheque Frangaise. In 1965, the year before his
However, it
emerge from obscurity in America. His introduction death, Keaton enjoyed a successful final tribute to
to the new medium was an appearance on the initial his life and work at the Venice Film Festival.
Keaton worked almost until tlie cla\- lie died, Top: Buster, Jacques Tati. and
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Blister Kcaton died on l'V'hru;ir\ 1, 1966, ;i( the age
tions—all this masked behind his unflinching, stoic Photograph by Roddy McDowall.
veneer.
Opposite: Buster in I95S.
Eleanor Keaton died on October 19, 1998, at the
??
FEWITH BUSTER by Eleanor Keaton
musicals. I was there until the "purge" when everybody- writers, directors, actors— was let go; televi-
At M-G-M, all the kids used to play cards during the long waits between takes. I had played card
games of all kinds— go fish, gin rummy, pinochle -but one day, I saw some people playing bridge. I
became fascinated with the game and wanted to learn it. Art Whitney, one of the dancers, volunteered
to take me to a place where there was "always a bridge game all day every day and a good teacher."
Whitney was Harry Keaton's best friend; the bridge game was at Buster's house on Queensbury Drive
- Before long I was going to Buster's house twice a week to play bridge, whenever I was not working or
Buster was not working. At first, I just watched and learned the game. Back in the 1920s, Buster used to
changed hands. Buster's mother, Myra, his brother, Harry "Jingles," and his sister, Louise, lived
lars
with him in the 1930s, and all played cards. It seemed like a bridge game was being played all the time
in that house. After a while, I felt confident enough to join in, but not without making a lot of mistakes.
For months, there was nothing between Buster and me. I was just a pair of hands to hold cards. I had
been playing in the game for about six months when someone yelled at me for playing a wrong card or
for bidding wrong. 1 got angry and yelled back. That was the first time. Buster told me later, that he
noticed me. 1 guess that is when my life with Buster really began.
At the time. Buster's lady friend was Dorothy Sebastian, his leading lady in Spite Marriage. She
was
also a regular at the bridge games. Although Buster had begun to feel something for me, he did not
off with Dorothy. He was worried would cause too much trauma for her. histead, he
dare break it it ^
hatched a plan. We used to go as a group to the wrestling matches at the Hollywood Legion Stadium.
was all it took. Dorothy fell for the wrestler, and Buster was clear to date me.
Our first date was at Earl Carroll's supper club Vanities on Sunset Boulevard across from the
Palladium in Hollywood. That was the first time we had ever been alone. Our typical date, however.
was doing what Buster loved — playing bridge at his first wedding, and he was very nervous. Looking back
house. We did not go out very often. We dated a full on it, the w hole thing was very funny. Eddie had the
year before / asked Buster to marry me. We had gone shakes so bad you could hear his papers rattling.
to Palm Springs for New Year's Eve. After midnight, When we first arrived and started to get organized,
while Buster and I were dancing to the orchestra, I F-ddie tried to marr\ Buster to m\- mother (she was
looked at him and asked, "When are we going to get nearer his age than I was). Once we did get started,
married?" And he replied, "Tomorrow?" I said, "Well, the entire fire department unexpectedly came up out
not really quite that quick." He suggested that May of the basement. Everybody except Eddie, Buster,
31st would be a good day: "That's easv for me to and me ran to the window to see where the fire was.
remember because that's when I was married the first Eddie called mc "Eleanor Morris," instead of mv real
time." I said something to the effect of, "Up yours!" name, "Eleanor Norris." He also switched back and
and we settled on two days earlier, May 29th. forth between "Do you, Joseph Erank?" (Buster's real
No one thought the marriage woidd last. Even shorts and Charle\- Chase, but no Buster Keaton. The
before we were married, several of Buster's friends first time 1 ever saw a Keaton film. Buster himself
(such as his doctor, Jack Shuman, and A. C. Freud) showed it to me. It was before we were married, and
sat mc down and tried to talk me out of going the film was Battling Butler, the onl\ film of which a
through w ith it. I was a polite girl, so 1 listened to print could be casiK' located, for whatc\er rea.son.
them. Then I did cxactl\- as I pleased, and Buster and The two of us watched it while l''rnie (^rsatti, an old
I v\erc married on Ma\-2y, 1940. frienti of Buster's, projected the him in the little pro-
We were married at City Hall in downtown Los jection room at the Orsatti talent agenev
Angeles. My sisler, Jane, was m\ maid of honor and 1 ha\c ottcn thought that Buster and i were loners
Leo Morrison, Buster's agent, was his best man. w ho lomul each other. W itiioul being conscious ot it
Eddie Brand, who was I larr\ Brand's (Buster's tormer at the time ot our marriage, 1 sup])ose Buster was a
]-)ublicity agent and production supervisor on Colkil^e kind of father figure to me (after we married, 1 c\en
and Sli'cmihocil Hill, jr.) son, had |nsl been made a called him "father"). M\ own Lillicr, i^alpli Xorris,
56 judge, and he pertonncd the cercmom. It was his who worked as an electrician at Warner Brothers, was
cloned shed on llic estate. Birslcr had used the shed as
Raymond Rohauer,
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nianv ol Buster's silent films
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An importanl acknowledgment of Buster's work in
killed in an acciclcnl at the studio w lien I was ten. film, I'.aslmau I louse gave gold plac|ues (called the
After Ins death, I ^rew up fast. W hen I started dating, George Award) to those who had made an important
1 had no interest in men in\ ai^e. It was like taking out contribution to the advanccmcnl ot motion pictures
a ehild. Buster was different troni an\ other man I between 1915 and 1925. Buster considered it more
Buster and 1 lixed in Chexiot i lills until the out- award. He enjoved the event in Rochester and seeing
break of World War II. At that time, e\er\()ue was old friends and tellow recipients such as I larold
worried about a possible attack b\' the Japanese. Llovd and Marv Pieklord. I le was drinking more than
Buster did not want his mother li\ ing alone, and usual, and he had a bad chest cold and was coughing
when we could not persuade her to nio\e in with us, a lot. Soon after we returned to Calilornia, Buster
we sold the Che\iot Hills house and mo\ed into her ruptured a vein in his esophagus and started lienior-
rhaging. I took him to the U.S. Veteran's General As a result of his television work and roles in films
Hospital where he almost died. The doctor told me, such as Sunset Boulevard, Limelight, and Around the
"if he lives five days I'll let )ou know what I think." It World in Eighty Days, the film industry took an
took twenty-seven hours to stop the bleeding, and interest in Buster again. Paramount Pictures paid
Buster had to have blood transfusions. By the time his Buster fifty thousand dollars for the screen rights to
condition stabilized, he looked like an octopus with his life story, with him agreeing also to work as tech-
all the tubes coming out of him. He was in the hospi- nical adviser on the film. The director was Sidney
tal for a total of four weeks. Smoking two packs of cig- Sheldon, the best-selling novelist, and Donald
arettes a day surely landed him in the hospital, but O'Connor was cast as Buster. For eight weeks Buster
alcohol contributed to his condition as well. helped Donald with the comedy sequences, and he
A lot has been made of Buster's drinking, but in had a wonderful time working with him. Howexer,
reality it only went on for about five years, from 1931 to the finished film. The Buster Keaton Story (1957), was
1935. Buster had been dry for about three years before awful. Buster and 1 attended a studio prc\ iew screen-
I met him. He had occasional drinking binges during ing, and we felt like crawling out on our hands and
the first fifteen years of our marriage. But after his knees. It was outrageous the way they fictionalized his
health scare in 1955, he never had more than a beer or life and magnified his drinking.
3H two before dinner every night. That was his "cocktail." The wonderful thing that happened as a result of
'ihc Hiislcr Kcdton Slorv \\;is IIkiI it ciiahlcci lis lo buy garage. The cars were big enough to hold a C'oea-
a six-room house on one and a hall acres ot land Cola or a hot dog, and Busier used lo drive lood
located at 22612 Sylvan Street in Woodland I lills, around lo our guests whenever we had a |)icnic. And,
California. We moved into the "ranch," as Buster oi course, he loved lo j)lav bridge tor hours on end.
clovers, something he had a talent for spotting quick- Buster and me playing in the snow after a blizzard in Rochester,
ly since childhood. He had a dozen Rhode Island Red New York, where Buster received the George Award at the first
Buster swam every da\ and enjo\ ed cooking, playing Buster v\as alwav s v\orking on gags, no matter
his ukulele, and watching television, which fascinat- where we were — at home, on the road, wherever
ed him. Buster lo\ed trains. His favorite film of his something came to him. Once after dinner on the lie
own was The General, and he had a toy train that ran de France ocean liner, while people were dancing, I
on tracks around our picnic table and back into the noticed Buster was gone. I looked around and finallv
Feeding the chickens outside the coop Buster built at our Woodland Pantages Theater. Buster received his award at the
Hills ranch, c. J956. Buster thought every chicken coop he ever saw
Governors' Ball held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel
was an eyesore, so he built one that did not look like a chicken coop.
It looked like a little schoolhouse. Photograph by Charles after the telecast. The citation on the statuette reads,
Schneider
"To Buster Keaton for his unique talents which
to them how the scene or the gag should go. I suppose were in his eyes when Buster reached the podium to
that is the way he worked in the silent days. Somebody receive the award, and all he managed to say was
like Buster does not change the way he operates so "thank you."
As a result of the inaccuracies and distortions in Buster ever smile?" Because he rarely changed his
The Buster Keaton Story, Buster wanted to set the deadpan expression, people just cannot visualize him
record straight with an autobiography. Writer Charles smiling. And, if there was a camera around, \ou
Samuels met us in Las Vegas in 1958, where Buster would never catclr him smiling. He thought it was
and I were performing at the Desert Inn in a show bad for his image if he was caught smiling or laugh-
called Newcomers of 1928, to work with Buster on his ing for the camera. But if there was no camera
book. Charlie took an apartment next to us, and they around, and if something funnv happened, he
spent practicalK' all day every day for eight weeks smiled. If it was really funn\, he laughed. Buster had a
came back with us to Woodland Hills and worked Buster loved to make audiences laugh, but rarcK
with Buster for another three weeks until he was fin- attended a screening of his own hhns to hear the
ished. Charlie did not use a tape recorder; Buster laughter firsthand. He was actualK \er\ sin and
talked and Charlie typed. The finished book was pub- deathlv afraid ot crowds. At a 1962 retrospcctixc show-
lished b\ l^oublcda\ in January 1960 as My ing of his films at the C>inc;mathcquc I'Vauc^aise in
Wonderful World of Slafjstick. It is a simple, straight- Paris, when the lights went up and he saw a large
forward book w ith a lillc indicating Buster's devotion group coming towartl him, he took ott in a panic \\p
liear it himself.
McHugh and jane Russell), stole the show at the Hollywood Brown By the time we arri\ed in N'enice in carK September,
Derby in a live half-hour television program that iunnedialelv pre-
his breathing was unusually hea\\-; he was tired, sick
ceded the Aeademv of Motion Pieture Arts and Sciences' third
to his stomach, and we.ik. The tremendous reception
Oscar telecast in April, I960. Buster had no idea at the time he
would be receiving an honorary Oscar later that evening. he received in Venice seemed to rein\igorate him
somewhat for A l''unnY I'hing llafipened on the Wax
caught up to liiui, lie was in an allcw \omiting. Also to the I'oriii]}, which was shot just outside of Madrid
in 1962 we went on a tour of twenty German eitics in September. It was directed by Richard Lester, and
w ith The General. Buster drove a special train, made Buster enjoved working with Zero Mostel, Jack
to look like the General of the film, into each cit\ Gilford, and Phil SiKcrs. 1 le was unable to do an\-
stop for publicity purposes. We were supposed to go thing that required much ph\sical exertion, and a
to a screening of The General in Munich. Buster double had to be used for the long shots of Buster
chickened out and decided to stay back at the hotel, running. The weather during the three weeks we
so Raymond Rohauer and 1 went to the opening
The toy train came out from the kitclten on a track that ran the
length of the pool alongside the fence, and cuned over a trestle to a
round table. We used it to deliver soft drinks and hot dogs to guests.
was the most he ever said about nic, but I knew wiiat
"t my make-up
"How do I
fixed, all ready to go,
n
I
:^;>4i^-
just joined the rest of the group. I think that these
were in Madrid was unseasonably cold, and it rained Left: Buster was the subject of This Is Youk Lii i:, which
was determined to go directly to Canada, as planned, Below: Buster and me with our 180-pound Saint Bernard, Elmer III
months.
B u s 1- 1',
K w \ s A cm I I. n o !• i ii i.
Joseph Keaton.
Indiana. The Keaton forebears were Quakers of Irish Joseph I'rauk Kcalon at six iiumtlis of age. Photograph taken in
himself with menial jobs. According to Keaton familv the couple quietK eloped and were married on May
legend, the twenty-six-year-old Joe participated in 51, 1894 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Myra's famil) was not
the Oklahoma land rush of 1893, staking a homestead happ\ with her choice of a husband, and the newly-
claim near Perr\-, Oklahoma, which he gave over to weds were not welcomed back into the Cutler
his father and mother. Comedy Compan\-. Joe and Myra went on their own,
Buster's mother was born Myra Edith Cutler in working in \arious rival medicine shows.
1877 in Modale, Iowa. Her father, Frank L. Cutler, It was w hile thc\ w ere performing w ith the
owned the Cutler Comed\ Compan\, a traveling Mohawk Indian Medicine Compan\' on a one-night
medicine show. Medicine shows, a form of entertain- stand in Piqua, Kansas, that Buster was born in the
ment popular in the nineteenth centur\, were usually home of Jacob and Barbara Haen, whose house was
open-air revues that combined simple singing, danc- nearest to the church hall where Joe and M\ra were
ing, and recitation with the selling of quack medicine performing and where the expectant mother w cut
(called "Kickapoo eli.xir," it promised to do just about into labor. M\ ra stayed w ith the Haens for tw o weeks
anything and everything), which was the show's onl\ after Buster's birth, after w hich both mother and
source of revenue. Myra, of English and German child rejoined the show.
parentage, performed in her father's medicine show, In 1897 Joe and Myra found work in a tra\eling
where she played piano, double bass, and the cornet. medicine show called the California Concert
Joe Keaton joined the Cutler Comedy Company, Company w ith Harry Houdini, who would become
working as both a bouncer for the show and knock- the great escape artist. Buster alwa\s said that it was
about comedian. He and M\ra soon fell in lo\c. and Houdini who ga\e him his nickname, "Buster," after
seeing him take a fall down a flight of stairs unhnrt at logue. At eleven months of age. Buster nearly suffo-
the small hotel where they were staying. "That's sure cated when the lid of the costume trunk (which
a buster!" Houdini proclaimed. "That's a good name served as both playpen and crib) was accidentally
for him," responded |oe. There are several variations closed by a stagehand while Joe and Myra were work-
to this story, but Buster was consistent in his version. ing onstage. Buster's early life was fraught with such
Whether it was Houdini or some other family friend accidents. The most adventurous day of his child-
who gave Buster the name he would use for the rest hood took place in July 1898 in Kansas, when he w as
of his life, one thing appears to be certain: Buster just twenty months old. Buster wandered out into the
was the first person to use it as a nickname. backyard of the boardinghouse where the family was
using a rock. The rock hit his head, and the doctor
the air about one block from the house. A man saw
eye on him.
stage fall. The name Buster Keaton even predates was not a great success. All that changed witli
R. V. Outcault's "Buster Brown" comic strip. Buster's professional debut at William Lee
loc and Myra kept the infant Buster in an open Dockstadcr's Wonderland I'hcatcr in Wilmington,
costume trunk offstage while they were performing. Delaware, the week of October 15, 1900, when 'i'hc
As soon as he was able to crawl, Buster wanted to join Two Keatons became The Three Keatons.
his parents onstage. His first appearance was at nine Dockstader encouraged Joe and M\ ra to put Buster
months, when Buster managed to gel out of the into the act, so Joe improxiscd some comic rough-
trunk and crawl onto the stage to join his father, who housing with fi\e-\ear-old Buster.
was performing a black-face monologue. Buster's 1 he act that was imprcnised in Delaware became
46 entrance received more applause tlian the mono- the standard situation used tor the entire career of
tines, and what made people laugh, which would
The Three Keatons in \iiude\ illc: ]()c would tr\ to named by Joe "The Human Mop" — so called
show the audience liow to bring up children correctly because joe would literalK mop u|) the stage with
hv making them "mind. " Buster was the high-spirited him — and ""riie 1 attic Bo\ Who C^^an't Be
child, and )oe was the pestered parent. Bnster would Damaged.
throw a basketball at Joe, trip him up and then step It was also during his years in \aude\ illc that
on top of him, and hit him with a broom. Joe would Buster began to dexelop the stonc-faccd manner he
then retaliate by throwing Buster around the length later used in films. Joe and Buster both realized that
of the stage, through chairs, tables, scenery, and Buster received more laughs from the audience when
sometimes into the audience. Buster's stage coat had he was serious. If Buster started to smile or laugh dur-
a harness built inside it with a suitcase handle ing the act, Joe would say, "Face! Face!" which
aters that had tw o shows a daw and the act was con-
comic in\cntion, technique, timing of comedy rou- The Three Keatons m New yhrk. 1900. Vhulograph by ieinbero.
meant he should become deadpan. As Buster later
1
^^^^m^^
enjoying myself they didnt seem to laugh as
be pleased by
human
as
my wit's end.^
i
m-'it'--^.
!
Ir.
^Mi3 roughest knockabout
formed
known as the
to stop
1
week.
pened, the following year, they sent me to Albany, which suggests that he liked his father and w hat he
to the governor 0/ the state. Then in his office, same did in vaudeville.
thing: state physicians examined me, and they The unfortunate aspect of Buster's life in \aude-
gave me permission to work in New York state. ville was that he never went to school or had the
Massachusetts thought I was a midget. opportunity to have lasting friendships with children
The Gerry Society never found any evidence of who taught him in tlie mornings, he received most of
child abuse in Buster's case. If they had, he would not his schooling from Myra. He spent only one da\ of
have been allowed to perform onstage. However, his life — when he was six years old — in a Jersey City,
accusations that Buster was an abused child have New Jersey, public school room. He was expelled on
been put forward by several biographers, despite his very first day for answering the teacher's ques-
Buster's account and all evidence to the contrary. tions with punch lines he had learned from the stage.
According to Buster, his years in vaudeville were He was very self-conscious in later years about ne\'er
some of the happiest days of his life. In his silent having gone to school and felt inferior to most people
comedies he used his vaudeville routines and fre- as a result. Buster's shyness around people outside his
joe and Buster proudly show off a fish caught in Muskegon Lake,
with Louise and Harrv "]ingles" along for the ride, c. 1910.
SO
iniinccliatc circle or slum business IukI to do in lari-c avoid probkins with the (lerrv Society). 'I'he popular
nicasiuc with Ins stunted clnldliood. hangout was a tavern called Pascoes Place, w hieh
'I'hc Three Keatons soon heeanie lour and later was famous lor its beer and tried perch.
fixe Keatons when M\ ra hore I larr\ (alter I loudini) As Buster grew up, Joe was unable to throw him
Stanle\ Keaton mi 1904 (who was niekuained around. Ihe act was still rough, with kicks, chases,
main support. As soon With ii neighbor's dog at the Actor's Colony at Hhifftou. Michigan, c. 19U act eoidd ha\e gone on
sent to boarding schools in Michigan w bile Buster increased as he became older, and he found it more
and his parents continued to tour in \audc\ille. difficult to do the ph\sically demanding act w ith
The famih did not uormalK work in the summer. Buster. His alcoholism began to impair an act that
For eight \ears, from 1909 to 1917, the entire family depended on precision timing, and bis abusive
spent summers together in Bluffton, Michigan, an beha\ ior on- and offstage soon alienated Joe from
actors' colon\ adjacent to Muskegon, where many employers as well as his family. In Januarv 1917,
\aude\ille performers owned summer homes. The Buster broke u]) the act to make a new start on his
famih' would look back on this period as the happiest own. Although he was just twcnt\-one years of age,
summers of their li\es.Thc cottage they owned was he was a veteran of the theater with many opportuni-
called "Jingle's Jimgle." There the\- would spend their ties before him. He quieklv found work w ith the
summers fishing and sw imming on Lake Muskegon, Shuberts in the musical comedv rev ue, Ihe Passing
plaving cards, and socializing with fellow \aude\ il- SJiow, at the \\ inter C.ardcn Theater in New York,
lians. During these simimcrs Buster pla\ ed baseball but he never made it to the first rehearsal. He would
like other kids and dressed his age (on tour in \aude- instead go into the movies, working w ith Roscoe
\ ille he had to dress like an adult and act like one to "Fattv" Arbuckle.
51
THE ARBUCKLE-KEATON SHORTS
sheet?""^
Bus T E R MAD E N J O Y K D MO 1' 1 O N former, but started in motion pictures in 1909 for the
pictures from his earliest days in vaudeville, when Selig Polyscope Company and joined Keystone in
short films were shown as "chasers," the last presen- 1913 as a Keystone Kop for comedv producer Mack
tation in an evening of vaudeville entertainment. Sennett. B\' 1917, |oe Schenck had lured Arbuckle
However, two films in particular, Mack Sennett's away from Sennett with a contract that gave him a
Tillies Punctured Romance (1914), the first comedy higher salary and his own company— which
feature, and D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation Arbuckle named the Comique Film Corporation —
(1915), greatly impressed him. During all the Keatons' where he had greater creatixc control o\er the films.
years in vaudeville, joe Keaton had nothing hut con- Arbuckle was, at the time, second only to Chaplin
tempt for films. When newspaper magnate William among film comedians in world popularity.
Randolph Hearst proposed in 1913 to bring The Buster visited Arbuckle at the Colony Studio at
I'hree Keatons to the screen in a scries of shorts 318 East 48th Street, between Second and Third
based on the George McManus comic strip Avenues. 1 he studio was a converted livery stable
"Bringing Up Father," Joe responded, "We work leased by Schenck, where the films of dramatic
into a rural grocery store and iniinediately improvises immediately that Buster was not only a great comic
with a barrel full of brooms — he was an expert at actor but also a storehouse of vaudeville routines who
improvising comed\ with brooms, as this was a pro|) could do spectacular comic pratfalls. 1 Ic iii\ iled
frecjuentlv used in his vaude\ ille act. i le bn\ s a buck- Buster to join the compans at a salar\ of forty dollars
et of molasses from Arbuckle and becomes complete- per week. Buster canceled his contract with 'llw
ly stuck in the gooey substance. It is a classic comedy Passing SJww at two hundred fiftv dollars a week to
sequence, and Buster remembered it with great work with Arbuckle. Buster left the stage, as he was
affection, later rcstaging it for his television debut in inmicdiately captivated by the possibilities of motion
appearances.
Buster reacted to being hit by a sack of flour, which leading lady Josephine Stevens is at center.
,\//(c' \hiiiii. \ihinklc. Olid Ihister in C()>ilA is/.AND (iVlTj.
54
limter. A/ St.
^'IMkI
John, Arhiickle,
A Country
HiRo (1917).
• in '
n
ll
Buster, Arbuckle,
pictures, particularly the technical aspects; films first worn in The Butcher Boy. Although Buster would
immediately did away with the physical limitations frequently experiment with both laughing and cr}'ing
For his first screen appearance. Buster kept the the deadpan manner for which he is known.
deadpan expression he had developed in vaudeville. It The titles of the comedies Buster made with
became his trademark, later giving rise to nicknames Arbuckle -T/ie Butcher Boy, Oh, Doctor! (1917),
Face." Amazingly, the Coney Island (1917), Out West (1918), The Bell Boy
such as "The Great Stone
years was (1918), The Cook (1918) -indicate Arbuckle's working
porkpie hat he would use for the next fifty
method. Arbucklc chose a particular role or setting, with i\l St. John (an original member of the Ke\stone
and gags evolved from the premise. The Arbuckle Kops and Arbuckle's nephew). He soon graduated to
films are pure slapstick, rich in gags that contain as the role of Arbuckle's comedy partner, both in front
their focal point Arbuckle himself, who had a warm of and behind the camera. Buster began to be his
and charming comic personality that capti\ated audi- assistant director and contributed many of the gags,
ences. Despite his large size, he was very graceful along with gagmen Herbert W4irren. Jean Havez, and
and able to perform great comic falls. CKde Bruckman. Arbuckle became Buster's mentor,
Buster and Arbuckle had an instant rapport both and Buster learned from Arbuckle the teclmical side
on and off the screen; they shared a generous nature, of filmmaking, everything from setting up shots, to
a love of practical jokes, and a de\otion to their work. operating the camera, to editing film.
Buster first played second-string comedy roles, along .According to Buster, he and .'Xrlmcklc hnd nnl\
i - \
iiTiljiiCli
9 % .
. -\ <:
Arhuckle, AI St. joliu. Buster, and Arhuckle's dog, lAike. on the beach in Santa
Opposite top: Buster, Arhuckle, Kate Price, and Alice Lake in Goon Night,
Nurse! (1918).
Opposite bottom: Buster and Arhuckle in Back Stage (J9J9j. Also pictured
are Molly Malone (far left). Buddy Post (large man in top hati. and jack Coogan
(in background wearing a straw hat).
one fricndU disagreement in all their years of friend- Beach and later used the I Ienr\- Leiirman Studio in
ity of movie audiences was twcKe years. Buster Buster had made twcKc films w ith Arhuckle when
disagreed. He felt that anyone making pictures w ho World War I broke out. 1 Ic was inducted into the
believed that mo\ ic audiences had a t\\el\c-\ ear-old arm\ in luuc 1918 and assigned to Compan\ C ot the
mind would not he in the m()tion-i:)icture business 159th lnfantr\, 4()th (nicknamed "Sunshine")
very long. ni\ision. I Ic left for I'Vance in August and served for
Arbuekle's Comique company soon moved from about tour months before the war ended. llowc\cr, he
the C^oloin Studio to the Biograph Studio at "96 sta\cd (nerseas tor ucarK eight mouths. I Ic worked as
I'.ast 176th Street in the Bronx, and in October 1917 a cr\ ptogra])her, bui he maiuK entertained the
mo\ed to C'aliforuia. ThcN rcnlecl space at the troops, I lis most popular act was his "Princess Ra)ah"
I lorkhcimer Brothers' Balboa Amusement Producing snake-tlaucc routine, based on a \.uidc\illc act that
58 (]onipan\ on Sixth and Alamilos Streets in I ,ong had once phncil on the same bill w ith him. I lis skirt
59
^ma^s;:.
^ — r"- *
With Arhuckle in the team's last two- was assembled from mess-kit utensils, his brassiere
reeler, The Garage (J 920). was made of arm\' dog tags, and the "snake" he
I
1919 1
, one of the best films he made with Arbuekle.)
60
Buster kept this photograph oj
Photograph hx W'itzel.
Upon his return to C-alitornia, Buster threw hini- career was the aftermath of what took i^lacc in the
sclt into his work w ith Arhuckle and the Comique coiu'se of a bootleg liquor part\' in Arbuckle's hotel
conipanx, which at tliat time was his entire Hfe.The\' suite at the St. PVancis 1 lotcl in San f'rancisco o\er
worked six da\ s a week and lo\ed e\er\ minute of Labor Da\' weekend in September 1921, when a bit
what the\ were doing. Buster made tliree more fihns pla\er named Virginia Rappc became ill and died
with Arhuckle. The last Arhuckle-Keaton collabora- four da\s later of a ruptured bladder. Arhuckle was
tion. The Garage (1920), Buster thought the best of accused of brutalK raping her and was tried three
the series/rhe film lias tlie two men running a com- times for manslaughter. He was e\entuall\ exonerat-
bination garage and fire station. It is filled with ed w ith an unprecedented apolog\- from the jurw
Buster's gags and looks forw ard to 77?e Scarecrow 1 k)we\er, b\ that time it w as too late. Public opinion
(1920) and The Blacksmith (1922). turned against him, his contract w ith Paramount was
Joe Schenck sold Arbuckle's contract to canceled, and for a time he was banned from appear-
Paramount Pictures, where Arhuckle was to make ing on the screen b\ the new 1\ formed Motion
feature-length comedies under a contract that guar- Picture Producers and Distributors of America (later
anteed him three million dollars o\er a three-\ear renamed the Motion Picture Association of America).
period. Schenck ga\e Buster a contract to make his Arhuckle was devastated, his great screen career
own two-reel comedies. This marked the beginning ruined. F,\entuall\ he worked as a director under his
of Buster's great career and the beginning of the end father's name, William Goodrich, and in the earK
of Arbuckle's. Arbuckle's first features were not a great 19S0s he appeared in films under his own name in a
success. His salar\ w as \ irtualK the w hole budget, so few Warner Brothers' Vitaphone comedv shorts.
the studio attempted to recoup their inxestment b\ Buster lo\ ed Arhuckle, and the tw o remained the
using him cheapK in remakes of old Paramount best of friends until Arhuckle died in 1933. Buster
properties that were inappropriate for him. The stu- kept a smiling portrait of his friend and mentor on
dio also had Arhuckle make more than one film at a the wall of his den at the Woodland Hills home, his
time. However, w hat realK ended Arbuckle's film final residence, until the end ot his life.
6J
f n ^ /•* r n ^ ^\ 1^ I
7AWj
TH E SAPH /: A n \v a s a i I [ , M V i<: R S I ON ous Mark Turner and saves the family's fortune in
of the play The New Henrietta, a success in 1887 as the Henrietta gold mine.
The Henrietta, and revived on Bioadwa} in 1913 with The experience of creating a fully developed char-
William H.Crane and Douglas Fairhanks. The film acter influenced Buster's formulation of the later
was Buster's first appearance in a feature film and Keaton characters Rollo Treadway in The Navigator
established him as a film star in his own right. and Alfred Butler in Battling Butler. The Saphead
Marcus Loew, whose Metro Pictures v\as to dis- also served as a model for all the Keaton features:
tribute the new Keaton two-reelers, wanted to make the transformation of a bumbling, incompetent
a prestige production in an attempt to improve the young man into an athletic, graceful hero who proves
quality of Metro's films. Locw bought the famous play himself became the basic feature of all of Buster's
and set out to make a seven-reel feature film at a Buster gives an excellent performance in The
time when Metro's biggest productions were only Sc; /j/iec/c/. Although he had no hand in the direction,
joe Schenck encouraged Locw to cast Buster in essentially melodrama mixed with high comedv. The
the role of Bertie "1'hc i,amb" Van Alstyne, the role film was well received, and Buster proved that he was
Fairbanks had played onstage in 1913 and in his first an actor and not just a comedian. Variety wrote of his
film, I'he Lamh (1915). I''eature films were given more performance: "As for Buster, a cyclone when called
space b\ reviewers than comedy shorts, and Schenck upon, his c|uict work in this picture is a revelation."'
knew that a high-quality feature-film role — and the Buster cnjovcd the experience ot The Saphead so
62 marketing of such a special production — would much that he suggested to Schenck that he make tea-
tiircs in the future instead of two-rccl comedies.
was origiualK the Climax Sludio autl later the 1 ,oue In his jmme. lUisler stood five [eel five inches
Mutual film C>)rporation there in U)16-1917. Below: In 'I'm S \i'iii W), Buster as
Bertie \'an Alstyne has his wedding to Agnes
Renamed the Buster Keatou Studio, it was adjacent
( '.ales postponed upon the arrival of some
to the Metro studios on Romaine Street. Buster shut- lueriminating love letters delivered by an
tled between the two studios toward the cud ol ihe (inoiirinoiis messenger. With William II.
{Hi-
\
t 1
A
r V
((
^9!»
r> j^
^-^^E?r
inc i\CMi\^i^ .^luci-^i «jn\^i\ij
shorts Buster made between 1920 and 1923 allowed A. P. Giannini (president of the Bank of Italy, later
him complete creative freedom. There is an amazing renamed the Bank of America), and Irving Berlin.
variet\' to them, and in terms of comic invention and Buster also had an impressi\ e creative team. Eddie
technical ingenuity, no one was making comedy Cline codirected most of the shorts with Buster. Cline
shorts better than Buster Keaton at this time. The was a Mack Sennett veteran: a onetime Keystone
spontaneity of these shorts is in part what has kept Kop, gagman, and director who also appeared in
these films so wonderfully fresh to modern viewers. many of the Keaton shorts as an actor in bit parts.
Buster and his team were totally committed to their From Roscoe Arbuckle's unit Buster retained Lou
work; nothing else mattered so much. As Buster once Anger as studio manager. Also brought in were tech-
said, "When we made pictures, we ate, slept, and nical director Fred Gabourie, who was responsible for
dreamed them."^ Buster received one thousand dol- the building of the sets and for the mechanical plan-
lars a week plus a twenty-five percent share of the net ning of special stunts and effects, and head camera-
profits from the films, hi his first year, he made eight man Elgin Lessley, another Mack Sennett veteran.
went on to make eleven more two-reelers for release Sherman" because he looked like a priest) was film
through First National. editor. The scenarios and gags for the shorts in the
As producer, Joe Schenck did not interfere with first year were created by Buster and Eddie Cline. By
the new studio's operations; the Keaton shorts were 1921 Joseph Mitchell (who was in charge of the
so successful that Schenck simply paid the bills and Keaton scenario department) along with Jean Havez
relieved Buster of all business worries to make films. and Clyde Bruckman (both of whom had worked for
Everyone was happy with this arrangement, includ- Arbuckle) worked as Buster's three top gagmen.
ing the small group of impressive stockholders of the Buster's father, Joe, acted in several of the films, and
Comique Film Company (which clianged its name Joe Roberts, a \ audcxillian and old family friend
to Buster Keaton Productions in 1922), comprising from Buster's boyhood summers on Lake Muskegon,
Joe Schenck as president, his brotlier Nicholas Michigan, was a comic heavy.
Schenck as vice-president, David Bernstein as Buster supervised e\ery phase of his films. When
6-i secretar\'-trcasurer (Bernstein was also secrctarv- dc\eloi)ing a scenario, the daih story conferences
were held from 10 a.m. to 6 P.M. six days a week. He also had his cameramen keep filming even if
Buster, Lkldie Cline, Lou Anger, the gagmen, the something w cut v\Tong because that was when Buster
cameramen, and the propert}- men all participated in did some of his best improvisation. Buster liked to
the storv conferences. Buster later remembered how keep it looking and feeling fresh. The cast was small
the\- would develop a story for a corned} enough — there were usually just three principals: the
U77t'ri f/ie three writers [Bruckman. Havez, and way. Although his studio was one city block in size-
Mitchell] and I had decided on a plot, we could start. perfect for any of his needs — he frequently went on
We alwavs looked for the story first, and the minute location, as real surroundings alwa\'s produced the
somebody came up with a good start, we always unexpected. When he did not feel like filming or
jumped the middle. We never paid any attention to when he had a creative block. Buster and the crew
that. We jumped to the finish. A man gets into this would play baseball.
situation; how does he get out of it? As soon as we Buster never repeated a gag or a story idea in an)
found out how to get out of it, then we went hack and of the nineteen independent silent shorts. The best of
worked on the middle. We always figured the middle them — One Week, The Goat, Tiie Playhouse, The
would take care of itself' Boat, and Cops— are some of his finest comedies.
times, but Buster would ver\ often use the first take. 65
THE HIGH SIGN (1921
\nK
iccd Buster is a sharpshooter. Ihc climax has
66
Buster being chased by the Blinking Buzzards Buster and his crew on Tut: H;c;;/
through the house w as photographed on a eutaw a\' set, in the wide-brimmed hat on the left with
clc\ er for their own sake. He felt the film was too sim-
One W i: /; k w as B u s i v. r '
s i- i r s Compan\ doeumentar\-, Uowc Made (1919), an edu-
masterpiece, and mam consider tlic film the finest cational short ahout prefahricated housing. Buster saw
short comedy lie ever made. Tlie stor\ hne is tigliter this ohseure httle tdm and decided to do a sort ot par-
than The High Sign, and a distinct \ isnal style (sueh od\ ol it. ()/;c' Week has man\ ot the de\ices used in
as the nsc of lon<; takes hhncd in long shots) and Home Made, including the wedding, the Model T,
Buster's unicine sense of the ahsmd are clearl)' e\i- and the use ot the pages from a dail\ calendar to
68 • dcnt. The nhn was inspired hy a I'ord Motor show the house hcnii" huill m one week.
1 lie lilni opens w nil iicul\-
the numbers on the boxes containing the house. The physical trainer, had to put him in hot and cold
structure Buster assembles is a joke unto itself; an showers and then apply olive oil and later horse lini-
irregular and confused mess. After a disastrous house- ment to eventualK get the swelling down.
warming part\, in which the house is nearly ruined One Week showcased the essential Buster, w ith
b\- rain, the newhweds discover they have built the two of his favorite elements— xiolent storms and a
house on the wrong lot. Fhey trv to tow the house train — worked into the story. He belie\ed that the
behind their Model T, but it breaks loose and stops film would be a good first release. He was right: One
on a railroad track. A train conies racing toward the Week was hailed as the comedy sensation of the year.
another train smashes the house to obli\ ion. Buster Opposite: Buster looks askance
tions— before the two walk awa\ into the distance. Above: With Sybil Seely.
rainstorm scene.
room door into air was one of the fev\- occasions v\hen
70
Busii; k's si:c:()\n k i, i, i: \s !. hi.c. i\s shorts. I lis scenes with Buster in this Idm are \ery
with Inin on the golf links with ;i socialite, S\l)il much in the David and C'.olialh manner. Buster
Seek, w ith whom he is enamored. Buster is an inept appears dressed in a ])rison warden's uniform oidv to
goiter, and he manages to hit himselt on the head discover that i^oberts has knocked out an entire pro-
with his golf ball. Uneonseious, he dreams ot being cession ot prison guards as thev entered the vard.
mistaken tor escaped conxiet No. B and then taken Roberts in this film is reminiscent of Kric Campbell,
to prison w here he narrowK escapes being hanged the huge comic villain Chaplin used in his Mutual
(thanks to the help ot the warden's daughter, also comedies, and certain moments of Co;n';c/ /^ resen)-
pla\ed b\' Seel\). He changes clothes w ith a prison ble the most famous of the C^haj^lin Mutuals, Easy
convict (Joe Roberts). The film ends with Buster One scene in the film is a reworking of a routine
awakening from his dream on the golf links in the Buster did in vaudeville with his father. Onstage, Joe
arms of the consoling S\bil Seely. would sing while Buster stood on a table sw inging a
Convict B contains black comed\, particularK the basketball on the end of a long rope in a circular
scene in which Buster is about to be hanged while motion aroimd his Father's head. Buster would whirl
the prisoners sit as spectators cheering on the pro- the rope closer and closer to Joe until the ball hit Joe
ceedings and concessions are sold as if it were a ball smack in the face. In the climax ot Convict 15, Buster
game. As the giant con\ict, Joe Roberts is memorable swings a ball and chain to stop a prison riot, knocking
in his first major role in a Keaton film. He phned the the prisoners unconscious. The first convict hit in the
hea\\ in all of Buster's remaining independent film is none other than Joe Keaton.
farmhands who share a one-room house that is filled men both tr\ to win the affection of the farmer's
with surprising time- and space-saving devices: the daughter, played by Sybil Seely. Buster is soon divert-
phonograph doubles as a stove; the bookcase also ed from romance when he is chased by a dog
serves as the icebox; and the bed converts into an (Arbuckle's Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Luke) and gets
upright piano. Breakfast involves a series of strings thrown into a hav-processing machine, which tears
dangling from the ceiling, which pull down to an away his clothes. Borrowing the clothes of a nearby
assortment of condiments that the two men swing scarecrow. Buster kneels down to tie his shoe when
back and forth to each other over the breakfast table. the farmer's daughter encounters him. She mistakes
Buster had built similar Rube Goldberg-like contrap- his kneeling position for a formal marriage proposal,
tions as a boy at his summer home on Lake which she accepts. As the two race off on a motorcy-
Muskegon, Michigan. He made them for his own cle to elope, they accidental!}' take on an extra pas-
amusement, as well as for a lazy vaudevillian neigh- senger—a parson who pronounces the couple
bor named Ed Gray, who hated to make any unnec- husband and wife as the motorcycle is accidentally
essary movements. The devices created in The driven straight into a lake.
72
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NEIGHBORS (1921)
N /: / c; /( H () K s b i: c, i \ s w i r ii r ii i-: Educational comecK ,\//c'z Oop (19i4). However, the
title "TIr' I'lowcr ot L()\c could find no more romau- most interesting scenes feature Buster and his father
tie spot in wliieh to blossom than in this poet's doing routines similar to those thc\ had pcrtormed
Dream Ckirden." This fades into a back\ard in a together onstage. In one scc|ucnce, Buster drops into
sliun. Buster and his girl (V'irginia Fox) are a 1921 a bottomless barrel, his head stuck into the mudcK
Romeo and Juliet, their romance impeded at e\ery tenement court\ard. Joe pulls awa\ the barrel and
turn h\ the antagonism between their feuding fami- then \anks Buster b\ the legs, trying to dislodge his
lies. The girl's father is played by Joe Roberts, and head from the mud..\t one point Joe stands on
Buster's father is pla\ ed b\ his real-life father, Joe Buster's arms as he pulls Buster b\ the legs. Joe says
Keaton/riie stor\- ends with the \oung lo\ers huall\ in a title, "He's my son and I'll break his neck an\ wa)
I he simple stor\- is just a loose framework for Neighbors was the first Keaton film that featured
man\ memorable gags and stunts. I'he acrobatics of Virginia Fox, his most frequent leading lady, a former
the three-man p\ ramid stunt, w ith Buster on top, Mack Sennctt pla\er who appeared in nine of
w ere performed b\- Buster and his \ aude\illian friends Buster's silent eomcd\- shorts. In 1923, she married
the P1\ing Escalantes, who he would use again in the Darr\l F. Zanuck and retired trom films.
75
THE HAUNTED HOUSE (1921
In i 1 1 I s 1' I l m , Bus v k r i s f a i. s i: i,
\'
76
Oii
HARD LUCK (1921
^.''•^i
^c.
£.*
^Of'
i^Stei^i
78
}l \nn /,('(:k w \s Bi'sii.k's i'i.ksoxm, armadillo. Needless to sa\, he hiils, and he is also
favorite of his own silent shorts, not hccausc he nusneeesslnl as a lishermau and horseman. The
thought it hetter tium the rest hut hee;inse the fihu alorcmcnlioned hilarious scc|uence comes at the cud:
eont;iinecl the greatest hiugh-gelliug sec|ueuee ot au\ re)ccted In Virginia I'bx, Buster elimhs up to the
ot his pietures/rhe film itself was eonsidered lost for high-di\iug platform ot an open-air swimming pool.
more than sixt\' \ears until it was ]:iarliall\ reeon- On the plattorm he poses and stmts lor the heuefit of
strueted from extant tootagc aec|uired h\ Ra\ inoud the girls lounging around the pool. I le then ])erl()rms
Rohauer and assemhled h\ Ke\ in Brow nlow and a great swan di\e and misses the pool completely.
David C;ill in 1987 Landing on the cement walk next to the pool, he
hi the hhn. Busier loses his joh and his girl. Down lea\es a large hole in the i)a\emcnt. The scene fades
on his luek, he tries to commit suicide. All of his and is followed In a title, "Years later." The scene
inept attempts to do awa\ w ith himselt meet w ith fades hack to the ahandoned pool, the hole still \isihle.
failure. These hilarious suicide-attempt gags are simi- Buster emerges from it, dressed in Oriental clothes,
lar to those Harold Llo\d did in his eonied\ shorts followed h\ his Chinese wife and two children. Unfor-
Haunted Spooks (1920) and Never Weaken (1921). The timatcK, this sequence was not among the footage
second half ot the film finds Buster hired In the local uncoxcred for the film's reconstruction, and onl\ still
zoo to capture the one animal thc\ do not ha\c: an photographs from the scene are known to exist.
79
THE GOAT (1921)
Filled with complex and is revealed in a public ceremony. Buster is seen pos-
inventive gags. The Goat is one of Buster's cleverest ing on the back of a full-scale clay horse. The horse
two-reel comedies. The film opens with Buster stand- gradually sags at the knees under Buster's weight, but
ing in a bread line, waiting for a handout he never Buster continues to hold his pose.
gets. He next stops and stares through the barred win- The Goat also features one of Buster's most memo-
dow of a police station as a photographer prepares to rable moments with a train. Pursued by the police,
take a mug shot of the murderer Dead Shot Dan Buster jumps a train and in some complicated and
(pla\ed by Mai St. Clair, who codirected the film very funny maneuvers manages to make his escape.
with Buster). The crafty Dan, seeing Buster, bends The film then irises out and in again. In an extreme
down out of camera range and triggers the camera, long shot the train is coming toward the camera. As it
photographing Buster behind bars. Later, when Dan comes into a close-up, we see Buster sitting on the
escapes, the "Wanted" posters put up b\ the police front of the engine looking straight into the camera.
and the newspaper photos show Buster as the escaped It is a wonderful moment — slow, simple, and effec-
The rest oiThe Goat revolves around Buster being fast-paced comedy. Buster had a lifelong love affair
mistaken for Dead Shot Dan. One of the film's best with trains, f^e loved trains so much that he w ould
scenes has Buster, on the run in a park, hiding under often try to work one into his comedies just to make
the tarpaulin covering a sculptor's full-size model of something different from what anyone else might do
a statue that is about to be unveiled. When the statue with a train in motion pictures.
SO
81
THE P LAY H O V S E (1921)
Buster broke an ankle while Buster's amazing performance in the film. The
working on the film he started to make just before Playhouse is also fascinating for its numerous refer-
The Playhouse, the abandoned first version of T/:e ences to his years in vaudeville.
Electric House (which he would entirely remake and Buster found the idea for this strongly cinematic
release the following year). During his absence from film from vaudeville: the famous swimming and di\-
film production, Buster married Natalie Talmadge in ing star Annette Kellerman and her one hundred
Long Island, New York. Returning to California, he mirrors, which created for the audience the illusion
needed a corned}' that would demand none of his of one hundred Annette Kellermans.The film begins
usual physical stunts. The resulting film is The with a dream sequence in which Buster plays every
Playhouse, the most visually spectacular of all his role in a vaudeville theater: the conductor and every
short films. Aside from its technical virtuosity and member of the orchestra, the members of the audi-
ciicc — men and women — all lia\c Buster's face, as
out the entire frame e\ee])t for the small spaee oeeu-
he produced.
film w ith him pla\ ing all the parts, but he was astounding number of \ariations on gags in\ol\ ing
unsure at the time w hether audiences might tire of twins, which he tops each time. The most remarkable
the joke or think he made it as a demonstration of his moment in the second half of the film comes when
acting \irtuosit\. hi the second part of the film. Buster at the last minute substitutes for a performing
Buster awakens from his dream to find he is a stage- orangutan w hen the real orangutan escapes. Buster's
hand at a vaudeville theater. In this part of the film impersonation of the ape is one of the best things he
Buster reworks gags from Back Stage and performs ever did as an actor. The performing ape is another
vaudc\illc routines from The Three Keatons act: direct reference to his vaude\ille da\ s: Buster had
pulling a broom out of a knothole in the stage floor performed on the same bill in 1909 in London,
and also di\ ing through the backdrop, the Original England, w ith "Peter the Great," a performing mon-
Aboriginal Australian Splash (which was a parody of ke\ w ho could do ncarK an\ thing his human trainer
Annette Kellerman's famous di\ e). Buster also does an could do.
83
THE BOAT (1921)
The Boat was Buster's second The title "You can't keep a good boat down" opens
favorite of his short fihiis and one of the finest come- the next scene of the film, with Buster making repairs
dies he ever made. The fihn begins with Buster, who to the boat. The maiden voyage is a disaster for the
has built a boat in his basement, attempting to tow entire family. When a storm rises. Buster radios the
the oversized vessel out of the narrow door of his coast guard for help. When asked to identify the
house. He attaches the boat to his Model T, and as name of the vessel, Buster's response oi "Damfino"
the boat pulls through the doorway, the foundation of gets the sharp reply: "Neither do I."
the house tears apart, and the house collapses. The boat sinks in the storm, and the family is set
Undeterred, Buster, his wife (Sybil Seely), and two adrift in their lifeboat (a small bathtub). When they
children (wearing little porkpie hats) take the boat, realize that the\' are floating in water just a few feet
named the Damfino, to the harbor. deep near land, they leave the tub and walk to shore.
The launch of the Damfino is one of Buster's most "Where are we?" asks Sybil Seely in a title as they walk
celebrated sequences. He stands proudly on the deck ashore. "Damfino" mouths Buster, and the film ends
as the boat slides slowly down the ramp to the bottom as the family disappears into the darkness of night.
of the harbor. It took three days to get the scene to go As perfect and self-contained as The Boat is as a
the way it was intended. Fred Gabourie constructed two-reeler. Buster had the idea of combining One
two thirty-five-foot boats for the film — one to float Week and The Boat as a four-reel feature involving
and one to sink— but each boat managed to perform the adventures of a husband and wife, with Buster
the function intended for the other. To get the boat to and Sybil Seely. (Seely, who had been replaced by
slide properly to the bottom of Balboa Bay, Gabourie Virginia Fox as Buster's leading lady, was rehired to do
dropped a sea anchor into the bay with cables The Boat.) However, the feature ne\er materialized.
sequences.
84
85
THE PALEFACE (1922
86
7'///; /' \ / /: ;\(;/.- is Busii.r's r i, \v i'u i.
"Kill the first white man who eomes through the gate."
daughter.
87
COPS (1922
Cops is one of Buster's best bomb, which lands right next to Buster. The scene
and best-known comedies. Its chase scene, in which with the bomb was actually daring for its time, for it
Buster is pursued by hundreds of cops, is regarded as directly refers to the Wall Street bomb explosion that
a classic sequence of screen comedy. The film opens killed thirty people and injured many more in 1919,
with a surprise-effect gag. Buster is first seen looking one of many bomb scares immediately following
very sad behind bars, leading the audience to think World War I.
he is in prison. The next shot, however, reveals him to Buster lights his cigarette from the burning fuse,
be a free man standing behind the bars of the front and then casually throws it aside, not realizing it is a
gate to the home of his sweetheart (Virginia Fox). It is bomb ready to explode. The explosion ruins the
a clever visual gag, so good in fact that Harold Lloyd parade, and the chase is on by the entire police force
would open his most famous film, Safety Last (1923), to capture Buster. The frenzy of the chase itself was
Scorned by his girl as a failure in business, Buster beautifully. The chase ends with Buster running into
sets out to make good. Almost immediately, he gets the police station, an army of policemen close
into trouble when he accidentally finds and ultimate- behind. The doors to the station close behind them.
ly pockets the money from the wallet of a burly plain- A solitary uniformed figure emerges from the station
clothes policeman. He next becomes the victim of a house and locks the door: Buster. His girl passes by
con-man who sells Buster the furniture from some- and snubs him completely. He unlocks the door to
one else's house. The real owner happens to be a the police station and enters. A "The End" title is
policeman in the process of moving into a new home. chiseled on a gravestone, on top of which rests
Buster acquires a horse-cart to load his newly Buster's porkpie hat. The strange ending of the film is
acquired furniture and drives his broken-down horse similar to the effect Buster would later achieve in the
and cart into the middle of a police parade. An anar- ending oi College.
88
89
MY WIFE'S RELATIONS (1922
'Ml
M>' V¥//'/:'.s Ri:i. Allocs wn mm: si\ The him ends w ilh Buster making his getaway on a
films that followed did not equal the c|iuilit\ ot the train bound tor Reno.
best ot the earlier shorts. B\ this lime, Buster had The scene Buster liked best m the Idm is the tami-
mastered the t\\ o-reeler and was anxious to start l\ dinner: Buster is not fast enough to get am thing
makinc^ features, as C^haplin and Harold l,lo\(l had bu! ciuph scrxing plates until he changes the calen-
alreacK done. All ol these remainint^ shorts ha\e dar to I'Vidax, pro\iding him his onl\ op]X)rtunit\ to
wonderful momeuts, hut the eomie inxention is not get a steak from the dcxoul Irish (Catholic family.
sustained as in the earlier films. rhe\ gi\e one the Buster would rework this same material for his
feeling that Buster and his team were in need of new- Educational comed\ Palooka (roiu Paducah (1935),
challenges and w ere growing restless with the two- with his own father, mother, and sister in the cast.
reel torui. Kate Price, who pla\s the \irago wife in My Wife's
In My Wife's Relations Buster is falsely accused of Relcifiotjs, was in fact a sweet character actress w ho
breaking a window. A large, rugged Irishwoman (Kate had worked w ith Arbuckle and Mary Pickford, and
Price) hauls him into court where the judge — who w ith w honi Buster enjo\ ed working. She had a good
does not speak Faiglish — marries them b\ mistake. sense of humor, and caused the cast and crew to
She takes him home to her father and four brothers, burst into laughter in the scene in which she brings
who treat him w ith contempt until the\ mistakenly Buster home to meet her famil\, and as they enter
believe he is about to inherit one hundred thousand through the door her hungr\- family asks her for din-
dollars, rhe famiK then loans the bewildered Buster ner. She shouted, "Dinner m\ ass! L^ook w hat I mar-
monc\ to move the entire clan into an expensive ried!" Unfortunately, Kate's line did not make it into
apartment, and there they li\e a life of luxury until it the film's intertitles.
91
THE BLACKSMITH (1922
Buster did not enjoy the film very much and did not
92
93
THE FROZEN NORTH (1922
94
'/'/;/' /''k()/;:\ Nor in is \ i'xkodi
of Western iiielotlramas and ol their laiiioiis star,
man who has wreeked his home and the wife who has
95
D AY D RE AM S (1922)
96
The sequence in which Buster is on tlie run con-
ferr\ boat. How e\er, the boat is not going out but
the boat and onto the ferr\ 's great paddlcw heel,
and rolls within it, and the scene ends with him
97
THE ELECTRIC HOUSE (1922)
none of the old footage was used and new sets were
98
99
THE B ALIO O N AT C (1923 I
-iS*-^
T / / /•: BA /. I. oo NA T / (; i? i<; gins w i th fall. All ends well as the two lo\ers sail safeh' beyond
Buster idle in an amusement park, where lie follows a the brink of the waterfall and float into the sky, a long
pretty young woman (Phyllis Haver) into the liinnel shot revealing that the canoe is attached to the hot-air
wanders over to where a hot-air balloon is to be Tlie Balloonatic is notable for the appearance of
launehed. The balloon breaks free, with the intended Ph\ His I la\er as Buster's leading lad\. Haxer, a former
passenger on the ground and Buster onboard. He Mack Sennctt pla\er, enjoyed notewortln success in
lands in mountain eountr\ w here the xoung woman silent films and brought to 77?e Balloonatic an inter-
w ho ga\e him the black eye is camping. Despite their esting and well-developed characteri/ation; the film
initial antagonism, lo\e blossoms, and the two set sail is the ouK one ot the nineteen independent shorts in
in his canoe. Their romance a])pears to be shorl- which the intcrpla\ between Buster and his leading
li\ed, as the canoe heads toward a dangerous walcr- lack' is w liolK successtul.
100
opposite: On loccition for The B.ali.(jo.\a t/c (192^). Fred Above: .\ balloon launch, 'ihe Keaton Studio is just visible ni this
Cabourie is seated het\i'eeu Buster and leading lady Phyllis I hirer, still, only a few blocks behind and to the left of Buster.
with Eddie Cline directly behind Buster. The use of two Belt and
Howell 2709 Studio Model cauieras pictured follow the standard
101
THE LOVE NEST (1923
R K J
K c '[•
K i:> BY HIS c; i r i, \- r i i-, n d Above and opposite:
(Virginia Fox), Buster resolves to set sail alone in his The Love Nest
(1923). Buster's last
little boat, named Cupid. Days later he is exhausted
silent two-reel eomedx.
the dock.
while working with Roscoe Arbuckle at the Comique Lake, a former Keystone player who had joined
Film Corporation in New York, where she worked first Comique's repertory company. When Comique
as a combination secretary and script girl for the unit moved to California, Buster also had a relationship
and was eventually promoted to secretary-treasurer. with Metro actress Viola Dana.
Natalie's two sisters, Norma and Constance, were Natalie was among those v\ho made the mo\
movie stars. Norma was the eldest of the three. She from New York to California w ith the Comique
came into stardom through Vitagraph and had estab-
power within the him industry by marrying her pro- Bayside. Long hhind. Norma Tabnadge. Buster, Natalie, and
Coiistaiice lalmadge. Photograph by Potter
ducer, joe Scheuck, in 1916. (vonstancc (w ho was
called "Dutch") was the youngest. She had played the Right: Natalie clutches a rolling pin. and Buster's broken right
ankle (which is still bandaged from his accident making the aban-
important role of the Mountain Cirl in D.W.
doned first version ofTiii Ki.i.ci Ric HdI'SE) is shackled
Criffith's Intolerance (1916), and had embarked on a
by a ball and chain in this gag photograph taken shortly after
a»5i
v.<
In Januar\ 1921 Natalie w rote Buster from New-
onl\- one left li\ing with mother. If \ou still care all
marry Natalie.
company. It was in California that Buster and The guests were mainly the bride's family and friends.
Natalie's romance began. Although not as beautiful Among the wedding gifts w ere a Belgian police dog
as her two sisters, Natalie was nevertheless attracti\e, (Buster named him Captain) from Constance and a
demure, and intelligent. Rolls-Ro\ce from Norma and Joe, which was deli\-
Natalie, however, soon missed New York and left ered to them in Los Angeles. The newlyweds had no
Comique to return Kast. When Buster was inducted honeymoon. The day after the wedding they left New
in the army and stationed at Camp Upton in Long York on the Twentieth Century Limited for the fi\e-
Island, Natalie visited him. For the next two vears day journe\ to Los Angeles.
their relationship existed entirely through correspon- The newl}'weds had their first argument almost
dence, mostly Natalie sending news of herself and immediateh'. Natalie had hoped that she could con-
her family to Buster. vince Buster to move to New ^brk and make his films
Buster was a lowly comic as far as the Talmadge at the Colon\' Studio. Buster refused. Arri\ ing in Los
family was concerned, and not that important in the Angeles, the\' could not agree on w here the\ w anted
motion-picture industry. He was not what Peg to live. Buster had w anted to build a ranch in the San
Talmadge, the mother and matriarch (l^'rcd Fernando Valle\, w here thc\ could lunc a working
1'almadgc, her husband, was an alcoholic who had farm. Natalie preferred a home in Los Angeles. She
abandoned the famiU), woidd rcalK lia\c liked won that argument.
Natalie to have had as a husband. Over the next se\ cral years. Buster and Natalie
However, Peg Talmadge wanted her mitldle kept mo\ ing into more and more elaborate houses at
danglitcr married, joe Schenck was instrumental in Natalie's insistence.. \ truslrated actress, her wa\ of
making Peg luipp\ with the notion ot a Natalie competing with other nun ic stars was to li\e as luxu-
Talmadgc-Bustcr Keaton marriage. Since Schenck rioush as thc\ did. At one point during the marriage,
produced the Norma and (Constance liihnadge films Natalie's personal expenses lor clollics and other
as well as Buster's, Natalie's marriage to Buster would ilcnrs averaged nine hundred dollars a week. Natalie
keep il all w itinn llic faniiK. I ie also encouraged was in charge ol the linances. and i^uster's salarx and
l()(, Buster with respect to Natalie. bonuses were paitl directK to licr.
Wlicn N;il;ilic hccainc prt't^naiit willi llicir flrsl son |imm\. She had the (.hdd christened James,
c'liilcl. IV<; laliii;Kl<;c' Ictl New V)ikaiul iiionccI mi whieh hnrt Buster \er\ mut h.
with Biisltraiid Nal.ilic. (-oiislancc, icccntK' A second son, Kohert lahnadge Keaton was horn
tli\()i'cc(l, would cAC'iitualK iiionc hi wiIIi lliciii as l''ehruar\ ?. 1924. Both sons were hapli/ed Cailiolics,
well. I lie ialiiiacli^cs were a closc-kiiil laiiiiK, aiul lor the lalmadges were a (Catholic- launK. Busier
Busier soon Icll llial lie had married iiol one woman himsell was Protestant hut was indilTerenI to how the
hnt a whole famiK. i^eali/in<^ he had more eoiitrol al ehilclreu were hapti/ed. 1 le had no use ior religion.
work ihan at home, he immersed himselt in the mak- .\tter Bobby's birth, Natalie cleeided she wanted no
ing ot his films. more ehilclreu and loreed Buster to moxe into the
Buster and Natalie's hrst ehild, Joseph lahnadge guest room, eeasiug their ph\ sieal relationship. Buster
Keaton, was horn Jnne 2, 1922. 1 le was named Joseph, told her and hrs mother-in-law that he had no inten-
the name James and soon began ealliug their intant that dump."
Buster and Natalie return on the SS
Bremen after a tour of Europe,
tion of going without sex. He explained to both Despite the beautiful home and two wonderful
women that he would not support a mistress and that children, it was inevitable that the marriage would
he would keep his extramarital affairs discreet, but he end. When Buster lost control of his film work at
would find other partners. Natalie was content to M-G-M he drank heavily, and his affairs with actress
house she found it too small. Buster sold it without cessful at bringing them closer together.
ever having spent one night in it. He still tried to Natalie sued for divorce on July 2 5, 1932, citing
please her any way he could. The house that won infidelity; an affair with an extra aboard their ninety-
Natalie's approval was a mansion designed by eight-foot yacht (which was named Natalie) was used
Gene Verge and built in Beverly Hills. Called the as grounds for the divorce. The court awarded her
Italian Villa, the ten-thousand-square-foot two-story custody of Jimmy and Bobby, and Buster was ordered
Mediterranean-style showplace was built in 1925 at a to pay alimony and child support. Buster was not con-
cost of three hundred thousand dollars. The palatial frontational. Although community property laws in
home, which had more than twenty rooms, including California did not entitle her to more than half of
five bedrooms and servants' quarters, stood on three everything. Buster allowed her to keep nearly all of
and a half acres. It had a beautiful swimming pool, the assets, including the Italian Villa, two of their
tennis court, trout-stocked stream, and even an aviary. three cars, the yacht, other property, and cash in the
They entertained lavishly at the Italian Villa. The bank. She continued to take him to court after the
barbecue parties they threw each Sunday from May divorce, although each time it had the opposite effect
to October were very popular among the Hollywood than what Natalie intended; the judge would lessen
elite. Buster himself would prepare the barbecued the amount Buster was to pay She also made it very
steaks, chicken, and English lamb chops. difficult for Buster to see Jimmy and Bobby after the
two bo\ s left the Black-Foxe Military Institute, a pri- With sons jimmy (left) and
Bobby (right), as grandfather
\atc mi]itar\ school in Holh w ood.
joe Keaton looks on, in Buster's
In 19^4 Natalie obtained a court order that legally M-G-M bungalow, c. 1930.
diminished.
109
THREE AGES (1923)
had wanted to make features since 1920, when Joe which interwove four stories. Buster told his story in
Schenck gave him his own unit, but only after three: the Stone Age, the Roman Age, and the
Chaplin and Lloyd had begun to make features was Modern Age. The three stories, in parallel episodes,
Buster allowed to do so. Marcus Loew, the head of were virtually three two-reelers, which minimized his
Metro, told Schenck he w anted Buster to make fea- risk— if the feature failed, he could convert the film
tures for Metro to release. The agreement called for into three two-reel comedies. The situation of rival
Buster to make two features a year, one for spring suitors. Buster and Wallace Beery, trying to win the
release, and the other for autumn release. Schenck affection of leading lady Margaret Leahy, was repeat-
doubled Buster's salary to two thousand dollars a week ed in all three episodes. Beery, who w ould become a
(and later to twenty-five hundred dollars) and a twenty- great star in the 1930s, was a well-known character
five percent share of the net profits from the films. actor when Buster hired him for Three Ages. He had
.T^^rV
> v •:*v.^'
worked for Essaiun and Mack Scnnctt in the 191().s Opposite: With Blauchc Puvson in the Stone
Margaret Leah\- w as a blonde English girl w ho Three Aces, Buster finds himself in the
MI
Above: This hchiud-the-f:cenes
in a frefighter's tarp.
112
>V.
H
fihris — would not ahow it/Talmadge was a star in her Fred Cabourie designed some large sets for the
own right, and Schenek fcU, as most producers did at Roman episode, but they were not as elaborate or as
tliat time, that each motion picture had one star and expensive as they look in the film. The Coliseum set
supporting players. To put two stars together in a film was built up onl\ to the first couple of tiers; the rest
was considered a waste of talent. was a glass shot. Glass shots, a well-know n technique
The Stone Age sequence, w hich w as filmed on in the 1920s before process screens, were elaborate
location in Chatsworth, California, has Buster intro- backgrounds painted on glass and positioned precise-
duced atop the back of a brontosaurus. Buster had ly before the camera. The chariot race, with Buster
seen Winsor McCay's animated dinosaur short Gertie and his dog team, was shot on the location of a
small model of the dinosaur with a little Buster riding th is gc;g ,s(/7/ from T ;/ REf ; AGes .
ihc I iiKi.i: Am s love Iriiiiti^le,
I lolKwood exposition. Tlic episode was filled with Buster, this pro\ed to be the biggest laugh-getting
silly gags, the most iiieniorable perhaps being sequenee in the ])ieture.
Blister's eiieounter w itii a ridieulousK take lion. K\'en more so with the features than with the
During the filming of the Modern Age episode, a shorts, previews were an essential tool in the ereation
mishap oeeurred that was worked into the pietnrc. of Buster's films. A rough eut of the film would be
The seenc rec|uired Buster to leap from one building sereened so that Buster and his erew eould gauge
to another. A set was eonstrueted on the 1 lill Street audienee reaetion and then go baek to the editing
tunnel in downtown Los Angeles. With the street room to help the high spots and reshoot seenes that
below, it ga\ e the illusion that it was twehe stories did not work.'rhe\' ne\er ]5re\iewed the films in
up, but it was realK a set w ith a thirt\-fi\e-foot drop. HolK wood for fear that somebody eonneeted w ith
Buster used the lid of a sk\ light as a s])ringboard to the studios would be in the audienee and might steal
make an eighteen-foot jump from one rooftop to a sec|uence or a gag, film it, and release it before
another. 1 le misjudged the spring of the board and Buster's ]Meture went into distribution. Glcndale,
failed to make the leap, hitting the wall ot the other Long Beaeh, San Bernadino, Riverside, and Santa
side and falling into the net. He bruised his knees Ana were favorite preview loeations.'l'wo previews
and was in bed tor three davs.When the\ ran the vv ere the average for one of Buster's features. Three
footage of the aeeident, Eddie Cline and the erew Ages was the exception. Margaret Leahy's inability to
suggested ehanging the scquenee in order to work act forced Buster to prev iew the film eight times. 1 le
the shot into the ])ieture.l'he\ pieked up da\s later reshot her scenes over and over again to get a pass-
with the fall, w hieh euts to Buster landing onto an able performance from her.
awning (whieh breaks his fall), whereupon he swings Three Ages w as a commercial success, but it was a
from that to a rainspout into an open w indow and transitional film filled with the unbelievable slapstick
down a pole. I le has landed in the loeal fire station. that belonged to the period of Buster's shorts. He was
Bewildered, he finds himself upon the rear platform now confident that his next feature. Our Hospitality,
of a fire truek as it speeds off to a fire. Aeeording to would be even better. JJ5
OUR HOSPITALITY (1923)
when Buster offered Natalie the part of leading lady the first bicycle, in OvR
in the picture, she retracted her objections. Their son Hospitality.
film's prologue, and Buster's father, Joe, plays the pose astride a miniature horse.
railroad engineer.
116
The story, from an idea by Jean Ha\cz, was loosely Buster was scrupulous with e\er\ detail of the pic-
derived from the decidedly unhumorous real-life feud ture. The art direction is of exceptional qualit\, as are
between the Hatfields and the McCoys, two large the costumes. The entire production was so carefulK
family clans whose hatred of each otiier was leg- researched and staged that Buster's precise duplica-
endary. The film begins with a prologue of straight tion of the C.entleman's 1 lobb\ -Horse, the first bic\-
melodrama, in which the feud between the two fami- cle e\cr made, was later gi\cn to the Smithsonian in
lies (renamed the C'anficlds and the McKays) is Washington at the institution's request.
established. The main storx, set twcnt\ years later in Ihe dramatic logic of the film's narratixe, to
18 -^l, has Buster playing twent\-<)ne-\ ear-old Willie w Inch Buster ga\c a comic tw ist, was a departure
McKav, a New York dand\ u lio is summoned to the from an\ thing lie had done prexiously. Buster later
use one of the first steam Jocomoiixes c\cr manufac- W'c were rcrr con.sr/oi/.s- of our stories. We learned in a
tured. Buster chose to reproduce an I'.nglish locomo- hurry I hut we couldn't luuke a Ictiture-lena^lh l:>icture
tive, George Stephenson's Rocket, because it looked the n'<;v we luid done the two-reelers: we eouldn'l use
U8 much funnier than its American counterpart. ii\ipossihle gags, what we eall "cartoon" gags, like the
^%
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' 1 I
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kind o/ things that happen to cartoon characters. Opposite: \\ ith cdinerainen l'',lii,iii Lcsslcv
Despite tlie meticulous plauniug aud precise exe- luoiiieiits before his hold-haek wire broke,
I, \s I 1
1'-)2 ij and the ice floe .sct/i/c/icc m
l).\\. CriJlUh's W'w Down East (1920).
lie took ill so imich water execuliua, the stunt
tion), nearK killed Buster, lie was splashing in the actually photographed in 1 lolK wood. Buster con-
ri\cr with a hold-hack wire tied around him. At one structed the waterfall o\er a large studio swimming
point, the w ire broke, and Buster took oft like a shot pool, with a miniature set to create the illusion of a
down the ri\er. Krnie Orsatti and se\eral other men distant \alle\ below the falls. Buster performed all
working on the film ran after him along the ri\er- the stimt work for the rescue himself, which was
bank, unable to hel]) him. kinalK, Buster was able to phvsicalK demanding as w ell as dangerous, and he
grab onto a branch of an oxcrhanging tree, prexent- took in so much water hanging miderncath the falls
ing himself from smashing into the rocks, but not that medical assistance was reciuired..\s Buster later
before a whole school of little water snakes swam recalled, "1 had to go down to the doctor right there
around him. What must ha\ e seemed to Buster like a and then.l'he\ pumped out my ears and nostrils and
million bab\ eels were flicking their tongues at Inm, drained me, because when a full \olunie of water like
and he did not know whether the\' were poisonous or that comes down and hits \ou and xou're upside
not. All he could think of was finding something to down — then \ou realK' get it."
hold onto before he was smashed to bits. Of course, Despite all the difficulties. Buster remembered
all of that is in the film in what is perhaps its most the production fondK. The summer stay in lahoe
thrilling scene. I he finished sequence is one of with his famih reminded him of his happy boyhood
Buster's marxels, a demonstration ot his plnsical dex- summers spent on hake Muskegon, Michigan.
terity and skill as w ell as his filmmaking genius. Buster was proud oi Our Hospitality (he always
Although most ot Our Hospitality was filmed on referred to the film as simply Hospitality) and consid-
location, the amazing w aterfall rescue sequence was ered it one of his best films. ill
SHERLOCK JR. (1924)
stage gags and illusions that Buster had learned projectionist who aspires to be a great
in
detective in Sherlock Jr.
vaudeville, translated with great ingenuity to the
ever made.
\22
""m^^
film is running. Imagining he is a character in the Sherlock jr. repeatedly amazed b\ its effects, to tr\- to
nio\ ic lie is projecting, he simph' walks into the figure out how certain scenes in the film were done.
screen and becomes Sherlock Jr., the great detective, Hie picture on the screen w ithin the screen was a
rhc film ends with Buster awakening to find his girl theater set, lit in such a wa\' as to look like a film
in the projection booth, ha\ ing disco\ercd his inno- being projected. I'he changing ot scenes on the
cence of the crime. screen within the screen was achicxed b\ making
Buster's entire reason tor making the film was to e\er\one freeze while the set was altered, l.csslcx had
create the situation of a motion-])icture projectionist to film screen and theater separatcK tor exterior
in a theater who falls aslcc]) and \isuali/,cs himsclt shots, using sur\e\c)r's instruments. One ot the exte-
becoming inxoKed with the characters on the screen. rior scenes invoKcd Buster surrounded b\' two lions.
The (heam sec|ucncc was the excuse tor all the film's Buster filmed the scene in a large circular cage at
impossible gags. Had Buster not had one of the best Unixersal, and this was the onl\ time he did not get
cameramen in motion pictures, l'',lgin l,essle\, he along with animals. I Ic was in the cage alone, w ith
would nc\cr have made Sherlock jr. l,essle\' executed i'.lgin I ,essle\ outside the cage shooting through a
the special effects so pcrlectK that cincmatographers hole. Ihc two big lions started to tollow him and,
}2^^ and other Idm technicians ot the time went to see with bushes and other troi^cal tolia^c conccaliui' the
cage. Buster beeame nervous because he was not Opposite: iliis still depicts a sequence
got out of the cage, Lessley announced that Buster ticket-office girl remains unidentified.
silent films, two cameramen were necessary because counter of the confectionery shop.
'^B
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,i>^ v«Viv\
«-fes»-:'
example of this comes when Buster, trapped by a stunt. Buster restaged it for Donald O'Connor years
dead end, dives straight through a peddler woman's later for The Buster Keaton Story (1957), and Donald
tray and apparently disappears completely through did an admirable job executing this risky stunt.
her body (the peddler woman is actually Sherlock Buster had two accidents while filming Sherlock ]r.
Jr.'s assistant, Gillette, in disguise). It was a reworking The first accident, which was more serious, occurred
of one of Joe Keaton's stage tricks, which involved a when Buster was running along the top of a freight
small hinged trapdoor in the wall directly behind the car and was struck by the flow of water from a water
tray lid and what looks like Gillette's chest. The bot- tower. He misjudged the force of the water, which hit
tom half of his body was actually lifted in a horizon- him extremely hard. It tore his hands loose from the
tal position; he wore a dress over his top half and the rope, and he was thrown to the track. His head hit
bottom half was faked with a costume hanging down directly on the rail. He finished the shot, which
containing mannequin dummy ankles and feet. After required him to get up and run away from two men
Buster dove through, Gillette's legs were lowered and who were chasing him. He had a headache for a few
the wall closed. The skirt of the dress was weighted hours, took a few stiff drinks, went to bed, and was
with buckshot so it would not move. Gillette then fine the next day. Eleven years later he had a com-
walked away from the wall. It was a very dangerous plete physical examination with X-rays. The doctor
asked Buster, "When did \()u break your neek?" Above: Buster rides the handlebars of a
showed Buster the X-ra\; which revealed a callous Murphy is in the background.
that had grown o\er the fracture, near the top \erte-
Opposite: Buster is about to become a part
bra. Buster realized he must ha\ e broken his neck
of the action in the fihn on the screen in
went he hit the track making Sherlock jr.\ the dream sequence from Sl/KK/,()c:K'
/k. Buster's father, joe. is the man on the
The second accident, which was minor compared
fdm screen.
to the first, happened in a scene in which Buster
the cop falls off without Buster realizing it. The cop
was actualK Buster. Ernie Orsatti, a prop man who
later was an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals,
Gillette (disguised as a peddler woman). Miraculously, Buster did not sustain an\ injuries.
prc\ iewcd. the tilm was not well rcceixed, .so Buster
the situation, and the last two reels contain the coni-
T H K Navigator, an abandon e
ocean liner, is the stage upon which Buster creates a
character.
who find themselves the only passengers a story was written to make use of it.
posed still from l in: N\v /GATOR. leased it from the Alaskan-Siberian Navigation
felt the\' were o\eraetcd.Thc lasting contribution The underwater sequence, in which Rollo has to
Cris]) left to the film was his face. I'he angr\- face in go o\ erboard in a deep-sea-di\ing suit to stop the
the oil portrait that scares Rollo w heu it sw iiigs at his ship from sinking, was mired w ith unexpected diffi-
porthole is the face of Donald Crisp. culties. Buster refused to use a double and insisted on
the lake. Ice had to be packed around tlie camera- view ed the film. Buster concluded that this was
men to prevent the glass panel from fogging up. because the scene interfered w ith the hero's job of
Not all of the problems concerned the water. No sa\ing the ship and the girl, and it interrupted the
one e\'er told Buster that one should never be low- stor}. Removed from the stor\ and show n in a trailer,
ered into the w ater on a rope ladder w hen w earing a the scene was a success.
dccp-sea-di\ing suit, but instead a stationary ladder The Navigator was received w ith unanimous praise
should always be used. Buster went into the w ater on and was Buster's most commercialK' successful film.
the rope ladder, and his feet raised up to a point It established his reputation as a major filmmaker,
where he was flat on his back and his face was like Chaplin and Lloyd, and was one of Buster's two
pressed against the glass face plate of the suit's hel- favorite films, along w ith The General.
the line for the crew to let him go. Buster dangled in
the Idcldcr into the ncitcr. i'.risp woitkl leave the jirodiiettou prior
Opposite: CaisI and erew of I ill. .\'\\ ic; \i()i< lived ii hoard
the ship for ten weeks in waters ofj Calalina Island, visihie in the
J 52 haektirouiid.
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i-m
SEVEN CHANCES (1925)
Buster plays ]immie Shannon, who is too timid to propose to his Today con si i^i:ri n onf. of^ Bustkr's
sweetheart (Ruth Dwyer), in Se\ es Cii.\r^cES. I'his prologue
best ])icturcs, Seven CVuiuces was a film Buster did
sequence was photographed in two-strip Technicolor
not like until \er\ late in his lite. Mis dislike for the
w rilcr, had sold tlic slorx to Sclicnck as pari ol a deal or him scenario, I he original clinuix of the film was
ill which Schcntk promised McnLiinoll he would just an elaborate chase, ending with lousier running
dirc'cl die hhn. Riiska had axcnlK hoiiowcd a lot ol down the side ol <i lull, the brides ol lowing behind.
I
uioiicN Iroiii Schniclx and owed him se\eral lavois, W hen the him was previewed tor ihe second lime,
so he rehietaniK wen! aloii^ with the idea of Busier thought he had a bad picture and that there
Mel")ermoll as his new direelor. was nothing he could do about it. I lowe\er, Buster
Menevmolt slaiied eastint^, liired extra writers, and his team heard langhler just as the scene began
and ordered sets lo he huilt, inlendin<; to taiHilnlK to fade out. rhe\ did not know w hat had caused the
adapt the laree to the sereen/l'he hills were eoming laughter, so the\ ran the film again at the studio the
in, and he was spending large smns ot monex.Atter next cla\. At the screeniug thc\ discoxcred tliat Bnster
two weeks. Buster and Lou Anger eonfronted had dislodged a rock, and it in turn had loosened two
MeDermott, and he lett the produetion. 'li;) heighten others coming down the side ot the liill..\s the rocks
what Buster eousidered an unpromising stor\. Buster started to roll atter him, the ])re\iew audience sal up
photographed the prologue ot the film in tw()-stri[:) in iheir seats. Thc\ found the seciuenee lunm and
I'.dwards, the Jew ish eomedian and \eteran Broadway '\h build on this momeni. Buster had kred
eharaeter aetor, for the ini])ortant eomed\ role of the C'.abonrie fabricate fifteen hundred ])apier-niaehe
attorne\. i'.dwards's memorahle pertormanees in Rex rocks that ranged troni grapetruit si/e to boulders
Ingram's The Prisoner of Zendci (1922), Soi//.v for Sale eight feet in diameter. The\ touud a new location, on
(192^), and Douglas Kairbanks'.s 'Hie Thief of Bagdad the Ridge Route in the High Sierras. The mountain
(1924) had made him an appealing casting ehoiee. was steeper than a fort\-fi\e-degree angle to accom-
Buster liked his work so mueh that he used Kdwards modate the rolling boulders.'! hey reshot the
again in Batthiig Butler, The General (in a seenc that sec|nencc w ith the brides chasing Blister and incor-
was cut just prior to the film's release), and College. porated the boulders. The scene was earefulK worked
hi Seven Chanees Buster plays Jimmie Shannon, out; much thought went into where the different-
who learns at noon on his twent\-se\euth birthday si/ed rocks would be placed and where tlie\ would
that he must he married h\ se\en o'eloek that roll down the incline. The improvisation came in
evening in order to inherit a fortune. Bimgling a mar- dod"iu" the rocks once the\ were let loose. Buster telt
riage proposal, he is rejeetcd b\ his longtime sweet- that the seenc sa\ed the film.
heart. B\ the time she reeonsiders, Jinnnie is already The rock chase ma\' lia\e sa\cd the film, but it was
making the rounds at his eoimtr\ elub, w here his a c|uiet moment of photographic \irtuosit\ that
impromptu proposals to se\en different women (his Buster liked best. It was the scene w here he dri\cs
se\en chanees) are rejected. In desperation, Jimmie's from his eomitr\ club to his sweetheart's hou.se and
business partner places an appeal for a bride in the back again to the country club. He gets into a 1922
local newspaper, pleading that Jimmie needs a bride Mercer Raceabout, starts the engine, releases the
to meet him at the church at fi\e o'clock. The ad\er- brake, and sits back to drixe, but the car does not
tisement reccixes an o\crw helming response. The cli- men e from its spot: only the background changes,
max of the film finds Buster chased b\ fi\e hundred dissoKing from one location to another. The effect
woidd-bc brides in full wedding regalia, and ends was achieved b\ Elgin Lesslex with the use of sur-
w ith one ot Buster's most astomiding acrobatic and \e\or's instruments. Bnster lo\ed this simple scene.
cinematic feats — racing down a hill while bombard- He also lo\ed the Mercer Raceabout, so much so
ed b\ an axalanche ot enormous boulders. that he bought two of them: one was tor the film J 35
Waiting for a bride in Seven
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Buster is chased by the five hundred would-be brides through the city streets.
and the other went to his sister-in-law Constanee Despite its commercial success, Buster ne\er felt
Seven Chances was a sueeess because the team wanted to pa\ off \arious cop\ right holders so that he
worked o\ er the material to make a stage farce into a could reissue the film, Buster told him not to bother.
Buster Kcaton fihii; the second half of the picture- He felt it was his worst picture. When Ra\mond pur-
eluding brides and boulder rocks — was created by sued it an\ way. Buster was disgusted that Raymond
Buster and his w riters, and it is the comed\ in its sec- wasted his mone\ on the film.Sevt'/? Chances was
ond half for which the film is rcmembered/Hie film re\i\ed at the third New "^"ork Film Festi\al in
was in fact the last in which the team of CKde September 1965; the film had not been seen in over
Bruckman, Jean Ha\ez, and Joseph Mitchell worked thirt\-fi\e \ ears. To Buster's surprise, and contrar\ to
together. Bruckman went to work for Harold Llo\d, his long-held impression, the film pro\ed to be — and
who was making For Heaven's Sake (1926); Havez remains — a spectacular crowd-pleaser.
died in 1925; and Mitchell went to write stories for
LIni\ersal. n:
GO WEST (1925)
Go W K S /• IS LI N I Q L) E IN B U S I I-, R '
S
Brown Eyes he found both an affectionate and obedi- general store, where he sells them for S 1.65.
^^^J
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.
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c'lil aiiim:il IIkiI lie liiiint'd
Dnnean's \'alle\' Raneh, ahout hft\ miles north of I Ic arri\ es in Arizona, w here he gets a job as a ranch
Kingman, Arizona. Buster and his erew were on the hand. In a scene reminiscent oi Androclcs ami the
loeation tor ahout three weeks in the smnmer of 1925. l.ion. Friendless sees the ostracized Brown F.yes limp-
The desert loeale was so hot that the\ had to paek ice ing, and he comes to her aid, remox ing a rock
aroimd the eameras to prexcnt the emulsion ot the wedged in her hoof. As a resrdt of this kind act.
film trom melting. Howexer, the desert heat did not Friendless has now made his first friend. The pathos
gi\e them as mueh of a prohlem as when Brown Kyes comes from these two nuloxed and inept characters
went into heat! She heeame disobedient, and Buster finding each other. Buster's character is dcxotcd
and the erew had to wait two w eeks until she reeo\- to his onlv companion and does c\ery thing he can
ered trom it. to keep his beloxed cow from being sent to the
Friendless (the names "Friendless" and "Brown Buster planned a magnificent \isual climax to
Eyes" were taken from characters in O. \\. Griffith's conclude the film, but it did not work according to
Intolerance). The film's opening seqnence, in which plan. In the film, b'riendless unleashes steer at the
PViendless sells all his ])ossessions to a general store train depot, causing bcnine chaos through Los
for $1.65, onl\ to ha\e to gi\e hack most of it when he Angeles as he leads them to the stockyard. Some of
realizes he forgot to w itlihold personal items such as these scenes were actualK photographed in down-
his mother's picture, wonderfulK' establishes his town Los Angeles, w here he had three lumdred head
character and the semi-humorous, sentimental tone of steer on location, but much of the city sequence
to the film. With his remaining coins. Friendless bu\s was actualK filmed on a street set at the studio. What
a loaf of bread and a sausage. He rides the boxcars, Buster intended, but was unable to create, was an
first jonrne\ ing to New York but soon follow ing the actual stampede chase scene, leading the cattle to
ad\ ice popularized b\ journalist and political leader the stock\ard like the Pied Piper. Friendless goes into
Horace CireelcN to "Go w est, \onn" man. Go w est." a costmne shojD and sees a red devil's suit, knowing B9
that steer do not like red and will chase it.
Raymond Cannon to help with gags. After the cattle and an\'thing I have is yours for the asking." "I want
chase, the\' decided to end the film with a delightful her," responds Friendless, pointing in the direction of
scene. Friendless has singlehandedly delivered all the the ranch owner's pretty daughter. Friendless then
ranch owner's cattle to the stockyard, hi gratitude, walks right past the girl to his beloved Brown Eyes
the ranch owner tells him in an intcrtitle, "My home immediateU' beside her. The film ends with the four
prc\iews, he was disappointed because it did not gel Ojipns'ttc tap: Busier as I'ricndless.
much he kept it in the tmislied lilm. man Ray I ihoinpson) alter Buster has
fore the (pcrlia|:)s misc;uided) inspiration for Battling cow. Brown lives.
Butler.
141
BATTLING BUTLER (1926)
Battling Butler was also one of his most commercially Buster and his team of gagmen — Paul Gerard Smith,
successful motion pictures, second only to The Al Boasberg, Charles H. Smith, and Lex Neal— dis-
Navigator. Buster's pride in the film was based on its carded all the songs and dances, eliminated one "t"
tremendous popularity and his physical mastery in from the name in the play's title, and reworked the
the climactic boxing bout. Modern audiences do not script to fashion it into a Keaton film.
respond the same way to Battling Butler as they did Battling Butler is the story of pampered playboy
in 1926, and it is today perhaps the least known of his Alfred Butler, a character similar to the roles Buster
silent features. The comed\ is not as strong as in his had pla\ed in The Saphead and The Navigator. AUred
other features, and the climactic fight seems to be is sent off by his father to the mountains in the hope
out of key with the rest of the film. that a hunting and fishing trip will make a man out
The film was based on a stage play. Battling of him. "Roughing it " in the mountains in the com-
Battler, an English musical comedy that had been a pany of his valet (wonderfully pla\ed by Snitz
success on Broadway in 1923. What attracted Buster Edwards), Alfred discovers that he shares the same
,\//rt'</ "Bdllliii'^" Ihitler (l''ici)uis MucndiKild} and his wife (Mcin OBricn, with black eye),
H2 enaniiUer Ihc other Alfred Ihitler with his wife (.So/Zv ()'\t'/7) in H\i ri isi: Brri.i R.
iKiiiic ;is ;i fiimoiis boxer, Alfred
Alabama Murderer.
Navigator, iutrodneing the pam- W Miikn Wdllccr, \\vllcn\vi<j^hl chaiujitoii of he world, on the i.isc, Bl' K
;//; I scl of li \ I I I I I
pered hero in mueh the same Walker was a friend of Btisler's and ad\t\ed Inni on the jdni's eliinaelie fight.
d\ audienees had grown to expeet from him, the pie- big scene in the film, and since he was the director,
tnre de\elops into a light eomcd\ and ends w ith a he staged it exaeth the wa\- he wanted it. Buster was
dramatie elimax. Abandoning the elimax from the ]5art masochist; he did not seem to mind the bruises
original pla\, in w hieh the hero at the last minute and strained muscles that were e\eryday occurrences
does not ha\e to fight, Buster added his ow n elimax, in the boxing sequences.
as he felt that he eould not lead an audienee to I he best conied\' scenes are earl\ in the film, and
expeet all through the film that his eharaeter is going one of Buster's fa\orite nroments was the duck-
to fight in the ring and then not do it. So he staged a shooting scc|uence, in w hieh Alfred is no match for
fight in the dressing room in w hieh his eharaeter the little duck that repeatedK descends underwater
takes on the real Battling Butler, w ho has just w on and reappears on the other side of Alfred's small
the title in the ring against the .Alabama Murderer. canoe. Alfred e\entuall\' capsizes the boat tr\ing to
The fight is dramatie, and Buster's character is get the duck. rhirt\-onc \ears later Buster reworked
brutally hit b\ the real "Battling" Butler. When the this duck-hunting routine for the film made for the
prizefighter hits Alfred's bekncd \alet, Alfred 1957 simimcr-stock production oi Mertou of the
the champion. A dramatic fight scene was new to Battling Butler was the last Keaton film to be
film conied), and Buster was pleased w ith the fin- released b\ joe Schenck under his distribution agree-
Buster's .Alfred Butler character, w ho can take an\ films woidd be released b\ United .Artists where
amount of pain and still w in at the end, is like Buster Schenck was president. The film's commercial suc-
himself. I his similarity perhaps explains wh\ Buster cess allowed Buster the freedom to make next his
liked the film so much. The dramatic fight was the most expensi\e and ambitious film. The General. /45
THE GENERAL (1926)^
Buster's finest film and one of the most visually stun- itself— is astounding. Within the precise rendition of
ning films ever made. Set against the backdrop of the the 1860s American landscape. Buster manages to
American Civil War, The General tells the story of the weave a rich tapestry of comic situations employing all
theft of a train engine and a lone engineer's efforts to of the essential elements of his humor, including
save it and his beloved. The film was based on an actu- mechanical mishaps set against grand venues and
al Civil War incident, and Buster's attention to detail ceaseless troubles encountered by an unlikely hero, in
in the film — from the period vistas that rival Mathew this case locomotive engineer Johnnie Gray. The
Brady's original photographs of the era, to the loving General is, without question. Buster's masterpiece.
g»s«Bia«sa«'^*^ai;w^^fK?ai»sw«!e!!^sas• WXVJ'iX»'Aa»»WSr^'^
Clvdc Brucknian had brought to Buster's atteu- Above: Reading during a break in produc-
lished as The Great Locomotive Chase, the edition Opposite: As engineer Johnnie Gray in
author, a Northern soldier in the Civil War, recount- parallel tracks of the Oregon Pacific e
ed an 1862 raid w hich he had taken part: Eastern Railroad. Many of the film's scenes
in a group
were shot on the onc-halj mile of double
of Union soldiers infiltrated Confederate territory
track, with the cameras mounted on a mov-
near Marietta, Georgia, and hijacked a locomotive ing train on the northern track and Buster
Buster original!}' wanted to shoot the film in the acter is subjected to more rough treatment than
authentic terrain of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Buster's typical lo\'e interest, but she is also more
Atlanta, Georgia. However, Oregon was eventually intelligent than his usual leading lady. She starts out
chosen, as it w as able to pro\ ide the appropriate loco- as simple and silly, but she develops into Johnnie
moti\ es, track, and period atmosphere. Shooting Gray's partner in rescuing the General. She e\en
began in June 1926 in Cottage Crove, Oregon, after learns to handle the engine reasonably well. Buster's
Buster's crew had re-created the town of Marietta, character is also much more complex than usual; the
Georgia, using engravings from Pittenger's book as character he plays is not the helpless incompetent of
their guide. Buster told his crew, "It's got to be so man\- of his earlier feature pictures. Johnnie Gray is a
"''^
authentic it hurts. capable railroad engineer galvanized into action to
Buster plays Johnnie Gray, a railroad engineer save his locomotive, and his girl.
who, as an intertitle explains, has two loves in his hi addition to its character de\elopment, the
life — his engine, which is named the General, and his structure of the film is also impressive. The film is
girlfriend, Annabelle Lee. When Northern raiders perfectl}' designed as an elaborate double chase —
kidnap his engine and Annabelle, he commandeers from South to North and from North to South, as
another engine, the Texas, and sets off in pursuit. Johnnie Gray sets out to retrieve the General and
-^
I he cannon nscd ni ini: C^KN'KK \I. \uis a refvodnction aj an achial ('-nil War railroad i:,iin. Hnslcrwas knocked
unconscions when he stood too close to it when jnin^ a cannonhall. I his celebrated scene with the eaniion is aetiiallr a reworkiiiii
146 of a Hd'j, Irani 'ill r N \\ k; \ ; ok, ;;; which Ihislcr used a miniature cannon. Vhotou.rajih b\ Pixron llonck.
O;; the cow Ciilchcr. Photoi^raph hx Bxroii I louck.
tlicn is chased h\ Northern troops as he takes tlic Oregon and sank the engine in the ri\er jirst for the
locomoti\e baek to Confederate hnes/Fhe majesty of shot. I'he destruction of the train was the most expen-
the fihn's great set pieces lies not ()nl\ in how w ell si\e single shot of the entire silent-film era, costing
executed the\ are, but also in that the\ are photo- fort\-tw() thousand dollars. People came from all
graphed in long siiots; the authenticit\ of the image o\er Oregon to watch the truh spectacular destruc-
1
is clearl\- apparent and is nc\er fabricated through tion of the locomoti\e on JiiK 2\ 1926. 'he subse-
editing. The comed\ derived from these set pieces is quent battle sequence was also on a grand scale, and
in the "reaction" shots, usualh' coming from Buster, Buster hired four hundred members of the Oregon
responding to w hat has just happened. National Guard to pla\ the Union and Confederate
The most spectacular scene in the film comes armies. Each man had a blue uniform and a gray uni-
when the locomotixe, the 7'e.vc/.v, eolla])ses from a form, and the\ would change back and torth.The
burning railroad trestle into the ri\cr thirt\-fi\e feet National Guard came in handy w hen a fire, started
below. .\n old engine, with the name ^ouah, was b\ sparks from one of the engines, set the pine forest
remodeled into a replica of the Texan that could be location ablaze, llie cast, crew, and National C>uard
wrecked. Gabourie and his crew built a full-size rail- were sent out to fight it. The fire was extinguished,
road trestle o\ er the Row River at Culp Creek in but the thick smoke prevented further filming. They l-tJ
MS
()/)/W).s;7c' lap: Busier overhears ( hiion hat fie
Ihrou I louek.
had to wait for a rain to conic in and clear out the considered too slow in its pace, w ith not enough
smoke, so the\ stopped location shooting in Oregon laughs. The battle scene had critics like Robert E.
and returned to Los Angeles to film interior scenes. Sherwood upset that Buster had shown men being
When a rainstorm cleared the smoke, the\' went hack killed in a conied}. '^ Audiences and critics oi the
to Oregon for ncarK two w eeks in September and time, expecting a slapstick Keaton comedy, did not
finished the picture. know what to make of the film, which was almost as
The destruction of the locomoti\c engine, the for- dramatic as it was comic. Redisco\ered in the 1950s,
est fire, and the resulting dela\ dro\c up the budget Ihe General is regarded as one ot the greatest films
idm had cost se\cn hundred fitt\ thousand dollars, 'Ihe General was Buster's personal faxorite of all
more than any other Keaton feature and an enor- his films, largeK because he did everything him-
mous smu for an\ film at that time. Joe Schenck was selt — he w rote, directed, and starred in the film. He
terrified that the film w as going to break the company. was proud of the film's dramatic structure, its epic
Buster, howe\er, beliexed that the expenses were scale, and its authenticit\. When Buster was asked
justified, as he was con\inced he had a film that win he belicxed The General looked more authentic
would surpass his greatest commercial success, Ihe than Gone with the Wind (19^9), he modestly replied,
Navigator. To his surprise. The General was badly "Well, they w cut to a no\ el for their stor\-. We went
receixed and was not a box-office success. It was to histor\."'" J 49
'-w
\li
S^
I
<4h:
\ ^
Yon ah (the name of the engine that was used as a replica of the original locomotive, Texas). It remained a
Buster poses on the wreckage of the
tourist attraction until 1941 when it was removed for scrap due to demands for metal during World War U. Photograph by Byron Houck.
.
COLLEGE (1927)
and disappointing box-office returns of The General bad two young boys who have wandered into the ath-
prompted Joe Schenck to insist that Buster's next pic-
letic field easily overtake him. In hurdling, he man-
ture be less expensive and more conventional in sub-
ages to knock dow n e\ery hurdle except the last one.
ject matter. College was influenced by one of Harold Surveying all the toppled liurdles, he pushes over the
Lloyd's greatest successes, The Freshman (1925), last hurdle to make his failure complete. In the broad
which began a trend in Hollywood of films set on the jump he ends up having his head buried in the sand
college campus. Buster's individual touches are and his feet kicking in the
mate Mary Haynes from Buster get n behind the camera for the jdming oj the
back the affection of Mary,
star athlete Jeff Brown. crew race in Co /,/./: cE Ronald the incompetent is
ing equipment, imiforms, and a series of "How To" hero when the racing shell's rudder tears loose
athletic guides, Ronald's efforts on the baseball field halfway through the race: he ingeniously fastens the
and athletic track end in disaster. In baseball, the rudder to himself, sits on the end of the stern, and
only way he can get to first base is by being hit in the steers the team to victory.
rear end by a fastball. \ le forces two men out w hen The film culminates with a race to the rescue.
he decides to run around all the bases, passing by his Ronald, immediateh after w inning the race, has to
J 52 fellow base runners before sliding into the home save Mar\-, w ho is being held against her w ill in her
donnitorx room h\ Jctf Brown. In a brilliant RiiiHild is greeted hy the eolle^i^e dean (Suit: I'.dwardsi. while ]eff
Brown (lUiroId Coodnin. at jar right) and liis other roommates are
sequence, Ronald hnalK' succeeds at e\cr\thing he
less than enthusiastic about his arrival.
series of hedges, broad jumps o\er an ornamental ers have interpreted this ending as a conimcntar\ on
pond, and uses a clothesline support like a pole and Buster's unhapp) marriage to Natalie 'I'almadge.
\aults into Mar\'s dorm-room window to sa\e her. When Schcnck transferred awav Lou Anger,
I'he film has an nneharaeteristicall} bleak conclu- Buster's studio manager, to United Artists in an effort
sion for a Keaton film. Ronald and \Iar\ are shown to impro\e exhibition markets for the compan\-.
going into a church and coming out married, w hieh Buster lost a lo\al collaborator w ho never challenged
is where a eonxcntional comed\ would have ended. his authority .Mthough Buster chose Harry Brand, his
College has a coda: a series of (.juiek dissoKes, first publicit\ man, to replace Anger, he was nc\er happ\
show iug the couple as parents smronndcd b\ their w ith his choice. Brand was more eager to please
children, then as a crotchct\ old couple, and then as Schenck than Buster and was constantly looking for
twin gra\estoncs side b\ side in the cemeterw similar wa\s to cut costs. An example of one of their clashes
to the headstone that reads "I'he t,nd" at the conclu- was when Brand took Snitz Edwards off salary w ith-
sion of Cops.l'his coda is out of ke\ with the rest of out Buster's permission; Buster had wanted to keep
the film, which is entircK optimistic, and some \iew- him around a few extra da\s for whatever reason. b"
A disaster on the baseball field, Ronald forces his team into a triple play. Buster enjoyed filming College
because it gave him a chance to play baseball, his favorite sport. The scene was filmed at Bovard Athletic Field, once on
the ihiiversity of Southern California campus. The L'SC Administration huildnig appears in the background.
Buster was never a eonfrontational person, and there- Harbaugh (who pla\ s the crew coach in the film) and
fore did not argue w itli Brand and w hat he pereei\ed Br\an Fo\, in high regard either. Mowe\er, they were
as Brand's interferenee. Me just stopped work and on salar\-, and he ga\ e them the w riting credit e\ en
played baseball with the crew for three da\s to show though Buster created most of the film's stor\ and gags.
Brand who was boss. Credits did not mean much to Buster, although he
"
It was 1 iarr\ Brand who suggested that Buster hire was angered b\ the "Super\iscd b\ Harr\ Brand
iiad not made n)an\ fihns (he would later go on to belittling toward himself Inn thcrmorc, he was upset
direct man\ Laurel and I lard\ comedies), and Buster thai it was done w ithout his permission. I Ic saw the
did not think he was a good director, hi fact. Buster film at the Senator I heater in San fVaueisco while
directed most of the film and had I lornc standing by filming S7c'(/;;//x)(// Hill. /r. and was surprised, as he
to direct an occasional scene in which Buster did not had etiitcd the Idm and checked the sample print just
IS-i a])pcar. I^uster did not hold the credited writers, C>arl prior to the film's release. Buster later tound out that
_.*
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^^H
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disguises himself as a black waiter in an "All Colored Help" restaurant in one of his hapless part-time jobs.
Ronald
it was inserted quietly by Brand after Buster had Harold Goodwin, who plays the terrible Jeff |
permission. real life a very nice man who would become a life-
College marks the one occasion in all his inde- long friend and collaborator of Buster's. Buster had
pendently made silent films that Buster used a stunt seen him in Sydney Chaplin's popular film The
won Gold Medal for pole shorts, and on television. Hal later became a real
Barnes. Barnes had the
met him, he was attending the University of Buster's ranch in Woodland Hills.
Southern California. Buster was unable to perform Despite creative and monetary restrictions. Buster
last independently produced feature, is one of his street was constructed, in the summer of 1927. As
most enjoyable films. It was made on a tight budget, with College, Schenck insisted that Buster keep costs
and Buster put most of the production's resources down, and Harry Brand was once again the credited
into making its climactic scene a spectacular one. production supervisor. However, it was Brand who
The result, a full cyclone and the chaos that ensues, was responsible for driving up the film's budget con-
creates the most memorable and inxentive climax in siderably. Buster originally intended to climax the
all of Buster's films. film with an extended flood sequence on the river.
Buster's character is Willie Canfield, Jr., the city- Brand objected to this idea when he saw the massixe
raised son of Mississippi riverboat captain sets that were to be submerged into the river, think-
"Steamboat Bill" Canfield (played by Ernest ing it would escalate the film's budget. He also felt
Torrence). Steamboat Bill's ri\ al is the richest man in that the flood was an inappropriate subject for a com-
town, |. J. King, who would like to put Canfield's ram- edy, for the Mississippi River had actually flooded its
shackle boat, the Stonewall ]ackson, out of business. banks in 1927, causing fatalities and major damage.
The small and foppishly dressed Willie must prove Schenck agreed with Brand, and Buster was forced to
himself worthy in the eyes of his big and burly father. substitute the cyclone for the flood, a change that
Junior eventually accomplishes this task by rescuing Schenck and Brand thought would be not only con-
his father, King, and his sweetheart (King's daughter) siderably cheaper but less offensive to those who had
in Buster's most chaotic and acrobatic film climax, in suffered through the Mississippi flood. As all of the
which he is challenged by, among other torments, a film's sets and gags had been designed around the
cyclone, a flood, and houses tearing apart at the seams. flood climax. Buster and Riesner had to rework the
Charles (Chuck) Riesner brought the rough idea comedy material, and Fred Gabourie had to rebuild
of the film to Buster and was loaned out from the sets.
Warner Brothers to direct the picture. Riesner had The cyclone sequence is only half of the film's cli-
known Buster from vaudeville (he always called him max, and Buster was able to sneak back in part of the
"Little Buster"), in which he worked for many years flood scene and the river rescue that he had original-
as a performer before entering films as a writer, actor, ly wanted. Buster always tried to work in at least one
and director. He was a collaborator on most of scene involving water when he made his own silent
Chaplin's First National films and associate director features, as his staff had a superstitious belief that
on The Gold Rush. C^huck Riesner had also directed having Buster immersed in water ensured a success-
Sydney, prior to Steamboat Bill, jr., including the Although it was not part of the original plot, the
very successful I'he Better 'Ole. Ikistcr and C'luick cyclone was carefully planned, and great care was
worked well together, and the two remained friends taken in its execution. Six airplane propellers with
in a scene from S i i:.\\i no \ i Bi i.i.,J i<. dazed and confused Buster mistaking a painted back-
big Liberty motors were used to create tbe wind dive right into the canxas, onh' to slide dow n the
effect. OiiK one such propeller was used for the drop. The routine is similar to his parod\ of swim-
moment when Buster attempts to walk against the ming-and-di\ing star Annette Kellerman's Original
w iud; that is how powerful the\ w ere. Cables and a Aboriginal Australian Splash, w Inch he had per-
120-foot crane set on a barge were used to tear build- formed in \audc\illc. Another scene that echoes
ings apart, and f'red C'.abourie dexised a lightweight Buster's \ears on the stage is the momcnl w hen
facade — which was connected with cables linked to a Willie encounters the \cntriloc|uist's dumnn. .\s a
cantilever— to create (he moment when the front of se\en-\ear-old bo\ in \aude\ ille Buster was tascinat-
the hospital blows awa\', lea\ing ouK the floor and a ed w ith a \entriloc|nist's dummv named Red To]); he
bewildered Busier on a hospital bed. c\en wauled lo kidnap il as his pla\ male. Ihe \enlril-
The c\ clone scene is spectacular on a \ isual le\el, oc|uisl, named I'roxollo, who owned Red lop discox-
bnl il is e\en more fascinating when one realizes ihal ercd Busler's plan lo abdnci hisdnmmx alter an
several situations in the se(|uence are drawn Irom e\ eniiig show and sneaked back into ihe ihealer just
158 Buster's own childhood, joe Keaton olten told the bctore Buster arri\ed..\s Buster reached tor Red lop
in the dark and empt\ theater, Trovollo, hiding Stage, and Buster used the gag again in One Week
behind Red Ibp, brought the dunini) to Hfe. Red lop and The Blacksmith. For Steamboat Bill, jr., the gag
shot up and yelled, "Don't touch me, bo\, or I'll tell was much more elaborate than an\ thing Buster had
your old man! " Scared out of his wits. Buster ran out done before. Although he and his team planned to
of the theater as fast as he could. In the film, Willie is make it as safe as possible, the stunt was, in fact, \'er\'
frightened by a \ entriloquist's dummy, w hich appears dangerous. No camera tricks or editing w ere used; it
momentarih to come to life on its own. is all one continuous shot. Buster later described how
The most famous moment in all of Buster's films is the shot was achie\ed:
a two-story building collapses over him; miraculous- First J had them hiiild the framework of this building
ly, he passes unharmed through an open w indow. He and make sure that the hinges were all firm and solid.
and Arbuekle had staged a similar scene in Back h was a building with a tall V-shaped roof, .so that we
Buster strums along with musicians on location in Sacramento for twelve feet, but we're up about eighteen feet. Then
Steamboai Bill, /r while members of the crew enjoy tlie
thev lav this framework down on the ground and
fun. In the silent-fibu era, musicians often performed during filming
Chuck Riesner is seen wearing a fedora. Marion Bxron (whom that I had a clearance of two inches on each shoulder,
everyone called "Peanuts") is directly behind Buster with her arm
and the top missed my head by two inches and the
around Buster's sister, Louise, who doubled for Byron m the water
scenes, as Byron could not swim. bottom of my heels by two inches. We mark that
l(,(i
Sjound out and drive hi" nails where inr two heels are Buster poses with the IZD-foot crane used to tear buildings apart for
front on, painted it. and made the jagged edge where
it tore away from the main building: and then we I'he front of the building was on a base plate and
went in aiid fixed the interiors so that you're looking at on hinges. It weighed several thousand pounds and
a house that the front has blown off. Then we put up could easih ha\ e killed Buster. Chuck Riesner could
our wind machines with the big Liberty motors. We not watch the stunt being filmed. He and a Christian
had six of them and they are pretty powerful: they Science practitioner were pra\ ing for Buster's safety
could lift a truck right off the road. Now we had to on another part of the outdoor set. Hie shot went as
make sure that we were getting our foreground and planned, and Buster was unharmed. In his later years,
background wind effect, but that no current ever lut Buster would sa\ that had he not felt so helpless and
the front of that building when it started to fall, frustrated about his marriage and career— to the
because if the wind warps her she's not going to fall point that he did not care what happened to him-
where we want her. and I'm standing right out in self—he would nc\er ha\e risked the falling wall. He
front. But it's a one-take scene and we got it that way. was, how ever, pleased w ith the results. No other
You don't do those thing's tMice. Keaton moment better show s Buster's talents for ci\ il
engineering. 16]
These photographs record the most
<
^
Biislci's cliaraclcr c'imT<;c's iiiiscatliccl, and llic Buster was assured he woukl be gi\en the \er\ best
film cikIs lia])])il\. bul lousier liiiiiscll was iiol as lor- trealnieul at M-O-M.
Iniiatc in real life. It was while tilinin<; IIr- falling wall Buster, however, knew better. .\s the wall Fallint'
sc'ciiicncc llial l-^uslcr was lold thai Sicciinhocil Will, jr. ()\er him was lihued on Simda\ morning, l^abor l)a\'
was to be tlic last of his indcpciiclcnl hhiis and ihc weekend, 1927, Buster was well aware that he would
last film to he prodneed at his own studio. I lis previ- be losing ereative eonlrol o\cr the making of hi.s
ous United .Artists releases, I he (.lencral and College, tdms. In addition, his marriage to Natalie was rapiclK
were not ho\-ottiee sueeesses (in part owinc^ to iuadc- deteriorating. Buster was at the height ot his ereative
c|uate distribution b\ United Artists). Sehenek had powers in 1927, but Ins failing marriage, the loss of
deeided to abandon independent production entireK' ereati\e eontrol oxer his lilms, and the advent ol
in order to foeus on runniut; United .\rtists. I le sound motion pieturesall oeeurring simultaneously
arranged for Busier to sign w ith Mctro-Ck)ldwyn- seemed to eoirspire against him. I le began to drink
Ma\er; his brother, Nieholas, was president of heavily, leading to the aleoholism that would i)reeipi-
per week. All but the last of his M-G-M starring films
brother-in-law.
UA
1
a
Thf, FiRsi I ' 1 L M Biistp:r madk for In a scene from The Camf.r a m n
(1928), Buster shows off his second-hand
M-G-M was The Cameraman, which was his last
newsreel camera to Sidney Bracr and
truly great film and one of his personal favorites. It
Marceline Dav.
reel camera in order to win the affection of Sally Below: With Josephine the nionkev betM-een takes of
(Marceline Day), who works as script girl and secre- The Ca\i£RA\;ax.
168
77?e (AiiiicrciniiiJi was inaclc Iroiii a |)R'|)arc'(l sciipt, III llic Ojwra (19>S i in which a large group crowds
alllK>ut;li he persuaded llic sliulio lo allow Imii lo inio ( '.roueho's slaleroom, creating the lecinisile
iiiipr()\i,sc on a tew oeeasioiis. I'wo ol llie hlm's best Marx Brothers chaos.
seenes — l^uster pai)toiniiiiin<^ a baseball <;anie alone 7'/;c Cameraman shows Buster's lo\c of llic film
in an eni])t\ Vmkee Stadinni and Bnslei li\int; lo niedinm. I le had Inn eieating the leelinieal mistakes
open Ins pi^g\ bank — were not in llie sc ript. (as when his character double exposes his news film,
P'iiniing began in May 1928 and was eoinpleted creating such images as a battleship sailing down
at the end ot )nne. Bnster bad j^lanned lo make llie I'ifth \\eiine) and making use ot actual newsrcci
tilni enlireK t)n loealion m New \oik C>it\. This soon iilin. The tilm opens with lootage ot tigbling from
proved to be impossible sinee he was eontinnalK ree- World War I. h'ootagc of Ccrtrnde h'.dcrle rccei\ing
ogni/ecl, and the erowcls that gathered intertered with the ke\ to the cil\ ot New WnV from \la\()r )inim\
the filming. Exeept tor the baseball pantomime and a Walker (not long alter she swam the English
few street scenes photographed earK one Snnday Cdiannel) is used to set the tilm's first scene. The film
morning, the film was made at the M-G-M stndio in ends with news fi)otage of C'harlcs I ,indbcrgh's 1927
CuKer Cit\ or at nearb\ locations. New \ork parade alter returning from his tamous
"Fhc scene Bnster liked best was the changing- solo flight across the Atlantic.
room scene, hi the him, Bnster takes Sall\- on a date '['ha Cameraman was both a critical and box-office
to a swimming pool (filmed at the Mnnicipal Plunge success. The comedy was well integrated into the
in Venice, California). He tries to change his clothes story, and the screen relationshi]) between Buster
in a cramped enbicle with an mifriendly fellow- and Marceline Da\ had an emotional depth unseen
bather (Ed Brophy, Bnster's unit manager). The two in an\- of Buster's pre\ious films. It pro\ed to be
men become entangled in each other's clothes as such a model for the studio that for main- \-ears The
each struggles to change into his swimsuit. A classic Cameraman was used at M-Cj-M as a training film to
sequence, it later serxcd as the inspiration for the illustrate what the company considered a perfectly
swimming-pool sequence.
169
SPITE MARRIAGE (1929
the film industr\- by the time Spite Marriage went shop, who borrow s his customer's fine clothes in
into production in November 1928. Buster had want- order to impress the stage actress Trilby Drew
ed to make the fihn with sound, using a minimum of (Dorothy Sebastian). He attends every performance
dialogue and sound effects, but M-G-M refused, as of the Civil War melodrama in which she appears,
they wanted to use the few sound stages they had and one night he gets the chance to act in the play as
available for musicals and dramas rather than come- an extra. Elmer ruins the performance, but Trilby
dies. However, the film was released with a synchro- takes notice of Elmer and asks him to marry her. He
nized musical score and sound effects. fails to realize that she onlv wants to marrv him in
order to spite her rakish beau, leading man Lionel Above: With leading lady Dorothy
seas, which wins him her love, and the film ends
Above: The cant and crew of Spitk collaborators — Brucknian, Lesslev, and Gabovirie —
Marriacl: on location in December
had departed or were assigned to other projects
1928. Actress Leiia Hynuins is seated on
the right of her (wearing the top hat). beginning to feel restricted by M-G-M's insistence on
Writer Ernest Pai^ano is seated in front of
a carefulK prepared script and h\ the often complicat-
Earle. Director Ed Sedgwick is seated in
the center, and Ernie Orsatti (outfielder ed or inappropriate gags that the studio suggested he
for the St. Louis Cardinals, who had just
incorporate into the films. He was losing more control
returned from the World Series to work
again fur Buster) is between Sedgwick at the studio, and the uuhap])iucss of his marriage to
and Buster \orman MacNeil. the nnisi- Natalie was resulting in his drinking more hca\ il\. 1 Ic
the radio, lie used jiojiular tunes to hcif) ol the second hall ot the film, prelcrriug to eliminate
Inni Inne each scene jmijK'rIx and conis,
it in la\()r ol a simpler slor\. hut to no a\ail.
winch he f)laced on a fiiccc of jhijx'r lo
172
H&MF^os3
their own ideas for Buster's films. Weingarten did not Buster's heroine in Spite Marriage was Dorotln
like the putting-the-hride-to-bed seene, feeling that Sebastian, who proxed to be one of his best leading
kind ot low eonied\ did not belong in the film. Bnster ladies. A talented actress, her characterization of
had to argue the scene's merit innumerable times Trilb}' Drew is more believable than most of the
with Weingarten in order to keep it in. When Spite women in Buster's earlier films. During the making
Marriage was released. Buster w as \ indicated; the oi Spite Marriage, Buster and Dorothy began an
sequence became the film's most memorable affair that would last two \ears. Buster enjoxed her
moment, and he used \ariations of it later in the films abilit\ to ha\e a good time. I1ic\ both shared a liking
Parlor, Bedroom and Bath (19^1), 'I'he Passionate for practical jokes, bridge, dancing, and drinking
Plumber (19^2), Speak Easily (1952), What-No Beer? (although she had a low tolerance for alcohol, and
(19^1), Nothing hut Pleasure (1940), Taming of the her propensit\ for passing out after a few drinks
Snood (1940), and Red Skel ton's / Dood It (194S); earned her the nickname "Slambastian"). She
onstage for the Cirque Medrano in 1952; and for tele- appears brieflx in Free and Easy (1930), and the two
\ision.'rhc routine was also reprised b\ director worked together again in the Educational comedx
173
THE HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929 (1929
B U S r E R '
S FIRST APPEARANCE finale in which all the stars, dressed in matching
in a talking picture was in M-G-M's promotional raincoats and hats, join the chorus of "Singin' in
all-star feature The Hollywood Revue of 1929. the Rain," a song revived and made famous in the
Constructed as a vaudeville revue to showcase the 1952 M-G-M musical of the same name starring
which he originated in the arm\- during World War I finale to The Hollvvv ood Rev ue of 1929.
n4
t
A..
^^tH
^ \
4^f-»Hj
FREE AND EASY (1930)
It iook M-G-M a year to find a Theater and to visit the M-G-M studio. Elmer, who
subject they considered suitable for Buster's first star- secretly loves Elvira, tags along, but as her manager
ring sound feature film. Free and Easy was filled with he manages only to mess things up. His bumbling is
the production values — songs, dances, and cos- eventually put to use in roles as a comedv actor,
tumes—that audiences wanted from the early talkies along with Elvira's mother. Elvira does not find star-
but with little of the famous Keaton style of comedy. dom in Hollywood, but instead a marriage proposal
ing Ben-Hvr (1925), appeared as a monologist on the same bill also appeared in the film, but his sequence was cut
Gopher Gity, Kansas, who, as a member of Gopher films were often remade if the management of the
Cvity's Ghambcr of Gomnierce, assumes the role of compan\ thought the\ could he improxcd.W ith Free
manager to the ne\\l\ crowned "Miss Gopher Gity," and Easy Buster also began the practice ot making
the aspiring actress I'Jxira I'lunkclt (Anita Page), foreign-language \ersions ot the films. 1 laxing made
when he acconqjanics her and her niolher ( IVixic one film he disliked, he wouki remake it two or three
Frigan/a) to I lollywood. While en route to limes o\er lor the Spanish, French, or Gernian ver-
Hollywood by train, I'.Kira meets movie star l,arr\- sions. Buster acted with diltercnt east members lor
Mitchell (Robert MontgomerN), who in\ ites her to each loreign \ersion. speaking his lines trom cue
176 the premiere of his new lilm at Cirauman's Ghinese cards w ritlen out phoneticalK, ior which he was p.ud
Trixie Friganza and Buster in Free a?<d Easy.
twelve thousand five hundred dollars per extra film. silent films. The studio tried to make him into a sad
He was tlic onl\' M-G-M star who made the foreign clown, but Buster had ne\ er appealed for sympath\-
versions. Different actors replaced the stars in all the in his own films. As the reins were much tighter when
rest of the studio's foreign xersions except Greta Garbo's the studio con\erted to sound, Buster was unable to
German-language \ersion of Anna Christie (1930). impro\'ise or make suggestions once a script was pre-
Buster's first starring effort in a talking film, how- sented to him. Wonderful scenes of physical comedy
ever, demonstrates the studio's tragic lack of under- improN'ised on location in silent films were replaced
standing of his talents, histead of scenes in\olving by rigid scripts acted out in interior settings. Stuck for
physical comedy, Buster is made to sing and dance the most part on sound stages, Buster managed only
(he even sings the film's title song in a musical- an occasional unscripted pratfall, which seem awful
comed\ number). The dialogue was w ritten b}- a staff when accompanied b\- natural sounds. It was a hope-
of writers who were joke happ\, looking for funn\' less situation for Buster: some of the most commer-
things to sa\, but who did not focus on the action. cially successful features of his career were those o\er
This was w hat Buster fought against at the studio. His which he had little control and which remain his
character is also much different from that in his worst in terms of artistry. 177
DOUGHBOYS (1930
R (! S I !: 1<
'
S S I'. C () \ I) \ I, L - I \ I, k I \ c Sedgwick (who appears in the him as (lUggleheimer,
stiirriiig feature, Doui^hhors, went iiilo procliulion the eamp cook) scat sing while abo.ird shi|) hound lor
ill Ma\- 19^0. Based in part on se\eral of l^nster's I'Vance, Edwards ajipcared with Buster in his next
own expcrienees in the anm, the scrip! (by two films, iiiid tlie\ became good Iriends, both
Kieliarcl Selia\er, Al Boasher<;, and Sidiie\ l,a/uriis) delighting in singing old \aude\ ille songs and playing
Stu\ \esant, a eharacter similar to Ins roles in I he The comic highlight of Doi/g/?/xn'.v is the stage
Saphcad, ihc Xarigator, and Battling Butler. It is the re\ ue ])erfi)rmed tor the enterlamment ot the troops
period of World War I. While f'.lmer waits for Mar\' in which Buster's character, dressed as a woman, is
(SalK I'.ilers), the i;irl he has been lr\ing nnsueeess- thrown around the stage as the female partner to an
tulK to impress, outsiile the store where she works, Apache dancer. \'\n this scene, i^uster drew on his
his ehauffeur, stirred b\- a reeruiter's speeeli about own wartime experience, as he had put on similar
figliting the enenn, abandons Kliner and his nianser- shows for the troops in France while waiting to
ment agenc\'.
(1925), and was an old friend of Sedgwick's from wlien they both
lived in Texas.
179
PARLOR, BEDROOM AND BATH (1931
LARR 'I' WK I N C; A R I' E N HAD SEEN A best of them is a reworking of the comic situation
1930 revival oi Parlor, Bedroom and Bath, a 1917 stage from One Week, this time involving the Austin
farce b\' Charles W. Bell and Mack Swan, and decid- Bantam roadster Buster is dri\ ing that breaks down
ed it would be a good \ehiclc for Buster. (It had been on the railroad tracks as a train approaches. This
adapted for the screen originally bv Metro in 1920 scene demonstrates w hat Buster had alwaxs ad\ocat-
and starred Eugene Pallette.) Buster was in Europe ed at M-G-M: that a sound film does not require con-
on a three-month vacation witli Natalie when the tinuous talk, and that it could still luue sc\eral
decision was niadc to remake the property, and he minutes of action pla\ed out in silence. Buster
was annoyed that the decision had been made w ith- bclic\ cd dialogue should be used w hen ncccssarx;
out consulting him. Morcoxcr, Buster disliked the fast but he did not want his screen character to talk for
tempo and hysterical bcluuior inherent in farce. He talk's sake. I iowcxcr, at M-G-M in 19^0 more than a
maintained that farce was al\\a\s based on sim])le moment of silence was \irtuall\ unthinkable.
misunderstanding or mistaken idcniih, which in a The film also enjo\s a good supporting cast,
legitimate story would be c|uickl\ resoKcd. iiichiding light comedian Reginald Dcnin and
Ill Parlor, Bedroom and Balh lousier pla\s C 'harlot Ic Greenwood, a gangK character actress who
J so Reginald h \ ing, a sli\ sign lacker, who poses as a was \er\ agile and could pertonn some ama/ing
splits. The scene in which Greenwood's character, Opposite: Charlotte Greenwood, Buster,
An added attraction to Parlor, Bedroom and Bath Above: A train destroys the American
film's opening scenes, which give an excellent view was able to drive the car for about a
Buster c on s i d f: r e d
Sidewalks of New York to be the
after having directed dog films — was to direct him. The film's best moments are Homer's attempts to
hiexpericnccd at directing actors in a feature film, put on wrestling, boxing, and amateur theatrical
White and Myers alternated telling Buster how to shows as entertainment for the local gang. The box-
walk, talk, stand, and fall, riicy acted more like ani- ing scene, in which Homer takes on a local fighter in
mal trainers than film directors. the ring, had the [jotential to be one of Buster's best
Buster was also unhappy with the film's plot. sequences. ()\\ lug to his lack of control o\er the
Buster plays uptown millionaire 1 lomer Van Dine direction, the scene does not come close to the work
I larmon, who converts one of his I ,o\\er Kast Side Buster did in Battling Butler in terms of dramatic
tenements into an athletic club in order lo rcfi)rm a realism, nor does it exploit the eomedx potential of a
gang of local kids, most specifically Clipper (Norman boxing-match situation, as Chaplin was to achiexe
Phillips, Jr.), one of the neighborhood gang leaders lulK in C/7v Lights (19^1 ) — arguably his greatest
whose prett\ elder sister Margie (Anita I'age) 1 lomer film — niaclc .is a silent liliii and released earlier in the
has fallen instanth in lo\c with and wishes to imi^rcss. same \ear as Sidewalks of New \ork.
J 82
("loin iiKcd llic film would hv ;i Hop, l^nstcr was
/83
THE PASSIONATE PLUMBER (1932)
Ai/i'n () uc; II Busri'.R mahI': it known Buster takes out his growing frustration toward M-G-M on jimwx
Phimher, v\as also hascd on a farce, Her Cardboard speed of a farce; principal photograpln was complet-
Lover, In Jaec|ues I^eval. M-Cj-M had made it previ- ed in just nineteen da\ s. Buster was not tond ol his
ously as a Marion Davies vehicle entitled The role — which had heen ])la\ed on the stage h\ Leslie
Cardboard I .over (1928), and it was to he made again Howard — and despite dialogue hy Ralph Spenee
l)\ the studio as Her Cardboard l.over (1942) w ith (who was Lnou 11 to doctor a had him into a good one
184 Norma Shearer. The him was shot with the traniie with his cle\er title w riting and dialogue) and a
good cast, he felt the fin-
Tuttlc, an American
two-timer in the presence of both Patricia and his Buster greatly enjoyed working w ith his friend
other lover, Nina (Mona Maris), and Patricia declares Gilbert Roland, the Mexican-born actor w ith w hom
her undying lo\'e and appreciation to Elmer. he had traveled around Europe the pre\ious year. At
The Passionate Plumber was the first of three films the start of his long career, Roland played romantic
in which Buster worked w ith |imm\- Durante, a New leads like Tony, and he had a real-life affair with
York nightclub and vaudeville comedian who was Norma Talmadge. Buster was also happy to ha\ e Ed
known for his trademark large nose, mispronuncia- Sedgwick back as director for this film and his two
tions, and malapropisms. Although Durante played remaining M-G-M starring features.
the supporting role of McKracken the chauffeur, The most memorable scene in The Passionate
Buster sensed that M-G-M intended to build up Phnnber is the pistol-dueling scene between Buster
Durante's career at his expense. Buster felt that he and Roland, w ith Durante acting as Buster's second.
and Durante lacked comic chemistry and that his It w as one of Buster's fa\orite routines, and he w ould
fight against excessive talk was lost w ith Durante, repeat it later in subsequent film, stage, and televi-
who was impossible to direct because no one could sion appearances. It is the highlight of the film and
keep him quiet. He seemed to talk through e\ery among the cleverest sequences he created for the
S p ;: A K Easily, which was based dental onstage intrusions destroy the intended per-
on a Clarence Budington Kelland story called formance on opening night, with the audience
"Footlights," had a legitimate story that Buster roaring with laughter. The audience believes that the
tliought appropriate for a sound comedy. It was the mistakes are deliberate. llie professor, ha\ing discov-
best film Buster made with Jimm\' Durante, who ered his inheritance is fake, is able to pay off his
plays a character similar to the real Durante. debts by selling a halt interest in his hit show to an
sics professor who yearns for adventure but is too Buster's performance in Speak Easily is his finest
conservative and sensible to do an\'thing about it. His in the sound features he made at M-G-M, an amaz-
valet, in an cttort to prompt Post into action, presents ing accomplishment considering his personal prob-
him witli a bogus letter stating he is heir to seven lems and his drinking, w Inch was escalating out of
hniuhcd fiftN thousand dollars. The ruse empowers control during that time. Eilming began in early May
him to seek out the adxenturc he cruN'cs. l*-)-)!, and b\ the liuK' it was eompleied in mid-June,
Post finds his acKenturc with Jimuu (jimmv Buster's trec|ucnt absences Irom the set due to drink-
Durante) and the Midnight Maid C^ompam, a group ing binges and hangovers caused the studio to lose
186 ol amateur players who pertonu an awiul musical eleven shooting d,i\s, which rei)ortctll) cost M-C'.-M
thirty-tlirec thousand dollars. The production cost Buster cousultx with director h'.d
Buster's most expensive M-G-M film. Although Speak to fthning a scene with Sidney loler
Easily is unc\en in qualit\-. Buster recei\ed good and jimmy Durante in SPE \K
Easily.
re\ iews, and the picture was a commercial success.
187
W H AT - N O BEER? (1933
IHH
\\/;\;-N() Bi.i.R?, B u s i i: i< " s last tract. I lowcxcr, with his 1932 contract he was obliged
staniiit; tciiturc film tor M-Ci-M, was an cnibarrass- to have twentv percent ot his three-thonsand-dollar
mcnt lo liim. I^rinkii^ more than a hotllc ot whiskey weekly salary taken out each week until the thirty-
a cla\, and in no condition lo work, he was in terrible three thousand dollars in losses the studio incurred
physieal condition when the lihn went into prodnc- from his absences during Speak Easily had been
tion in necembcr 1932. Natalie had been given an repaid. Moreover, his new contract no longer
interloentor) decree of divorce in Augnst of the |)re\ i- required M-C-M to make hini the star; he was, in
ous year, as well as cnstod\ of Jininn and Bobb). The fact, co-star in What — No Beer? with Durante, and
effects on Bnster show on the screen; iiis voice is con- the profit-sharing arrangement between M-G-M and
gested and his bod\ is slnggish, liis mo\ements slow. Buster Keaton Productions was not included.
MoreoNcr, the script was terrible. Dnrante, w ho shares M-G-M sent Buster to various alcohol rehabilita-
eqnal billing w ith Buster, talks incessantly. Buster, ill tion clinics during this period. However, Buster's
and depressed, takes a back seat to Durante. drinking continued, and his erratic behav ior caused
Buster pla\s taxidermist b'Jmer J. Butts who, in further absences that resulted in nearlv two weeks of
partnership with |imm\ (Jimnn Durante), purchases lost shooting time. Shortlv after What— No Beer? was
an abandoned brewer\ after the repeal of Prohibition. completed in Januarv 1933, Louis B. Mayer sent
The two entrepreneurs ha\c trouble with the law Buster a letter of termination. Mayer had always dis-
(Prohibition had not \et been officially repealed) and liked Buster, the reason for which has never been
with local gangsters, but b\ the end the\ are show n as full) explained. With Thalberg on a leave of absence
the happ\- millionaire owners of a beer garden. from the studio after suffering a massive heart attack,
Buster contributed gag material to onk one scene Mayer took it upon himself to get rid of Bnster.
in the film: Elmer dodging barrels of beer rolling Keaton would eventually return to M-G-M as a gag-
down a hill is a reworking of the boulder rockslide man and supporting actor. Although he would go on
chase from Seven Chances. to make three more starring features (all made out-
Buster was just another M-G-M emplovee w ith side the United States between 1934 and 1946), w ith
What -No Beer? His contract renewal of July 9, 1930 his termination letter of F'ebruar\-2, 1933, Buster's
had been \ery similar to his lucrative original con- days as a major motion-picture star were over.
J 89
BUSTER'S SECOND MARRIAGE,
LE ROI DES CHAMPS-ELYSEES (1934),
AND THE INVADER (1936)
wanted to hire Buster following his termination from not as a nurse, but as a hairstylist. She persuaded
M-G-M; he had been labeled within the industry as Buster to finance a beauty shop, which had a sign
an unreliable alcoholic. Buster considered the period that looked like "Buster Keaton's Beauty Shop" (the
from 19-53 to 1935 to be the two worst years of his life. word "Mrs." was in tiny lettering). He later insisted
Buster had met Mae Scriven, a professional nurse, that she change the sign.
when she and a physician were hired to accompany During this period Buster made two features, Le
him to an alcohol rehabilitation clinic in Arrowhead Roi des Champs-Elysees in France and The Invader in
Springs prior to the production oi What— No Beer? England. Buster thought that neither film was good,
She continued to provide care when he returned both having been made by producers who did not
home and kept him sober and able to work. However, have enough money to finance a quality production.
Buster's drinking and erratic behavior returned. He Le Roi des Champs-Elysees was the better of the
decided to go to Mexico for the New Year's holiday, two films. Buster had received an offer from produc-
and Mae went with him. On January 8, 1933, they er Seymour Nebenzal of the Paris-based Nero Films
were married by a judge in Ensenada, Mexico. Buster to make a feature film in Paris for the salary of fifteen
could not remember the wedding; he was drunk at thousand dollars. The salary did not include traveling
the time. expenses, so Buster and Mae sold three hundred fift}'
His marriage to the twenty-eight-year-old Scriven dollars worth of war savings bonds to book a passage
received worldwide publicity because a full }'ear had to Europe via freighter in June 1934.
not elapsed since the interlocutory decree of divorce In the film Buster plays dual roles: Buster Garnier,
from Natalie became final. With all the publicity sur- a mild-mannered man employed by a large companx
rounding the marriage. Buster felt obligated to offi- to dress as a millionaire and hand out leaflets that
cially marry Mae. They were quietly married again in look like bank notes; and Jim Balafre, an escaped
Ventura, California, on October 17, 1933, after his American gangster who is an exact double of Buster.
divorce from Natalie became final. Fast-paced and filled with Keaton touches, the film
Buster's marriage to Mae lasted less than three has Buster being mistaken for the look-alike gangster.
years and meant nothing to him. He needed some- Buster is excellent in the dual roles; however, the
one to look after him, and Mae had wanted to be the film comedy is not particularly inspired, and the fun
wife of a movie star. of the first scenes is not maintained through the rest
Buster and Mae lived in the six-room house he of the film. If /x' Roi des Champs-Elysees had had
had purchased at 3151 Qucensbury Drive in Cheviot more of the qualities that Rene Clair was achieving at
Hills when he was still working for M-G-M. Mae that time— visual film with minimal dialogue, care-
continued to help him get his drinking under con- fully choreographed action, and sound limited to
trol, but periods of sobriety were quickly followed by effects and the occasional song— Buster might have
I'M) drinking binges. Buster also suffered from delirium had a whole new career in I'Vance.
With Mae and Elmer, the first of many Saint Bernard dogs Buster would own throughout his life (all of
which he would name "Elmer," the name of the character he played in several films).
Le Roi des Champs-Elysees is notable for Buster's The Invader was based on Buster's own story idea,
smile at the film's fade-out. Buster had fought and he contributed most of the film's gags. Buster
throughout his career against ending a film this way, plays Leander Proudfoot, a rich American who sails
but director Max Nosseck insisted. Although it is a his yacht, the Invader (which was the name of Joe
startling and unexpected sight to see Buster smile, Schenck's yacht), to a little Spanish town. In a local
this image does not provide an effective ending. cantina he finds love and trouble in the form of a
Filming was completed in just twelve days. Nero cabaret dancer named Lupita (Lupita Tovar).
Films was hoping to profit from Buster's European That the film was underfinanced is clearly evident
popularity, which had remained strong. Unfortu- on the screen. Buster did the film only for the money,
nately, the film received only limited distribution, and his drinking added to the financial problems of
and it was never released in the United States. the production. The film was not released until 1936
After completing Le Roi des Champs-Elysees, and was a failure in both Great Britain and in the
Buster was offered twelve thousand dollars to play United States, where it was released under the title
such as On the Waterfront (1954), The Bridge on the forced to declare personal bankruptcy and was sued
River Kwai (1957), and Lawrence of Arabia (1962), by the Internal Revenue Service for twenty-eight
had never produced a film when he offered Buster thousand dollars in back taxes. His drinking contin-
the contract. He also had very little money. ued, and his relationship with Mae quickly deteriorat-
Sewell, a friend of
liuster CIS gangster jiiii l,c Hahijrc reveals his dislinclive Uilloo to
V)2
Till. ls\\ni:R(1936).
Santa Barbara, Mae packed up half of e\er\ thing at Buster's drinking came to a crisis in October IQ'?^
the Cheviot Hills house. She literall\ took half of when his ph\sician. Jack Shuman, decided he need-
c\er\thing: two sets of siKer flatware were di\ided in ed immediate hospitalization. He was put in a strait-
half, for example. She did not take one complete set. jacket and taken to the U.S. Veterans General
Soon after, she filed for divorce. Hospital in West Los Angeles, where he was placed
The most disturbing aspect of the di\orce to in the ps\ehiatric ward. When he was released more
Buster was that w hen Mae left she took Klmer, his than a w cck later, he went home and had two double
Saint Bernard. He hired a prixate detecti\e to find Manhattans at the clubhouse of the nearby Cheviot
Klmer, but the search pro\ed futile. The divorce 1 lills Couutr\ Club. Buster resoK ed the\ w ould be
from Mae became final on October 14, 19^6, and she his last two drinks, and he remained sober for the
later resurfaced when she imsuccessfulK tried to sue next fi\ e \ears.
195
SHORTS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND COLUMBIA
Since Buster was not receixing "Colonel Crow Amateur Night" in the film). Grand
any offers from major Hollywood studios, his friend Slaw Opera was made just after he stopped drinking;
Ernest Pagano (who had heen a writer on Spite his performance and the comedy material are at a
Marriage) persuaded him to join Educational Films very high level. Buster is credited with the film's story,
Corporation of America in 1934 where he was guar- along with Lamont, who directed. Buster pla\s
anteed six pictures a year at five thousand dollars per Elmer, who leaves his hometown of Gopher Cit\,
film. Buster made sixteen two-reel comedy shorts for Arizona, by train to seek fame in New York. As his
the company hefore it dissolved in 1937 train is about to leave, he stands on its observation
Educational, which began as a distributor of trave- platform as the people of the town serenade him with
logues and instructional films, enjoyed a unique "So Long, Elmer" to the music of "So Long, Mary"
position as a relatively prestigious distributor of short by George M. Cohan. Buster paid the three-hundred-
comedies in the 1920s. However, the lack of adapt- dollar licensing fee out of his own pocket to .secure
ability of the company's comedians to sound films, the rights to the Cohan song rather than ha\c the
the popularity of animated cartoon shorts, and llie film go over budget.
cost of .sound production had reduced its position by in another memorable parody. Buster has fun with
1934 when Buster joined it. The Educational shorts the famous "Fancy Free" nimiber from the lilm lop
were made in three to five days (Buster had spent Hat (I93S) when he tries to dance like Fred Astairc in
J 94 four If) six weeks on his own silent two-rcelers), and his hotel room in preparation for his appearance on
With Hal Goodwin in Grand Slam Opera (1936)
the talent show. He turns on the phonograph and father performed as The Three Keatons). Elmer ruins
begins to tap dance on the floor, on top of a night the broadcast and, defeated, leaves the city to go back
stand, and along the fireplace mantel, and ends with home. However, he hears on the radio that he has
a disastrous leap onto his bed. won the contest after all, and they are looking for
Managing to get on Colonel Crow's amateur hour, him. Returning to New York, he wins the prize and
Elmer juggles— a visual talent that a radio audience the girl with whom he is smitten (Diana Lewis).
would fail to appreciate. When the radio show's musi- Members of Buster's family joined him in two
cal conductor (Hal Goodwin) cuts Elmer's perform- Educational comedies. Palooka from Paducah (1935),
ance short and kicks him, Elmer retaliates by hitting had Joe, Myra, and sister Louise in the cast. The
him with a broom as the orchestra plays "The Anvil appearance of Buster with his parents in this film was
Chorus" from Verdi's II Trovatore, the various hits in the last professional teaming of The Three Keatons.
perfect synchronization with the music (which was Myra, Louise, and brother Harry "Jingles" joined
the most popular vaudeville routine Buster and his Buster in Love Nest on Wheels (1937).
'M
Joe Keaton w ould ne\'er w ork for an\'one but his feature. Although most of the shorts were directed b\-
"Bussy," as lie affectionately called Buster. B)- the Jules White (with whom Buster worked reluctantly
time of the Educational comedies, |oc and Myra had on Sidewalks of New York), Pest from the West was
separated, but they remained friends and never directed by Mack Sennett veteran Del Lord, and
di\orccd/rhc v\hole family remained very close. Joe Clyde Bruckman worked with Buster on the screen-
used to come to dinner every Sunday when I was pla}'. Buster tried to make the first one special, and he
married to Buster. At that time Joe had achieved succeeded. Although the subsequent Columbia shorts
sobriet)' and had a darling lady friend whom every- have their moments, none of them were of the same
one adored. He lived his last years in a theatrical caliber as the first.
boarding hotel in downtown Los Angeles near The one good aspect of the Columbia shorts is
Pershing Square until he was hit by a car at a cross- that they received wide distribution — greater than
walk, an accident that led to a hospital stay, from that of the Educational shorts — and, as a result, peo-
which point his health deteriorated and he never ple in the film industr\- could see that Buster was
recoxered. He died in 1946 at the age of seventy-eight. working and in fine form. Consequently, he soon
Myra li\'cd with Buster and me in the house on 1043 began to get offers from other studios for supporting
Victoria Avenue in Los Angeles until she died in roles in major feature films. In 1940 Buster stopped
1955. She was a very independent lady. Standing just making "cheaters" at Columbia. As Buster said, "I
four feet ten inches tall and weighing about seventy just got to the point where I couldn't stomach turn-
pounds, she rolled her own cigarettes and drank mg out even one more crumm\- two-reeler.
197
THE LATER FILMS, THEATER, AND TELEVISION
After Educational folded in 1937, Buster worked best with Red Skelton, who
and before he made two-reel shorts for Columbia, admired Buster and was eager to take any gag sugges-
Buster joined the writing staff of Metro-Goldwyn- tions Buster may have had for him. Buster reworked
Mayer as a gag writer and comedy consultant. He several of his old films for Skelton: Spite Marriage
worked in this capacity on and off until 1950. became Skelton's film 1 Dood It (1943), The General
Buster worked with almost everybody at M-G-M. became A Southern Yankee (1948), and The
He was one of many w riters who had a hand in the Cameraman was reworked as Watch the Birdie (1951).
Marx Brothers' films At the Circus (1939j and Go Buster shared an office with Ed Sedgwick in the
West (1940). He admired their talent but was irritated writer's building, where he built all kinds of Rube
with their work habits. They
did not care about rehears-
lu a scene from
r
Ho
.,
LLYWOOn Cua/.caok ,r,-,ru •
could be. He checked on the throwing technique, Buster never threw pies in his own comedies. This fihn is responsible for the iiirth
film, saw the rushes, edited the film, and attended Goldberg-like gadgets. The most elaborate of these
the previews. M-G-M never allowed Buster to do contraptions, called "The Nutcracker," mo\ ed nuts
much beyond gag writing and occasional supporting through a complicated mechanical ma/e before the\'
roles during this period, althougli he did direct three were crushed by a pile driver. The office was called
one-reel shorts for the company in 1938: Life in "The Boar's Nest," and since it was near the studio
Sometown U.S.A. (1938), Hollywood Handicap (1938), commissary, c\cr\body would stop in and \isit.
l<-)h and Streamlined Swing (1938). Awa\ from M-G-M Buster was bus\ w ilh all sorts
riic ( jrcpic Mednmo was a one-ring
ing snpporting roles in films snch as Hollywood but forgotten him b\ this time.
Cavalcade (19^9), 'ihe Villain Still Pursued Her We returned to the Medrano tor another tour-
(1940), and San Diego, I Love You (1944). He also week engagement in 19S2 and again in 1954. i'br the
acted in East Coast summer-stock ])roductions of T/tc return engagement in 1952 Buster did a New Year's
Gorilla in 1941 and Three Men on a Horse in 1949. Eve sketch, which was taken from the scene in Spite
Buster had so much fun performing before an audi- Marriage in which Buster puts the drunk woman to
ence again that he dismissed his initial reservations bed. I performed this sketch w ith him. Buster and 1
about appearing in a Kuropean circus and agreed to make our entrance co\ercd in streamers and carr\-
an offer to perform at the Cirque Medrano in Paris ing small props indicating that we ha\e just come
in September 1947. from a New Year's V.\c part\. We are both exhausted.
J 99
'
I he ,sc'/ <>j S I
' \s /•: ; Bo i i.i\ \ k / )
and I am very drunk. Bnstcr takes off lii.s coat and lii.s with his old gagman CKdc Bruckman. It was a local
hat and is occupied with a chest of drawers upstage. show — it could not be sokl outside Los Angeles
Meanwhile, I take the stole from around m\ neck because of the poor picture qnalitv of kinescopes —
and w ad it up like a pillow, falling asleep on the floor. and was \cr\ low budget. The following \ear brought
Buster comes downstage around the foot of the bed another program called I he Buster Kenton Show
and stumbles o\er me, and the rest of the sketch is (which was called L/'/e with Buster Keaton in s\ndica-
Buster's effort to put me to bed. The whole act ran tion). He did thirteen half-hfjur episodes on film,
about fifteen minutes. Although I was still working as which could be distributed all over, but the hitch was
a dancer at M-G-M, had no1 pre\ ions acting experi- there was no li\e audience, which had been what
ence. Working with Buster required precision — he made television enjoyable for Buster. Moreo\ cr, the
was very precise and mathematical w ith his work- demands of earh' television were such that he was
Garland and Van Johnson. The same year, Billy Chaplin to be the greatest motion-picture comedian
Wilder hired Buster to play in Sunset Boulevard and the greatest of all comedy directors.
(1950). He had a wonderful time because all he did In the film, Chaplin and Buster perform a British
was play bridge with old friends Gloria Swanson, music hall comedy act. hi the sketch the\- pla\- two
Anna Q. Nilsson, and H. B. Warner for one daw slightly crazed musicians: Buster the bespectacled
The most exciting project for Buster during this pianist who is constantly fumbling his sheet music,
period came along when Charlie Chaplin cast him and Chaplin the violinist v\hose legs keep shrinking
for his film Limelight (1952). Buster considered up inside his trousers. After dismantling the piano
by Otto Rothsehild.
\oyend)er \ IMi(J.
the coiiK'cK was iiioslK iniprox iscci on llic set. lousier
<;eninses ot hhn.
was not very good. Buster and the other ke\ actors of
Above: Buster and me at the Cirque Medrauo in implanned: the duck then swam o\er and bit the end
Paris in 1^52. moments before going into the ring
of the gim. It alwaxs received a tremendous laugh
to perform the New Year's Eie sketeh. uhich is the
seene of putting the woman to bed from S P ; IF. from the audience.
M \RKI V (; /; . Photograph b\ Pierre /. Dunnes.
B\ the time the tour ended at the Huntington
Photograph by Pierre /. Dannes. shovw Buster lo\ ed doing the pla\, and Jim Karen and 20}
jane Dulo became two of our closest friends. Merton would be goosed or pinched by the lecherous King
of the Movies was one of the highlights of his later Sextimiis. That way, if any conservati\'e ladies com-
years. plained, the)' could be reassured that the v\ oman
Buster really enjoyed hearing the laughter of an being subjected to this behavior was his real-life wife.
audience when performing live onstage, hi 1960 The tour started in Chicago and stayed three to six
Buster went on the first national touring company weeks in places such as San Francisco, Los Angeles,
production of the 1959 Broadway musical Once Upon Denver, St. Louis, Detroit, several stops in Ohio,
a Mattress. Dody Goodman was Princess Fred and Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Boston. After the national
Buster played King Scxtinuis the Silent. It was a per- tour ended. Buster and I appeared in the bus-and-
fect role for Buster, as there was no dialogue for him truck tour of the show with Imogcne Coca as
until the end of the show, so he was able to do every- Princess Fred in Columbus and Washington, D.C.,
thing in pantomime. I was even in the tour, playing and concluding with a brief engagement in a
Lady Maybelle, one of the ladies in waiting. When summer-stock production at Melody Fair in North
the tour reached the "Bible Bell," il was arranged Tonawanda, New York, in the summer of 1961. Buster
2(H that I was the only one of the ladies in waiting who enjoyed the entire vcar he was in the siiow.
opposite Willi Charlie Cluipliii
LiMi.Liunr {1952}.
of \\ . Eugene Smith.
^.4C£V^
il
' i
H
Hu
rT-
Opponite: Buster and Chaplin during rehearsal for L I M i: 1. 1 c; // (
M I: K7 () \ O !• 7 HE MO \ / 1: S . 19S7.
making films.
acter was called "O," and his back was to the camera
in an uppccirance on The Kd
Sli.liww Show, nhicli
209
Left: With director Alan Schneider and playwright Samuel Beckett
on the set of VlLM (1965). Photograph by Boris Kaufman.
tival," he said at the time, fighting back tears, "but I hope it won't
be the last."
Bottom: Don Rickles (left) and Harney Lembeck (right) with Buster
not give in. Finally, they did the gag the \\a\ Buster
2U)
With the clapboard during production
ofTni-: Ra/Z-Rodokk (1965).
by Sam 'lata.
Ill
Below: The final scene of Right: Buster gets some
War 1 1 alias S im.I: (1967). additional makeufi between
chaotic surroundings.
212
APPENDIX: HOW TO MAKE A PORKPIE HAT by Eleanor Kcatou
Buster's tradcnuiik luit was worn in his \cr\ first film, Buster went through half a do/en hats per film in
I he Butcher Hr)v. I lie hat was \cr\ similar to tiic hat he the silent era. Later, he could make two hats last a
had used ou the sta^e. hi silent tduis, e\er\ film come- whole \ear, unless he was working on a project in
dian had a sit;nature hat. Derbies were the most popu- w Inch there were scenes in\ol\ ing water. It he pla\ed
lar, w ith both CHiarlie C'haplin aud Roscoe Arbuekle around with water. Buster could go through as man\
wearnig them, and I larold Llo\d adopted the straw as twcKc hats a \ear. The felt disintegrates if it
hat. Buster set out to ereate his own hat, which would becomes too wet, and the hats just tall a|)art and can-
set him apart trom the other comediaus as well as not be reused. Buster trained me to make most of his
endure rough treatment aud still keep its sha])c. hats for him not long after we were married.
Buster bought gray fedora hats in his si/e, which M\ faxorite memorx of Buster making his hat is
was 6X. He preferred the fedoras manutactured b\ w hen we were in Ccrman\ in 1962 to promote the
Stetson, but used other brands when Stetsons were screenings of The General. He needed a new hat.
not a\ailable. He then ripped out the inside lining Buster went to a little hat sho]) next to our hotel in
and folded in the crown, as seen in the series of ])ho- Frankfurt and pointed out the hat he wanted to the
tographs abo\e. little elderK man who ran the shop. Buster pan-
rhe second step was to cut the brim down to size tomimed e\er\ thing, as he did not speak C German
(a normal fedora has too wide a brim) to about two and the shopkeeper did not speak P^nglish. Buster
This was done with three heaping teaspoons of gran- sheers. Buster proceeded to tear the entire hat lining
ulated sugar in one cup of warm water. W ith a small out, fold down the crown, and cut the brim. The old
paint brush, he wet the top and bottom ot the brim man looked like he was about to ha\e a stroke
w ith the sugar w ater. The last step w as to use a steam because Buster had not yet paid for the hat. When
iron to flatten out the brim. The hat was placed right Buster finished and placed the hat on his head to test
side up on a hard surface and let to dr\ to further it, the old man recognized w ho Buster was and w hat
stiffen and flatten the brim. was taking place in his hat shop.
goes back more tlian fort\' years, to the first showings than most recent photographs one saw of him — and
o^The General and The Navigator at London's he laughed. That was the last thing I expected from
National Film Theatre in the 1950s. When, by a the deadpan comedian. But several times during the
series of unlikely circumstances, I found myself in interview, a suddenly remembered incident w ould be
Hollywood in 1964, one of the first people I set out to accompanied by a spontaneous, infectious laugh. As
see was Keaton. for his voice, it sounded like an anchor chain going out.
I expected a star to live in one of those huge mock- The Saint Bernard — Elmer— nuzzled him hope-
Tudor or Castilian buildings in Beverh- Hills — the fully. "This dog sits on the couch to watch tele\ision,"
sort of place he owned in the 1920s. Confronted by a he said. Aware that a demonstration was required, the
simple wooden bungalow in the San Fernando dog trundled o\er to a couch and heaved his back legs
Valley, I thought I had gone to the wrong house. But on to the seat, lea\ing his front paws on the ground.
you could not argue with tlie name: "The Keatons." He then stared, deadpan, at the Keatons' Christmas
1 expected Buster Keaton to be a morose, bitter tree, substituting that for the television set. Keaton
man. I expected to find liim sitting glumh' in a cor- grinned. "Come on," he said. "We can talk better next
ner, talking in monosyllables about the people who door." The dog raced us inside and, as I set up m\
had ruined his career. I was prepared for a difficult tape recorder, it panted noisily into the microphone.
encounter and was already making allowances for On a lower level than the rest of the house, the
"great artist . . . hard life." The reality could scarcely room was decorated w ith photographs, certificates,
ha\'e been more different. and awards. A billiard table occupied one side;
Fleanor Keaton opened the door; she was a strik- Keaton's "saloon" was on the other. It had sw inging
ingly attractive woman w ho reminded mc of Lucille bar doors, and the best beer in town, but it was onh
Ball. Before I could enter, the gap was filled by a the size of a telephone kiosk. Two cow box hats, one
colossal Saint Bernard. C.rinning, Eleanor tried to presented by the Cattlemen's Association ot i'ort
keep the door open, drag the dog in, and shake hands, Worth, Texas, Ihe other trom Oklahoma, hung in the
all at once. I'Vom ihc next room came thundering far corner ot the room, next to a fireman's hat, signitx-
liooxcs and gunshots from a telc\ision set. "Buster!" ing that Keaton had been made a member of the Fire
called I'Jeanor. The noise slopped, abruplK. "The ncparlmcnt ot Bntlalo, New York.. \n Oscar stood on
"If I'd had some place lo call von, I'd lia\e canceled which brought immortal comedies to the screen —
the visit. Bnl lhc\ arcn'l shooting l()da\ after all." next to ;i "Ceorge," one ol the F.aslnian I louse awards,
2H Buster Kcalon emerged horn ihe next room. He oi which Keaton seemed especialh proud. 1 was taken
aback l)\ llic smiling pliotoj^rapl) of Roscoc Arhucklc laughter. "And I don't know these lions |)ers()nall\, see.
tlial (Idiiimatc'd one wall — I was atfcclcd l)\ tlic pn)|> 'Iheyre both strangers to me. Then the cameraman
ai^aiula thai still siinoiiiKkcl tlic Arhucklc case, ami sa\s, A\'e'\e got to do the shot again lor the loreign
"
w Inch made one think him miiltw An original litho- negati\c.' I said, "I'.nropc ain't gonna see this scene!'
graph ot the tram the ilcncrcil dominated the other More laughter, .md Keaton returned to his seat.
wall. I hiderncalh was a hilarious shot ot three Busters "Years later. Will Rogers used that gag— 'l'an()|)c
sitting in the poses ol the three wise monkcNs, There ain't gonna see this scene.' Wc made a dupe negative
was a picture ol his lather, )oc Kcaton, with the loco- out ot Ihcil baby. I'xe worked with lions since, and
one of Natalie lalmadgc, Kcaton's first wife, with It was the onl\ time I met Buster Keaton. I le died
their two ho\s. A more recent photot^raph showed just oxer a year later, in l'cbru.n\ 1966. ! included the
Buster Keaton w ilh 1 larold I ,lo\cl and jaec|nes Tali. A interv iew in m\ Inst hook, I'he Parade's Clone By
stunt check for $7.50 commemorated a stunt Keaton In I9S6, Oaxid Cill and I were able to make a three-
did tor I ,ew C>od\ in 1928 for I'he Bahv CWclonc. part documentar\ tor Thames 'lelcxision that we
1 ha\e just listened again to the tape I recorded on called Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to i''o//ou' (1987).
that occasion, and while I am embarrassed b\ ni\- Kleanor proved the most important contributor.
wide-e\ed nai\ete, it did ha\e the effect of engaging Born in I lolK wood, C'alifornia, in I91S, T'.leanor
Keaton's interest. I got mau\ ot the standard was years yoimger than Buster. She was so strong and
answers — familiar from other intcr\ iews — but I also self-reliant, she alwav s struck me as a character from
got a lot that was fresh. 1 le was full of enthusiasm and the Old West. She had a refreshingh unsentimental
charm, and Kleanor chimed in oecasionalK w ith outlook on life and a wondertulK dr\ sense of
additional information. Ihc most touching moment humor, .\ftcr two mihapp\ marriages Buster found in
occurred when she prompted him to tell a stor\ Eleanor the perfect wife — and she later proved to be
about a lion on Sherlock jr. the perfect widow. She would do anv thing to advance
Keaton chuckled. "I'm in the cage out at the cause of Keaton. (Her car had the license plate
Universal, where the\ had all the animals at that KEATON 1.) She helped us in eomitless wa\s when
time. It's a big round cage, about si\t\ to eight\ feet we v\ere making the documcntarv, aside trom giv ing
in diameter, full of tropical foliage. With a whip and us the most marvelous interview. She remembered so
a chair and a gmi, the trainer gets the two lions in much of what Buster had told her that we were quite
position and I go to mine. M\ cameraman is outside shocked, after the program went out, to hear a con-
the cage, shooting through a hole. The trainer sa\s, stant stream of fresh reminiscences that we would
'lOon't run, don't make a fast mo\c, and don't go in a have loved to have had in the film. Our reaction
corner.' Well, there is no corner in a round cage!" amused her so much that she suggested making a
Buster laughed, pushed the tabic out of the wa\ and fresh documcntarv entitled What Eleanor Forgot to
the scene in Sherlock /r., w ith Keaton doing his won- W hen one embarks on a biographical docimicn-
derful walk across the room, whistling nonchalantlv. 1 tary, one is liable to uncover some unpleasant facts
was so accustomed to seeing him in silent films that I about the subject.. \fter we had finished the Keaton
was astonished to hear the whistle. film, however, we realized that we had found no one
"I start to walk awa\' from one lion — and lookit, who had a single unkind word to sa\ about the
there's another one, there! 1 got about this far and I man — and this was a fellcnv who went through a
glanced back and both of them were that far behind rough period of alcoholism.. \11 those who knew him
mc, walking w ith me!" Keaton was helpless with seemed to have loved him. 215
And what adiiiiration tlie\ had tor Kcaton the listen to the laughter. The film's onl\ drawback is that
filmmaker! When I present programs to ])eop]c unfa- it o\ ershadows everything else )'ou show w ith it.
mihar with silent films, I al\\a\'s include Keaton's The director was a figure of little importance in
short comed\ One Week. And I show it complete, for comedy films in those days. The comedian was the
it is ruinous to lca\e anything out. I'lic pictine is the whole show, and was expected to come up with the
perfect comedy. Inspired by Home Made, a docu- gags — with the help of gagmen. This was so well
mentar\ about portable housing produced b\ the understood that sometimes Keaton did not bother to
Pbrd Motor Compan\ (he got ideas from the take directing credit for a picture, and ga\e it to one
strangest places), he was able to come up w ith an of the gagmen. But his abilit\ as a director was per-
elaborate comed\. He was then age twenty- four, like haps his most remarkable talent. He was so good that
Orson Welles when he began Citizen Kane (1941), he should have been given dramatic pictures to make
and this is a sort oi Citizen Kane of the two-reeler. from time to time.
Keaton starred, directed (with his long-time collabo- Although nearly eighty percent of all silent films
rator Eddie Cline), did all his own stunts (one landed have been lost. Buster Keaton's independent silent-
him in the hospital), helped to work out the gags, film legacy sur\i\'es complete. Thanks largely to
and assisted with the special effects. This was a fellow Raymond Rohauer, the films are in worldwide distri-
w ho had barely attended grade school, let alone film bution: in cinemas, in screenings with live orchestral
school. Yet he combined the talents of an artist, a accompaniment, at film societies and festivals, and
dramatist, a clown, and a ci\ il engineer. Put this on television and home video. It seems likeK' that
eightv-vear-old film in front of an audience and just each new generation w ill rediscover Buster Keaton.
216
Notes
I \ I R () n II c: I ION
1 7'/(c' nnmnilic Mirror. March ICi. l')(ll, arliclf coiilaiiic-d on \ Buster Kealon, inler\ ieu by Bob and Joan I'Vanklin,
page three of M\ ra Keaton s seraphook ol Iheatrieal elip- C'olumbia Uni\ersil\ Oral llislorv Research Office, 19S8,
liings.As most of tlie cli]3|)ings in the sera])b()()k are niiat- transcri|)t j). 4.
liihuted. i^age notations eitecl are the seraphook page 4. Rndi Blesh, Ke<;/o;) (New '^ork: i he M.icmillan (^oniijau),
iiuiiiher, \(lclilion;il lil.ilion inloi UKilion is gixcn when 19661.71.
possible. \h ra Keaton's scrapliook was donated h\ I'.leanor ^.\'ariel\; IS l''ehrnar\ 1921.
Keaton to the Aeadenn I'bnndation. where it is ])art ot the 6. Buster Keaton, interview by I'leteher Markle, ielescope,
Blister Keaton C'olleetion at the Margaret I lerriek Librar\ C^anadian Broadcasting (Corporation television ]irogram,
of the Aeadenn ot Motion Pieture .\rts and Seicnecs, 1964.
along with her other |-5nsler Keaton-rehiled |)h()logra|)hs. ". Busier Kealon. inlerv iew hv Boh and Joan franklin.
papers, and artitaets. CColnmbia Universilv Oral I listory Research Office, I9SS,
2. Tliis unbclie\abl\ low fignrc originates from Buster Keaton transcri])t p]). 11-12.
and is probably a nn th; it is less than wiiat Biograph paid (S. C'haplin later used I'ruckee, California, for filming selected
motion-pieture extras |)er week in i*-)!!). Bnster Keaton exterior location scenes for ihe Gold Rush (1925). 7'/7t'
with Clli.ules Samnels, My Wonilcrtiil World o/ SUipfitick Frozen !^orth and ihe Cold Rush share similar sncnv-
(C^.arden Clitx. N.\'.: Donbledax eV C;ompan\. hie., i'^)6()l, ^)4. inspired coiuedv momeuls.
3. Arbiiekle made a few films tor the Selig Polyseope Company 9. Keaton with Samuels, 165.
starting in 1909 and later worked four weeks in Nestor 10. John Cillett and James Blue, "Keaton at N'cuice," .S/g/?/ and
Comedies released b\ Uni\ersal prior to joining Ke\ stone. .Soi/nc/^S, no. I (Januarv 1966), 27.
(1920), when he was loaned onl to Metro Pietures h\ joe 12 Allhough The General had its New \oA ])rcmiere on
Sehenek prior to sl.irting his ow n series ot shorts. Based on h'cbrnarv 5, 1927, and Los Angeles |)remierc March II,
the popular pla\ Ihe l^cw Henrietta, the film was not 1927, it was registered for co])yright on December 22,
direeted by Keaton and therefore displays little of Keaton's 1926, and the world premiere of the film was held in
ingenuity or style beyond that as an actor. Tokyo on December ?!, 1926. Since publication date (in
date for an\' work, 1926 is used fhronghouf the text as the
stor\ of how Buster rceei\ed his famous nickname evoked 15. Robert Sherwood, Life, 24 Fehruarv 1927, 26.
o\er the years. In one account. Buster's nickname was 16. David Robinson, Buster Keaton London: Seeker I
&•
mate comedian." The Dramatic Mirror, |anuar\ 2 s, 1904, 17 Cillett and Blue, 29
in M\ ra Keaton seraphook, S2. 18. Keaton with Samuels, 259.
2. Keaton w ilh Samuels, Is.
217
Terkel, Studs. "Buster Keaton." In The Sf:>ectator. New York:
Bibliography
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1983. P I-: R I on I c; .\ i, s
Bengston, John. Silent Echoes: Discovering Early Hollywood Agee, James. "Comedy's Greatest Era." Life, 3 September
Through the Films of Buster Keaton. Santa Monica, Calif.: 1949,70-88.
Santa Monica Press. 2000. Bishop, Christopher. "The Great Stone Pace." Film Quarterly
Blesh, Rudi. Keaton. New York: llic Macniillan Company, 12, no. 1 (fall 1958): 10-15.
Brownlow, Kevin. Ihe Parade's Gone By . . . New York: Alfred no.I (fall 1958): 15-22.
Projections 4'/:, edited by John Boorman and Walter Feinstein, Herbert. "Buster Keaton: An Interview."
Donohue. London: Faber and Faber, Ltd., 1995. Massachusetts Review 4, no. 2 (1963): 392-407
Brundidge, Harry '[.Twinkle, Twinkle Movie Star! New York: Gillett, John, and James Blue. "Keaton at Venice." Sight and
Dntton, 1930.' SounJ 35, no.I (January 1966): 26-30.
Coursodon, Jean-Pierre. Buster Keaton. Paris: Seghers, 1973. Gilliat, Penelope. "An Interview with Buster Keaton." London
Dardis, Tom. Keaton: The Man Who Wouldn't Lie Down. New Observer Weekend Review, 24 May 1964, 31.
York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1979. Houston, Penelope. "The Great Blank Page." Sight and Sound
Edmonds, Andv. Frame The Untold Story of Fatty
Up!: 37, no. 2 (spring 1968): 63-7
Arbuckle. New York: William Morrow, 1991. Keaton, Buster. "Why I Never Smile." Ladies Home journal
Gilliatt, Penelope. "Buster Keaton." In llnholy Fools. New (June 1926): 173-74.
York: Viking Press, 1973. Keaton, Joe. "The Cvclone Bab\." Plmtofolav (Ma\1927): 98,
Cambridge University Press, 1997 Ludlani, Helen. "Yo Ho Ho and a Buster Keaton Location."
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Screenland (
Slapstick. Garden Cit\', N.Y.: Doubleday, 1960. McCaffery, Donald. "The Mutual Appro\al of Keaton and
Keaton, Buster. "What Are the Six Ages of Comedy?" In Ihe Lloyd.'' Cinema journal 6 (1967): 8-15.
Truth About the Movies by the Stars, edited by Laurence A. Robinson, David. "Redisco\er\ Buster." Sight and Sound 29, :
Knopf, Robert. The Theater and Cinema of Buster Keaton. . Interview bv Bob and Joan Franklin. Columbia
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999. Uni\ersity Oral History Research Office, 1958.
Lebel, R Buster Keaton. 1964. Translated by R D. Stovin. . Interview by Arthur Friedman, 1956.
J.
London: A. Zucmnicr Ltd.; New York: A. S. Barnes & Co., . Interview by Fletcher Markle. Telescope. Canadian
Mast, Gerald. T/ie Comic Mind: Comedy and the Movies. — .Interview b\- George Pratt, 1958.
Meade, Marion. Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase. New \ork: Buster Keaton contracts with G()mic|ue film C'or])oratiou,
Oldham, Cabriella. Keaton's Silent Shorts: Beyond the Buster Keaton Metro-Gokhw n-Ma\er contract and produc-
Illinois University Press, 1996. Busier Keaton militar\' jiersonnel records and discharge
Ra|)f, Joanna Iv, and Gary L. Green. Buster Keaton: .\ H/o- papers,
Bihliography. Wcstporl, C^onn.: Greenwood Press, 1995. i3usler Kealou produced anil uu|)i(Klueccl tihu and television
Rccd, Rex. "Buster Keaton." In Do You Sleep in the Nude? scripts. 1945-65.
New York: New American Library, 1968. Eleanor Keatou date books. 1956-66.
Robinson, Da\id. Busier Keaton. London: Seeker cS,- Warburg, Myra Keaton scrapbook.
1969. ihe Keaton Chronicle (quaricrK publication of The n.nutmos:
Sclmeiclcr, Alan. "On Directing Fihu" In Film, by Sanniel The International Busier Keatou Society). S. no.I
Beckcll. New York: Gro\e Press, 1969. (winter 1993) -S, no. 4 (fall 2000).
Scoil, ()li\er Lindse\, cd. Busier Keaton: ihe Lilllc lion MiUi. Kobiusou. i)a\ id. "Busier Kc.ilon: A I l.ircl Acl to Follow."
Chrislchurch, New /ealaiul: Busier i^ooks, 1995. I .oikIou: Ihames lclc\ ision/C lli.niuel 4, 1987
218
ACoi/»i/n//t'roll9l7)
FilnK)grai)liy
Released: December 10, 1917 Distributed In: I'aramouut
)(iM|)li \1. Selieiick. nireelor: Koseoe .Vrhuekle. ( lasl : Koseoe Released: Januars 20, 1918. i")istributed by: i'aramouut
.\rbuekle, Buster Kealoii. .\1 St. John, Josephine Stevens, i'ietures. i'rodnced by: C;omic|ue I'ilm (Corporation, i.ength:
.\rtlnn- i'.arle, .A^nes Neilson, Joe Bordeau, l.nke (he Hog 2 reels. Seenario i'.ditor: Herbert Warren. Seenario: Natalie
'i'almadge and Roseoe .Arbuekle. i'hotographv: George i'eters.
Released: Ma\2l, 1917 Distributed 1)\ : Parainouiil Ticlures. (Cast: Roseoe .Arbuekle. Buster Keaton. \l St, John, Alice
Produeed 1)\: C'oniiciue I'ihn C^orporation. Length: 2 reels. Lake, Joe Keaton
Story: Joe Roaeh. Seenario I'.ditor: I ierhert Warren. Seeuario:
Ro.scoe .Arbuekle. l'hotograph\: I'rank D. Williauis. Producer: 77ieBc'//Boy(19l,S)
Jose|)h \1. Sclient k. nirector: Roseoe Arbuekle. Clast: Roseoe Released: March IS. 191S. Distributed In: Paramount Pictures.
(
.\rbuekle. Busier Keaton, Al St. John, Aliec I .ake. 'onuue Produced In; (Comic|uc I'ilm (Corporation. 1 .eugtli: 2 reels.
Pan|ue(, Agnes Neilson Scenario I'.ditor: Herbert Warren. Scenario: i<oseoe .Arbuekle.
Photography: George i'eters. I'roducer: Joseph M. Scheuck.
The Rough House (1917) lOirector: Roseoe .\rbucklc. (Cast: Ro.scoe .\rbuekle, Buster
Rclea.scd: Juue2x 1917 i')istributed b\: Paramount Pictures. Keaton, ,\1 St. John, .Mice Lake, Joe Keaton, Charles Dudley
Produced In: C;oniic|Uc I'ihn (Corporation. Length: 2 reels.
Stor\ : Joe Roaeh. Seenario i'.ditor: 1 ierhert Warren. Seenario: Moonshine (1918)
Roseoe .\rbucklc. Photograj^ln: i'rank D. Williams. Producer: Released: May B, 1918. i:)istributed by: I'aramouut Pictures.
Joseph \i. Schenck. Director: Roseoe .\rhuckle. C'ast: Roseoe Produced by: Comique Film Corporation. Ijcngth: 2 reels.
.Arbuekle, Bu.ster Keaton, ,\1 St. John, Aliec Lake, Agnes Scenario I'.ditor: Herbert Warren. Scenario: i^oscoe .Arbuekle.
Neilson, C'.lcii C'axcnder Pliotogra|5h\: (Ceorge i'eters. Producer: Joseph M. Schcnck.
Director: Roseoe .Arbuekle. Cast: Roseoe .Arbuekle, Buster
Hi's Wec/c/nigN/g/in 1917) Keaton, W St. John, CCharles Dndlcv, .Mice Lake, Joe Bordeau
i-'roduced b\-: Couiiquc I' ilm Corporation. Length: 2 reels. Good Nig/if, Nurse! (1918)
Stor\: Joe Roach. Scenario l\ditor: I Icrbcrt Warren. Scenario: Released: JuK S, 1918. Distributed b\ : Paramount Pictures.
Roseoe .\rbucklc. Photograph}': Ceorge l\'tcrs. Producer: Produced In : Comique Film Corjjoratiou. Length: 2 reels.
Joseph l\l. Schcnck. Director: Roseoe .Arbuekle. Cast: Roseoe Scenario I'.ditor: Herbert Warren. Scenario: Roseoe .Arbuekle.
Arbuekle, Buster Keaton, Al St. John, Alice Mann, Artlun l^hotograpln ; (^eorge Peters. Producer: Joseph M. Scheuck.
i^arle, Jimmy Br\ant, Jospehine Stevens Director: Roseoe .Arbuekle. Cast: Roseoe .Arbuekle, Buster
Keaton, ,A1 St. John, .Mice Lake, Kate Price, Joe Keaton
O/i, Doctor/ (1917)
Released: September ^0, 1917 Distributed by: Paramount The Cook (1918)
Pictures. Produced b\': Comique I'ilm Corporation. Length: Released: September 1\ 1918. Distributed b\: Paramount
2 reels. Scenario: Jean Ha\c/ and i^oscoe .Arbuekle. Scenario Pictiues. Produced b\ : Comique I'ilm CCorporatiou. Length:
Kditor: Herbert Warren. Photograjiln George : I'eters. 2 reels. Scenario I'.ditor: Herbert Warren. Scenario: Roseoe
Producer: Joseph M. Schcnck. I^irector: I-loscoe .Arbuekle. Arbuekle. Pliotography: George I'eters. Producer: Joseph \l.
Cast: Roseoe .\rbucklc. Buster Keaton. W St. John, .Alice Scheuck. i^irector: Roseoe .Arbuekle. Cast: Roseoe .Arbuekle,
Maun Buster Keaton, .Al St. John, Mice Lake, John Rand, Glen
Cavender, Luke the Dog
Coney Island (1917)
Pictures. Produced by: Comique Film Corporation. Length: Released: September 7, 1919. Distributed by: Paramount
2 reels. Scenario Flditor: Herbert Warren. Scenario: Roseoe Pictures, i'rodueed b\ : Comique Film Corporation. Length:
.\rbuckle. l'hotograph\ : George I'eters. Producer: Joseph M. 2 reels. Seenario: Jean liavez and Roseoe .\rbuckle.
Schcnck. Director: Roseoe Arbuekle. Cast: Roseoe .Arbuekle, Photograph) : Elgin Lessley. Produeer: Joseph M. Schcnck.
Buster Keaton, W St. John, .Mice Mann, .\gnes Neilson. James Director: Roseoe .Arbuekle. (Cast: Roseoe .Arbuekle. Buster
Br\aut. Joe Bordcan Keaton. .M St. John. MolK Malone, Budd\ Post. John Coogan
119
)
Released: October26, 1919. Distributed by: Paramount Released: January 3, 1921. Distributed b\-: Metro Pictures.
Pictures. Produced b\-: Coniique Film Corporation. Length: Presented by: Comique Film Corporation. Length: 2 reels.
2 reels. Scenario: Jean Ha\ez and Roscoe Arbuckle. Scenario: Buster Keaton and Eddie Cline. Photographv: Fllgin
Photography: Elgin Lessley. Producer: Joseph M.Schenck. Lessley. Producer: Joseph M. Schenck. Directors: Buster
Director: Roscoe Arbuckle. Cast: Roscoe Arbuckle, Buster Keaton and Eddie Cline. Cast: Buster Keaton, Virginia Fox,
Keatou, John Coogau, Molb' Maloue, Kitt\' Bradbur\, I.ukc Joe Keaton, Joe Roberts, Eddie Cline, James Duff\, The
Released: Januar\ 11, 1920. Distributeil b\ : Paramount Released: February 10, 1921. Distributed by: Metro Pictures.
Pictiues. Produced b\': Coniique Film Corporation. IxMigth: Presented by: Comique Film Corporation. Length: 2 reels.
2 reels. Scenario: Jean Ha\ez and Roscoe Arbuckle. Scenario: Buster Keaton and Eddie Cline. Photography: Elgin
Photography: Elgin Lessley. Producer: Joseph M.Schenck. Lesslev. Producer: Joseph M. Schenck. Directors: Buster
Director: Roscoe .\rbuckle. Cast: Roscoe Arbuckle, Buster Keaton and Eddie Cline. Cast: Buster Keaton, Virginia Fox,
Keaton, Molh Maloue, Harry McCoy, Daniel Crimmins, Joe Keaton, Joe Roberts, Eddie Cline
Released: October 18, 1920. Distributed by: Metro Pictures. Keaton and Eddie Cline. Cast: Buster Keaton, X'irginia Fox,
Presented by John L. Colden and Winchell Smith in conjunc- Joe Roberts, Bull Montana
tion with Marcus Loew. Length: 7 reels. Scenario: June
Mathis. Based on The New Henrietta by Winchell Smith and T/ieHig/i Sign (1921)
Victor Mapes, adapted trom The Henrietta, a plav by Bronson Released: April 12, 1921. Distributed b\ : Metro Pictures.
Howard. Photography: Harold Wenstrom. Producer: Winchell Presented b\ : Comique Film Corporation. Length: 2 reels.
Smith. Director: Herbert Blache.Cast: Buster Keaton, William Scenario: Buster Keaton and Eddie Cline. Photography: Elgin
H. Crane, Irving Cummings, Jack Livingston, Odette Tyler, Lessley. Producer: Joseph M. Schenck. Directors: Buster
Carol Hollovva\, Bculah Booker, Edward Jobson, Edward Keaton and Eddie Cline. Cast: Buster Keaton, Bartine
Connelv, Edward Alexander Burkett, Al St. John
The Ke.^ton S i l e n -j Shorts Released: May 18, 1921. Distributed by: Metro Pictures.
One Week (1920) Scenario: Buster Keaton and Mai St. Clair. Photography:
Released: September 1, 1920. Distributed by: Metro Pictures. Elgin Lessley. Producer: Joseph M. Schenck. Directors: Buster
Presented by: Comique Film Corporation. Length: 2 reels. Keaton and Mai St. Clair. Cast: Buster Keaton, Virginia Fox,
Scenario: Buster Keaton and Eddie Cline. Photography: Elgin Joe Roberts, Mai St. Clair, Kitt\ Bradbury. Eddie Cline, Jean
Released: October 27, 1920. Distributed b\: Metro Pictures. Scenario: Buster Keaton and Eddie Cline. Photography: Elgin
Presented bv: Coiuique I'ilm C^orporation. Length: 2 reels. Lessle\. Producer: Joseph M. Schenck. lechuical Director:
Scenario: Buster Kcaloii and F.cidic Celine. Photography: Elgin PVcd Cabouric. Directors: Buster Keaton aiKJ Ecklie C-line.
Lessley. Producer: Jose|)h M. Schenck. Directors: Buster Cast: Buster Keatou, X'irgiuia Fox, Joe Roberts
Released: December 22, 1920. Distributed b\ : Metro Pictures. Scenario: Buster Kcaloii ;iik1 Eddie Cline. Photography: Elgin
Presented by: Comic|ue Film C;or])orati()ii. Length: 2 reels. Lesslc\. Producer: Joseph M. Schenck. Tcclmieal Director:
Scenario: liuster Keaton and I'.ddic Cline. Photogra|)liy: i'.lgin I'Ved Cabouric. Directors: Buster Keaton and Eddie Cline.
Lessley. Producer: Joseph M. Schenck. Directors: Buster C>ast: Buster Keatou. S\bil Seely, Eddie Cline
Joe Keaton. Joe Roberts. Eddie Cline, Luke the Dog 77it'P<//t'/i/cc(1922)
I'lcd C.iibouiic. Directors; iiuslcr Kcaton ;n:(l I '(Klu- ( llinc. ( Cline, ( Cast : Buska Kc.ilon, I'hvllis llaver
Rclciiscd: March V)21 l^islnlnilcd In: l''irsl National. National. Presented b\ : Buster Keaton Prodiic lions i .ciigth:
I 'resell led In: ( loiiiuiiK- I 'Hni (Corporation. I.cnj^lli: 2 reels. 2 reels. Scenario: Buster Kealon l'liol()gra|)h\: I'Clgin Lcs.sley.
Scenario: Bnslei kealoii and I'.ddie Celine. Pliolo^rai^ln': I'.lj^in Producer: Joscjih M. Schenek. lei linical Director: bred
1 ,essle\. I^rodneer: |ose])li M. Selienek. leelinieal Direelor: Cabonrie. Director: Buster Kcaton. Cast: Buster Keaton,
Kred Cabonrie. nireelors: Busier Kealon .iiid I'.ddie ('line. Joe Roberts, N'irginia Fox
Blister Kealon and b.ddie (dine. Plioto^rapliy: I'lgiii l.essley. Produced In Busier Kealon Prodiii lions. Length: 6 reels.
Producer: Joseph M. Schenek. leelinieal Director: I'Ved Scenario: (Clyde Bruekman, Joseph .\. Mitchell, Jean i lavcz.
C>abourie. Directors: Buster Kcaton and I'.ddic C>liiic. (Cast: Photography: William MeCJann, I'Clgin l,essle\. liL'clmieal
Bluster Kcaton, Kate Price, )oc Roberts, Monte Collins, Tom Director: Fred C^.abonrie. Producer: Joseph M. Schenek.
Wilson, I larr\ Madison, W'hee/er Dell Directors: Buster Kcaton and I'Cddic (Cline. ( Cast: Busier
Keaton, Margaret Lealn, Joe Roberts. Lillian Lawrence,
I'he Blacksmith {W22) Wallace Rcer\, Blanche Pa\soii
Rclca.scd: July 21, 1922. Distributed by: First National.
Presented b\-: C-oniique Film (Corporation, l.cngtli: 2 recLs. Our Hospitality (192^)
Scenario: Busier Kealon and \l,il St. (Clair. Pli(>loc;raph\: Relea.scd: Ncnember 19, I92\ Distributed b\ Metro Piclures. :
Fli^iii I, essle\. Producer: Joseph M. Schenek. leelinieal Produced b\ Buster Keaton Productions. Length: ~ reels.
Director: I'Ved C.abourie. Directors: Buster Kcaton and Mai Scenario: Jean lla\e/, CCClyde Bruekman, Joseph Mitchell.
St. (Clair. C>ast: Buster Kcaton, Joe Roberts. Virginia Fox Lighting: Deiner I larmon.CCCostumes: Walter Israel.
Scenario: Buster Kcaton and F.ddie Clinc. Pliotogra])hy: I'.lgin (CCraig Ward, Monte Collins, Joe Keaton, Kitty Bradbur\-,
Lcs.sley. Producer: Joseph M. Schenek. Tcchnieal Director: Natalie 'I'almadge, Buster Keaton, Jr. (later James lalmadgc)
PVed Gahourie. Directors: Buster Keaton and I'.ddie (Clinc.
Cast: Buster Keaton, Joe Roberts, S\bil Seek, Bonnie Mill, Sherlock }r. (1924)
b'rccinaii Wood. I'Cddie (Clinc. Robert Parker Released: ,\pril 21. 1924. Distributed by: Metro Pictures
Relea.scd: October 1922. Distributed by: .Vssoeiatcd First Productions. Length: 6 reels. Scenario: CClyde Brnckinan,
National. Presented In : Buster Keaton Productions. Length: Joseph Mitchell, Jean Have/.. FClectrician: Dcmer Harmon.
2 reels. Scenario: Buster Keaton and I'Cddie (Cline. Photography: Phot()gra]5h\: Flgin Lessle\. B\ ron 1 lonck. reehnical Director:
Flgin Lessle\. Producer: Joseph W. Schenek. reehnical Fred Cabonrie. Producer: Joseph M. Selienek. Directors:
Director: Fred Cabonrie. Directors: Buster Keaton and ICddic Donald Crisp and Buster Keaton. Cast: Buster Keaton,
Cline. Cast: Buster Kcaton. Joe Roberts. X'irginia Fox Kathrvn McCuire, Frederick X'rooin. (CClarcnce Burton,
Released: Januar\ 22. 192-!. Distributed b\: .\ssociated First Seven Chances (1925)
National. Presented by: Buster Keaton Productions. Length: Released: March 16, 1925. Distributed b\ : Mctro-Coldwyn-
2 reels. Scenario: Birster Keaton and F.ddie CCCline. Photograpin Maycr. Produced b\ Buster Keaton Productions. Length:
Flgin Lessle\. Producer: Joseph \F Schenek. Technical 6 reels. Scenario: CKde Bruekman. jean Havez, Joseph
22 J
Mitchell, acliipted from Roi Co()]:)cr Mcgruc's ]3la\ originalK Supervisor: Harr\ Brand. Assistant Director: .Sandv Roth.
prodiiccd by l^avid Belasco. Electrician: Denxcr llaniion. Producer: Joseph M. Sehenck. Director: Charles F. Riesner.
Photography: Elgin Lessley, Byron Houek. Art Director: I'Vcd CJast: Buster Keaton, Ernest 'lorrence, I'om Lewis, 'Ibm
Gabourie. Producer: Joseph M, Sehenck. Director: Buster McGuirc, Marion B\ ron
Kcaton.Cast: Buster Keaton, T. Ro\ Barnes, Suit/ F.dwards,
Ruth Dwyer, Krankie Raymond, Erw in C^onnclK, Jules
Cowlcs M [: I KC)-G O I. DW V N - M ,\ Y !•: I< F K A 1 U R K S
Released: November 1, 1925. Distributed b\-: Mctro-Goldwyn- Released: September 22, 1928. A Buster Keaton Production.
Mayer. Produced b\' Buster Keaton Productions. Length: 7 Produced and Distributed by: Metro-Goldw\n-Mayer.
reels. Scenario: Buster Keaton, Ra\niond Cannon. Electrical Length: 8 reels. Story: Clyde Bruckman, Lew Lipton.
Effects: Denver Harmon, Photography: Elgin Lessley, Bert Continuity: Richard Schayer. Titles: Joe Farnham. Settings:
Haines. Art Director: Fred Gabourie. Producer: Joseph M. F'red Gabourie. Wardrobe: David Cox. Editor: Hugh Wynn.
Sehenck. Director: Buster Keaton, assisted by Lex Neal. Cast: Photography: F'.lgin Lessley and Reggie Lanning. Producer:
Buster Keaton, Howard Truesdale, Kathleen Myers, Ray Lawrence Weingarten. Director: F.dward Sedgw ick. Cast:
Thompson, Brown Eves (cow) Buster Keaton, Marceline Daw Harold Goodwin, Sidne\'
Brac\, Harr\' Gribbon, F'.dward Brophv, Josephine (monke\)
Charles H. Smith, and Lex Neal, adapted from the p]a\ by Story: L^ew F.iptou. Adaptation: F'rncst S. Pagano. Continuit\-:
Stanley Brightman, Austin Melford, Philip Brabham, Walter Richard Schayer. Titles: Robert Hopkins. Art F^irector: Ccdric
L. Rosemont, and Douglas Furber. Edeetrieal Effects: Ed Levy. C-ibbons. Wardrobe: David Cox. Editor: Frank Sulli\an.
Photograph\-: J. D. Jennings, Bert Haines. Art Director: F>ed Photograph)-: Reggie Lanning, Frank Dugas. Producer:
Gabourie. Producer: Joseph M. Sehenck. Director: Buster Lawrence Weingarten. Director: Edward Sedgwick. Cast:
Keaton. Cast: Buster Keaton, Suit/, Edwards, SalK O'Neal, Buster Keaton, FOorotln' Sebastian, Edward Flarle, F.elia
Walter James, Bud Fine, FVancis McDonald, Mar\ O'Brien, Ihams, William Bechtel, John Bryon
Tom Wilson, Eddie Borden
The Hollywood Rei'ue of 1929 (1929)
The General {\926) Released: November2-5, 1929. A Buster Keaton Production.
Released: February 5, 1927 (tlie world premiere was held in Produced and Distributed by: Mctro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Tokyo, Japan, on December 51, 1926). Distributed by: United Dialogue: Al Boasberg, Robert F',. Hopkins. Art Director:
Artists Corporation. Produced by Buster Keaton Productions. Ccdric Gibbons, Richard Day. Wardrobe: Da\id Cox. F]ditor:
Length: 8 reels. Scenario: Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman, William S. Gray, Cameron K. Wood. Recording Engineer:
Al Boasberg, Charles Smith, from the book The Great Douglas Shearer. Sound Technician: Russell Franks. Dances
Locomotive Chase bv William Pittinger. laghting Effects: and Faisembles: Samm\' l^ce, Ck'orge C'unningham. Music:
Denver Harmon. Photography: Dc\' Jennings, Bert Haines. Gus Edwards. Lvrics: Joe Goodwin. Photographx': John
Technical Director: Pred Gabourie. Producer: Joseph M. Arnold, Irving G. Reis, Maximillian Fabian, John M. Nickolaus.
Sehenck. Directors: Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman. Producer: Harr\' Rapf. Director: Charles F. Riesner. Cast:
Cast: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Marion Da\ies, John C7ilbert, Norma Shearer, William Haines,
Farle\, Frederick Vroom, C^harles Smith, Frank Barnes, Joe Joan Crawford, Buster Keaton, Bessie Lo\c, C'onrad Nagel,
Keaton, Mike Donlin, Tom Nawn Lionel Barrxiiiorc, Marie Dressier, Jack Benn\, Stan Laurel,
Oliver I lardv
Co//cgc (1927)
Released: No\cmher 1927 i^istribulcd bv: United Artists Tree and Easy (\9^i))
CJorjioration. i'roduccd b\ Busier Keaton Productions. Released: March 22, 19^0. ,\ Buster Kcalon Production.
Length: 6 reels. Scenario: C^arl I larbaugh, Br\au Vm: Lighting Produced and nislribulcd In: Metro-Goldw\'n-Ma\er.
Effects: Jack Lewis. Editor: Siierm Kell. Photography: Dev Scenario: Richard Schayer. Ada|5tation: Paul Dickey.
Jennings, Bert Haines. Technical Director: i'red (kibouric. Dialogue: A] Boasberg. Words and Music: Ro\ 'lurk, Fred F'..
Supervisor: Iiarr\ Ikand. Producer: Joseph M. Sehenck. .\hlert. Dances staged b\: Samnn Lee. Recording Director:
Director: James W. i lorne.C 'asl: Buster Keaton, Ann Cornwall, i^ouglas Shearer. .Art Director: ('edric Gibbous. Wardrobe:
I'lorcucc 1 urner, Harold Goodwin, Suit/ I'idwards, Flora Da\ id C'ox. i'hologra])h\ : I .eonard Smith. F.dilor: \\ illiani
BramlcN, C^arl I hirbaugh, Sam Ciawlord LeVanwa\'. Proiluccr: Lawrence Weingarten. Director: F.dward
Sedgwick. C^ast: Busier Keaton, .\nita Page, Robert
Steamboat Bill Jr. (192S) Monlgomer\, 'I'rixie Frigau/a, Fred Niblo, i'.dgar i")earing,
Released: May 12, 192S. Dislnbulcd In: Unilcd Artists Gweu Lee, John \lilj.in, Lionel i^.nr\niore, \\ illiani I iaines,
Cor])()ration. Produced In BusUr Kcalon Produiiions. \\ illiam (Collier, Sr., Dorollu Scl)a^lKln, Karl Dane. David
Length: 7 reels. Scenario: Carl i larbaugh. Pholograpin: Dc\ Burlon, jacLie C'oogau. i\\\\ B. DcMillc
Jennings, Bert I iaincs. Technical Director: Fred Gabourie.
222
Doiiglihoxs iWM)]
Rv\v[\sv(\: \ut;iisl M). I'J^d. A Busier Kt'iiloii Prodiulion. Released; I'chruary H), U^^r Produced and nislrihiilcd In:
Piik1ikc(I iiiul Disliibuttcl b\: Mclro-Clolclwv ii-M;iyc i. Slorx Mctro-CJoldwyn-Mayer. Story: Robert l\. Hopkins. Screenplay:
\l l^(Kisl)crt;, .Siclnc\ I, a/anis. Scenario: Kicharcl Scluner. (;arcv Wilson. .Vlditional l)ialo^ne: Jack Ciliiell. Recording
Dialomic; Al Boashcrt;. Ritli.ird Scliaxcr. Dances slat;etl h\: I )ireiloi: l)oii<.;las Shearer. ,\rl niicctoi: ( iediic ( iihhons.
Sainnn I ,ee. Words and \1iisk: I'.dward Sedgwick, llow.ird Photot;raph\: I laiold Wcnstrom. I'.dilor; i'rank Sullivan.
Johnson, Jose])li Me\er. Reeordint; Direetor; Hou^las Shearer. Producer: Laurence Wcingarlen. Oircctor: I'.duard Scdguick.
Art l^irector: (k'drie C.ihl^ons, Wardrohe: \'i\ian Baer. CJast: liustcr Kealon, Jimmy nuranic, Roscoe .\tcs. PInllis
Pholot^raphv: Leonard Smith. I'.ditor: William l.e\'an\\a\. Barrv, John Miljan, I lemy Armctia, I'kKvard Bropliy, (Jharlcs
Released: Kchruar\ 2S. l'.'sl..\ Bnslir Keaton Production. (British title: Ihc Champ ol the ( Ihamps-isKsees)
Produced and Distributed b\: Metro-Colduyn-Mayer. I-Vom Released: December 1934. Distributed by: Paramount (nc\cr
the plav b\ (Charles W. Bell and Mark Suan. Dialogue released in the United States of .America). Scrcen|)la\ : .\rnold
Continuity: Richard Schayer. Additional Dialogue: Robert L. La])p. Additional Dialogue: ^'\es Mirandc.Art l")irector: llugues
I lopkins. Recording Director: Douglas Shearer. Art Director: Laurent, Jacques-Laurent Atthalin. Music: Joe I lajos. Photog-
Cedrie C.ibbons. Wardrobe: Rene Hubert. Photogra]Dh\ rapln: Robert Le I'cbv re. Supervisor: Robert Siodmark.
Leonard Smith. Lditor: William LeV'anua\. Producer: Producer: Seymour Nebcnzal. Director: Max Nosseek.Cast:
Lau renee Weingartcn. Director: Lduard Scdgw ick. Cast: Buster Keaton, Paulefte Dubost, 0)lettc Darfeuil, Madeline
Buster Keaton, C'harlotte Ckeenwood, Reginald Denn\, C^liff Guilty, Lucien C^allamand, Jacc|ues Dumesnil, Pierre Picrade,
P'duards, Dorotln C]hrist\', Joan Peters, SalK Lilers, Natalie Gaston Dupray
Moorliead, Lduard Bropln, Walter Merrill, Siclnex Brac\'
The Invader (1936)
Released: Sei)tcinber 26, 19-51.. \ Buster Keaton Production. Released: January 2, 1936. Distributed b\-: British and
Produced and Distributed by: Metro-Colduyn-Ma\cr. Story: Continental films (Metro-Goldvvyn-Mayer). Screenplay:
George Laud\ and Paul Ceidrcl Smith. Dialogue: Robert L. Eduin Grcenuoocl. Music: John Greenwood, George Rubens.
I lo|3kins. Lric I latch. Recording Direetor: Douglas Shearer. Recording Engineer: Denis Scanlan. Photograi^ln : Eugene
Art [director: Cedrie Gibbons. Photography : Leonard Smith. Schuefftan, Eric L. Gross. Editor: Dan Birt. Assistant
Kditor: Charles Hochbcrg. Producer: Lawrence Weingarten. Director: Pelham Leigh .Aman. Producers: Sam Spiegel
Director: Jides White, Zion NKers.Cast: Buster Keaton, Anita and Harold Richman. Director: Adrian Brimel.Cast: Buster
Page, Cliff Kduards, I'rank Rowan, Norman Phillips, Jr., Keaton, Lupita lc)\ar, Esmc Perc\, L\n Harding, .Andrea
I'Vank La Rue, O.scar .\pfcl, S\d Savior, Cdark Marshall Malandrinos, Hilda Moreno, C'lifford lleathcrlcv, Webster
Booth
The Passionate Plumber (19 -52)
Released: February 6, 1932. .\ Buster Keaton Production. El Modemo Barba .\zul ( 1946)
Produced and Distributed by: Metro-Goldwy n-Mayer. (American title: Booj» in the Moon)
.\daptation: Laurence L.Johnson from the pla\ Her Released: August 2, 1946. Produced b\: Alsa Films (Mexico).
Cardboard Lover b\ Jacc|ues Deval. Dialogue: Ralph Spcnee. Script: X'ictor I'rivas, Jaime Salvador. Photography: Agustin
Recording Direetor: Douglas Shearer. .\rt Director: Cedrie Jiminez. Producer: .Alexander Salkind. Direetor: Jaime
E Duc .A T o NI ,\ I . S 1 1 C) i< 1 .s
story Footlights by Clarence Budington Kelland. Recording Educational Films Corporation of America. Story: Ewart
Director: Douglas Shearer. .Art Direetor: Cedrie Gibbons. .Adamson, Nick Barrous..Adaptation/Conlinuit\-: Ernest
Photographx: Harold Wenstrom. Lditor: William Lc\anua\. Pagano, Charles Lamont. Producer: E. H.. Allen. Director:
Costimies: .Arthur AiJj^ell. Producer: Laurence Weingarten. Charles Lamont. C^ast: Buster Keaton, Dorothy Dix, William
Direetor: Eduard Sedgwick. Cast: Buster Keaton, Jimmy Worthington, Lknd Ingrahani, Warren H\ nicr, Joe 'doling,
Durante, Ruth Selu-y n, Thelma Todd, Hedda Hopper, BilK F.ngle, .Al I'hompson, Leo Willis
William Pauley, Sidney ibler, Laurence Grant, Henry
Armetta, Eduard Brophy, Sidne\ Braes 225
AZ/ezOop (19?4) Story: Vernon Smith. Photograph} Gus Peterson. Producer:
:
Released: MayZS, 19^4. Distributed b\: Fox Mini Corporation. E. H.Allen. Director: Charles Lamont. Cast: Buster Keaton,
Presented by: E.W. Hanimons. Produced by: Educational Lona Andre, Harold Goodwin, Grant Withers, Barbara
Films Corporation of America. Story: Frnest Pagano, Fwart Bedford, John Ince, Fern Emmctt, Ph\llis Crane
Adamson.Photograpby: Dwigbt Warren. Producer: F. H.Allen.
Director: Charles Lainont. Cast: Buster Keaton, Dorothy Grand Slam Opera (1936)
Sebastian, George Lewis, Harr\ M\crs, The M\ ing Fscalantes Released: February 21, 1936. Distributed by: Twentieth
Educational I'ilms Corporation of America. Storv: Clen Lamont. Cast: Buster Keaton, Diana Lewis, Harold Goodwin,
Lambert. Photography: Dwight Warren. Producer: E. H. Allen. John Ince, Melrose Coakley, Bud Jamison
Director: Charles Lamont. Cast: Buster Keaton, Joe Keaton,
Myra Keaton, Louise Keaton, Dewey Robinson, Bull Blue Blazes (1936)
Montana Released: August 21, 1936. Distributed by: Tv\entieth Century-
Fox P'ilm Corporation. Presented by: E.W. Hammons.
One Run E/mer (1935) Produced by: Educational Hlms Corporation of America.
Released: February 22, 1935. Distributed by: Fox Film Story: David Freedman. Photograph}': George Webber.
Corporation. Presented by: E.W. Hammons. Produced by: Producer: E.H.Allen. Director: Raymond Kane. Cast: Buster
Educational Films Corporation of America. Story: Glen Keaton, Arthur Jarrett, Rose Kessner, Patty Willson,
Lambert. Photograph\: Dwight Warren. Producer: E. H.Allen. Marilyn Stuart
Director: Charles Lamont. Cast: Buster Keaton, Lona Andre,
Dewey Robinson, Harold Goodv\ in, Jim Thorpe The Chemist (1936)
Lamont. Cast: Buster Keaton, Jane Jones, Dorothea Kent Mixed Magic (1936)
Producer: E.H.Allen. Director: Charles Lamont. Cast: Buster 1 lall, Jinun\' Fox
Keaton, Vernon Dent, Dorothea Kent, Jack Slnitta
Jail Bait (m7)
TheE-FlatManimS) Released: January S, 1937. Distributed b\ Twentieth Centiu}-
:
Released: August 9, 1935. Distributed b\ : I'ox I'ihn Vo\ Film Corporation. Presented b\': E.W. Hannnons.
Corporation. Presented by: E.W. Hammons. Produced by: Produced b\': P'.dncational Films Corporation of .\merica.
Educational Films Corporation of America. Story: Glen Story: Paul Gerard Smith. Photograph}': Dwight Warren.
Lambert, Charles Lamont. Photography: Dwight Warren. Producer: E. H. Allen. Director: Charles Lamont. Cast: Buster
Producer: E. H.Allen. Director: Charles Lamont. Cast: Buster Keaton, Harold Goodwin, Mathew Betz, Bud Jamison, Bett}
Ditto (1937)
The Timid Yoimg Man (1935) Released: February 12, 1937 Distributed b}: Twentieth
Released: October 25, 1935. Distributed bv: Twenlicth C'entury-Fox Film C>orporation. Presented bv: E.W. I lammons.
('enturv-l'bx I'ilm ('or])orali()n. Presenled h\ : I'l.W. Produced b\: Educational Films Corporiilion of America.
I ianimoiis. Produced b\ : Educational I'ilms C;or|)oration of Storv: Paul Gerard Smith, Pholograpln: Dwighl W.irren.
America. Photography: Dwight Warren. PnKluccr/Direclor: Producer: F,. II. Allen. Director: Charles Lamont. C;ast: lousier
Siiiilli. I'hotograpliv: l')\\i^lil Warrcu. I'rodiKcr: i. 1 1 \llcn. Del Lord, Hugh McCollum. Director: Di 1 Lord. (Cast: Buster
l")irccl()r: C^luirlcs 1 .anioiil. ("ast: l^iistcr Kcalou. Myra Kcatoii, Kcaton, Mall Mel high, i.ddic Kclhcrstone
Bruekman. I'lioto^rapln : Henry I'Veulieli. Editor; CCharlcs Released: No\ember20, 1941. Produced and Distributed by:
Nelson. I'rodueer: Jules White. Direetor: Hel Lord. CCast: (-olumbia Pictures (Corporation. Screenj^hn: I'clix Adler.
Buster Keatou, Loriia Cray (later Adrian Booth), Gino Photograph): Benjamin Kline. Kditor: Jerome ilionis.
Corrida, Richard Kiskc Producer/Director: Jules White. Cast: Buster Kcaton, Klsie
.\mcs, Mont\ (Collins, Kddie Laughton
Mooching Through Georgia (19 19)
Columbia Pictures (Corporation. Screenplay: Clyde Kl, .\1L1RI: I'll.M .\ I' I' I. .\ R.\ N c i; s
Produccr/nireetor: Jules \\ bite. (Cast: Buster Kcaton. \lont\ Holh-wood Cavalcade (19^9)
CCollins, Jill Martin. Bud Jamison Released: October B, 19 s9. Distributed by: Twentieth
Released: Jauuar\ 19, 1940. Prodnceil and Distributed b\ : Photographs': Krnest Palmer, Allen M. Da\e\-. Kditor: Walter
CColumbia Pictures (Corporation. Serccuphn (CKtle Bruckmau. :
I'hompson. Kc\ slouc Kojis sc(|ucnces directed b\ : Mai. St.
Photograpln : 1 lcnr\ iMculicb. I'.ditor: Arthur Scid. Producer/ Clair. I'echuical .\d\isor: Maek Seunctt. Producer: Darr\l K.
Director: Jules White. (Cast: Buster Kcaton, Dorotin .\|:)pleby, /anuck. Director: Irving (^ummings. Cast: Don Aiueehe,
Columbia Pictures Corporation. Screenplay: Clyde Bruckmau. The Villain Stilt Pursued Her (1940)
Photograpln : Bcujamiu Kline. Editor: Mel 'I'horsen. Producer/ Released: October 11, 1940. Distributed b\ : RKO. Produced bv:
Director: Jules White. Cast: Buster Keatou, Dorothy .\ppleby, Kranklin-Blauk Productions. Screenplay: Klbcrt Kraukliu.
Richard Kiskc, X'crnon Dent, Clarice (parrot) Based on the ])la\ I'he haiku Saved (also known as ihe
Columbia Pictures Corporation. Sereenpla\ : I'Cwart Adamson, Cast: 1 high Herbert, .\nita Louise, Alan Mowbray, Buster
Clvdc Bruckmau. Photography: Henry Frculich. Kditor: Mel Keaton, Jcnce Compton, Richard Cromwell, Billy Gilbert,
'I'horscu. Producer/Director: Jules White. (Cast: Buster Keatou, Margaret Hamilton, Diane bisbcr. (Charles Judels
Klsie Ames, Dorotin .\ppleby
Li7AZ)ncr(1940)
The Spook Speaks iW-iO) Released: November 1, 1940. Distributed by: RKO. Produced
Released: September 20, 1940. Produced and Distributed by: b\ : Vogue Pictures. Screenplay: Charles Kerr and T\ler
CColumbia Pictures Corjjorat ion. Screenplay: Kwart .\damsou, Johnson. Krom an original story by Al Capp. Based on the
Clvde Bruckmau. Photographv: llenr\ Ireulich. Kditor: Mel United Features comic "Li'l .\bncr" b\ .\1 Capp..\rt Director:
Thorsen. Producer/Director: Jules W bite. Cast: Buster Keaton, Ral])h Bcrger. Photography: Harry Jackson. Kditor: Otto
F.lsie Ames, Don Bcddoc, Dorotin .\pplcb\', Orson (penguin) Ludw ig, Donn Hayes. Produced b\ .\stor Pictures
Corporation for Vogue Pictures., Associate Producer: Herman
Hi's Ex Marks the S/jof (1940) Sehlom. Director: .\lbcrt S. RogclKCast: (Cramillc Owen,
Released: December 1 s, 1940. Produced and Distributed by: Martha O'Driscoll, Mona Ra\, Johnnie Morris, Buster
Columbia Pictures Corporation. Sereenpla\ : Kelix Adler. Keaton, Billie Seward, Edgar Kenncdx, Lueien Littlefield,
Producer/Director: Jules White. Cast: Buster Kcaton, Klsie Louise Keaton, Blanche Pajson
So You Won't Squawk (1941) Released: March 26, 1943. Distributed hv. RKO. Produced by:
Released: Kebruar\ 21, 1941. Produced and Distributed by: Anglo-American Productions. Script: Charles Bennett, C. S.
Columbia Pictures Corporation. Screenplay: Klwood Ullman. Forester, Lawrence Hazard, Michael Hogan, W. P. Lipscomb, 22^.
Alice Duer Miller, John Van Drutcn, Alan Campbell, Peter In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
Godfrey, S. M. Herzig, Christopher Isherwood, Gene Released: July 29, 1949. Distributed b\': Metro-Goldwv n-
Lockhart, R. C. Sherriff, Claudine West, Norman Corw in. Mayer. Screenplay: Samson Raphaelson. Adaptation: Albert
Jack Hatfield, James Hilton, Emmett Lavery, Frederick Hackett, Frances Goodrich, han Ibrs. Based on the play
Lonsdale, Donald Ogden Stewart, Keith Winter. Music Parfuwerie by Miklos Laszlo. Photographv: Harrv Stradling.
Director: Anthony Collins. Photograph}': Robert DeGrasse, Editor: Adrienne Fazan. Producer: Joe Pasternak. Director:
Lee Garnies, Russell Metty, Nicholas Musuraca. Editors: Robert Z. Leonard. Cast: Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S. Z.
Elmo J.Williams, George Crone. Production Supervisor: "Cuddles" Sakall, Spring Byington, Buster Keaton, Clinton
Lloyd Richards. Directors: Rene Clair, Edmund Goulding, Sundberg, Marcia V;m Dyke, Lillian Bronson
Cedric Hardwicke, Frank Lloyd, Victor Saville, Robert
Stevenson, Herbert Wilcox. Cast: Brian Aherne, Robert Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Cummings, Edmund Gwen, Cedric Hardwicke, Edward Released: August 4, 1950. Distributed b\ : Paramount Pictures.
E'-verett Horton, Buster Keaton, Elsa Lanchester, Charles Script: Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, D. M. Marshman, Jr.
Laughton, Ida Lupino, Herbert Marshall, Victor McLaglen, Based on the story "A Can of Beans." Music: Franz Waxman.
Ray Milland, Anna Neagle, Merle Oberon, Claude Rains, C. Photography: John F. Seitz. Editors: Doane Harrison, Arthur
Aubrey Smith, Roland Young Schmidt. Producer: Charles Brackett. Director: Billy Wilder.
Cast: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich \on Stroheim,
Sail Diego, I Love You (1944) Nancy Olson, Fred Clark, Jack Webb, Cecil B. De Mille,
Released: September 29, 1944. Distributed bv: Universal Hedda Hopper, Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, H. B. Warner
Pictures. Screenplay: Michael Fessier, Ernest Pagano. Story:
Cast: Jon Hall, Louise Allbritton, Edward Everett Horton, Charles Chaplin. Musical Score: Charles Chaplin. Photog-
Eric Blore, Buster Keaton raphy: Karl Struss. Editor: Joe Inge. Assistant Director: Robert
That's the Spirit {19^5} Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Nigel Bruce, Buster Keaton, S\dne\-
Released: June 1, 1945. Distributed b\ : Universal Pictures. Chaplin, Norman Lloyd, Andre Eglevsky, Melissa Hayden,
Screenplay: Michael Fessier, Ernest Pagano. Photography: Marjorie Bennett, Wheeler Drvden, Charles Chaplin, Jr.,
Charles Van Enger. Music: H. J. Salter. Editor: Fred R. Geraldine Chaplin, Michael Chaplin, Josephine Chajjlin
Feitshans, Jr. Producer: Michael Fessier, Ernest Pagano.
Director: Charles Lamont. Cast: Peggy Ryan, Jack Oakie, June L'lncantevole Nemica (1953)
Vincent, Gene Lockhart, Johnny Coy, Andy Devine, Buster Released: June 14, 1953 (not released in the United States of
Keaton, Arthur Treacher America). Distributed b\ : Orso Films (Rome), Lambar Films
(Paris). Executive Producer: Ferruecio Biancini. Director:
That Night With You (1945) Claudio Cora. Cast: Silvana Pampanini, Robert Lamoureux,
Released: September 28, 1945. Distributed by: Universal Carlo Campanini, Buster Keaton
Pictures. Screenplay: Michael Fessier, Ernest Pagano. Story:
Arnold Belgard. Photography: Charles Van Enger. Musical Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
Director: H.J. Salter. Editor: Fred R. Feitshans, Jr. Executive Released: October 17. 1956. Distributed by: United Artists.
Producer: Howard Benedict. Producer: Michael Fessier, Screenplay: James Poe, John Farrow, S.J. Perelman. Adapted
Ernest Pagano. Director: William A. Seiter. Cast: Franchot from the novel by Jules Verne. Music: Victor ^'oung.
Tone, Susanna Foster, David Bruce, Louise Allbritton, Buster Photography: Lionel Lindon. P^ditors: Gene Ruggiero, I low ard
Richard ( )swald. Based on ihe pla\ Mcrcddcl Ic luilscur bv Michael Cautiz. C'ast: 'lbn\ Randall. Ldclic 1 lodges. Archie
lloiiorcdc Bal/ac. Music: Karl I lajos. i'.dilor: Douglas Bagier. Moore. Pallv McCornuick, Neville Brand, Mickey
/Xssociate Producer: Rosario C^aslagna. Producer: Richard Shauglinessv, .\ndv Devine, Buster Keaton, )()hn (^arradine
Mowbray, Buster Keaton Never released. ProduectI In: Am-C-am Pioduclions. Scn|)l:
nanifls. Clasl: Bcii Lalir, Busier Kcaloii, I'.dilif l'()\, )i.. Dion stage pla\ produced by I larold S. Prince. Music/Lvrics:
niMucci, Ausliii Willis, Risclla Bain, jciiiiilcr Billingsl), Jan Slc|)hen Sondhcim. Book: Burt She\clo\e, Larr\ (lelljart.
Released: November ", l%r Distrilniled by: United Artists. Gilford, .\iiiicllc \iidic-. Mu li;icl I ioidcrii. 1 ,eoii Cfreene,
l,a/lo. I'.diloi: I'led Knucllson. Assistant Hirector: han War Italian S7y/cMl967)
\'olkman.Pr()dueer/l')ireetor: Staule\ Kramer. (last: S])eneer (Italian I illc: Due Marines e iin Cenerak)
Traey, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar. Budd\ I laekelt, I'.thel Released: January IS, 1967. Distributed l)\: .American
Merman, Miekey Rooney, Diek Sliawu, Phil Sihers, 'lii'rry- International Pictures. Scri]it: i'Vanco Castellano, Pi|)olo,
'I'homas, Jonathan Winters, Joe Iv Brow n. Buster Keaton, I'liK io I .ncis.ino. Music: Picro I Imiliaiii. I'hotograjjln : Pausto
/aSu Pitts, Jnnm\ nurante Zuccoli. Producer: FuKio Liicisaiio. Director: Luigi Scattini.
Jod\ MeC'rea. Susan Hart. Bobbi Shaw, Buster Keaton, Released: October 10, 1920. Dislnbutccl 1)\ ; Paramount
Doroth\ I, amour, Don Ricklcs, Irankie A\alon Pictures. Produced b\ : famous Pla\ers-Lask\ Corp. Length:
7 reels. Scenario: I'.dmuncl i')a\, lom forman. Photography:
Beach Blanket Bingo (196S) Paul Perry. Producer/Director: (ieorge Melford.Cast: Roscoe
Released: .\])ril l\ 1965. [distributed by: .-Xmeriean .Arbuekie, Ibm Forman. Irving Cmnmings, Mabel Julienne
International Pictures. Script: William Asher, Leo rownsend. Scott, Jean Acker. Liicien Littlefield. Wallace Becrv. .\.
Music: Pes Baxter. Photograjjln : Kloyd Crosb}'. lulitors: Fred Fdward Sutherland, Buster Keaton (as the Indian who is shot
Lcmbeck, John ,\shle\, Jod\' McCrca, Donna Loren, Marta Released: 1922. 1'roduccd In the Independent Screen .Artists"
Kristcn, l,inda E\ans, I'imothy Carey, Don Riekles, Paul Ciuild and Associated First National Pictures. Distributed by:
IaikIc, Buster Keaton, Pari \\ ilson First National. Length: 1 recl..A ])romotional film with footage
Released: Jul\ 14, 196^ Distributed by: .\nierican international Buster is show n acting as a waiter attending to Chaplin and
Pictures. Script: William .\sher, Leo lownsend. Music: Les Jackie Coogan.Cast: Charles Chaplin, Norma I'almadge,
Baxter. Pholograpln : Klo\d C'rosbv I'.ditors: I'Vcd I'eitshans. Constance I'almadge, Jackie Coogan, Buster Keaton. Thomas
Kve Newman. Producer: James H. Nicholson. Samuel Z. H. ince. Marshall Neilan
Arkoff. Director: William Asher. Cast: Annette Kunicello,
Dwaync Hickman, Brian Donlevy, Harvey Lemheck, Beverly 7/ie/ro7jMu/e(1925)
.Adams, John .'\shle\, Jod\ McCrea, Len Lesser, Bobbi Shaw, Released: .April 12, 1925. Distributed b\ : flducalional Films
Marianne Caha, Irene I'su, Buster Keaton, Mickc} Rooney, Corporation of .America. Produced by: Reel Comedies, Inc.
Frankic .\\alon, Fli/abcth \Iontgomer\ Scenario: Roscoe Arbuekie. Director: Roscoe Arbuekie. Cast:
International Pictures. Script: Louis M. He\\\ard. Music: Les Released: September 2~, 192S. Distributed In: Metro-
Baxter. Photograph\ : I' lend Crosln. Lditors: RoUcdd Sinclair, GolcKv\n-Mayer. Scenario: F. I lugli 1 lerbcrl. B.iscd on a play
Eve Newman, Fred Feitshans. Producers: James H. Nicholson, bv George M. Cohan. Director: A. Edward Sutherland. Cast:
Samuel Z..\rkoff. Director: Norman Taurog. Cast: Frankie Lew Cod\, Ailccn Pringle, Robert Armstrong, Cxwen Lee,
.\\alon, Deborah Walle\, Cesar Romero, FVcd Clark, Gale Buster Keaton (as the stand-in for Lew Cod\ when he falls
Gordon, Harvey Lembeck. John .Ashley, Buster Keaton, down the stairs)
77'
) 1 : )
The Voice ofHollwood, 10 (19?0) Alan Friedman and DcVallon Scott. Photograph}: Charles
Released: April 28, 1930. Distributed by; Tiffany. Length: 1 Salerno. Producer: Frederick Stephani. Director: Willis
reel. Director/l'roducer: Louis Lc\\\ n. CJast: Lew Cody, Cliff Goldbeck. Cast: James Craig, Francis Gifford, A\a Gardner,
Edwards, Buster Keaton, Al St. John, Raquel 'Ibrres Fdmund Gwcnn, Buster Keaton (as a bellbox
Photography: Ray Rennahan. Narrator: Pete Smith. Director: Pierre Blondy. Cast: Buster Keaton, Antonin Ber\al
Grable, Walter Huston, Buster Keaton, Claire Tre\or, Johnn\ The De^'il to Pay (1960)
Weissmuller Released; not released commercialh. Produced b\ : Education
Research Films for the National Association of Wholesalers.
Mew Moon (1940) Production Compan\ Rodel : Productions. Script: Cummins-
Released: 1940. Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Maycr. Script: Betts, Art Director: Peter Masters, Joseph W. Swanson. Sound:
Jacques L5eval, Robert Arthur. Photography: William Daniels. Nelson Iniuk. Photograph) : Del Ankers, Fritz Roland. Editor:
Producer/Director: Robert Z. Leonard. Cast: Jeanette Cunmiins-Betts. Director: Herb Skoble. Cast: Buster Keaton,
MacDonald, Nelson Fddy, Mary Boland, H. B. Warner, Ralph Dunne, Ruth Gillette, Marion Morris. John Rodnev
Buster Keaton (as a background player)
Screen Snapshots: Seeing Holhnvood (1940) Released: not released commercialK. Produced by: Eastman
Released: March 29, 1940. Distributed b} : Columbia Pictures Kodak Company. Director: James Cahoun. Cast: Buster
Corporation. Photography: Robert ibbey. Producer/Director: Keaton, Sigrid Nelsson. Nina X'arela
She Went to the Races 1945 ( Produced bv : Evergreen Theatre. Scrijil: Samuel Beckell. Arl
Released: Noxemher 1945 l^ishibulcd b\: \k'iro-( lolcKw ii- Director: Burr Smidl. (Camera ()|)eralor: Joe (Collev. Editor:
Mayer. Screenjilay: 1 ,a\\ rence I la/ard. Based on a slorv b\ SidiRV \lev ei s. Pholot;r,iphv : Boris Kauhnan. Producer:
22H
I^:iinf\ Rossft. niiccloi; Al.iii Sc liiRulfr. ( ^nsl: l^nsU'i Kcalon, Sidnc\ Sin Idoii Director: Sidne\ Slicklon. ("ast: I )oiiald
Nell Harrison, James Karen. Sus.iii \{lc(.\ O'C^onnoi, Ann BKth, Rhoiidi I'leming, Peler Forre, l,arr\
Released: Januarx S, 1966. Produced by: I'ilni-lele Produelions I'ast Comjyany il93S)
for the Oonstruetion Safet\ Association of Ontario. Script: Released: 1938. Distributed In: Mctro-C ioldwy n-\la\cr.
Paul Sullierland. Clliltord Braggins. Music: Quartet Director: Fdward l^u//ell. C-ast: Mclwn i^ouglas, llorence
Productions. Pliotograplu: Mike I , cute. I'.ditor: Kinnetli Rice, Claire Dotld, 1 ,ouis C^alhcrn
John Sebert. Cast: Buster Kcatou Released: I93S. Distributed b\ : \letro-Coid\\\ n-Ma\er.
Walter Piclgeon
() ! |- s c: R I-: K \ h' I 1. M C k i mis
Love I'inds And\ J/c/rc/y (1938)
Released: February 26, 19^8. Distributed by: Metro-C^oldwyn- Director: George Seitz. Cast: Mickey Rooney, Judy Garhind,
Mayer. Narrator: Care\ Wilson. Scri]5t: C^arl Dudley, Richard l.ana lurncr, Few is Stone
Murpln. Director: Buster Keaton
Relea.sed: MavZS, 1938. Distributed b\: Metro-Coldwvn- Director: Fdward Buzzell.Cast: 'I'he Marx Brothers
Ma\er. Script: Harold larshis. Original Story: Joseph Released: 1942. Distributed bv: 'Iweutieth Century-Fox.
Hoffman, Buster Keaton. Based on characters by Katherine Director: Julien Duvivier. Cast: Henry F"onda, Rita Hayworth,
Kavanaugh. Director: Mai St. Clair. Cast: Jed Prouty, Spring Ginger Rogers, Charles Bovcr, Fdward C Robinson, Charles
Byington, Ken Howell, Jime Carlson, Florence Roberts Laughton
Released: August 2 ^ 1939. Distributed b\-: Metro-Goldwy n- Released: 1943. Distributed by: Metro-Goldv\-yn-Mayer.
Maver. Script: Joseph Hoffman, Stanley Rauh. Original Story: Director: X'incente Minnclli.Cast: Red Skelton, Flcanor
Joseph Hoffman, Buster Keaton. Based on characters by Powell, Lena Home, John Hodiak
Katherine Ka\anaugh. Director: Mai St. Clair. Cast: Jed
Pr(>ut\, Spring B\iiigtoii, Ken Howell, June Carlson, Morence Bathing Beaut}' {\9-\^)
Fechnical .\d\ iser: Buster Keaton. Producers: Robert Smith, Director: Sam 'l'a\ lor. Cast: Stan Faurel, 01i\er Hardv
229
The Equestrian Quiz (1946) The Buster Keaton Show (1949)
Released: 1946. I^Jistrilnited b\: Metro-CkjkKw n-lVhner. A Pete ?()-minutc comedy, KT'I'V I lolKwood. A local tele\ision pro-
Smith Speeialt\, C^ast: Daxe O'Brian, Chistiani l^rotliers gram that ran 17 episodes. Premiered: December 22, 1949.
Released: 1946. Distributed by: Metro-C.oldwMi-MaNer. Leon Belasco, Ben Weldon, Dick Elliot, Shirley Icgge
l~)ireetor: b'.dward Bu//ell.Cast: Van Johnson, i'.slher
Astor, James Lydon, Cieorge Murphy, S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall Four Star Revue (1950)
60-niinute variety, NBC. Host: Ed W\ nn. Air date: \o\ ember
It Happened in Brooklyn (1947) 15 and December 13, 1950
Released: 1947 Distributed by: Metro-GokKw n-Mayer.
Director: Richard Whorf. Cast: I'Vank Sinatra, Jimmv The Buster Keaton Show (1950-51)
Durante, Kathr\n Cjra\son, Peter Law ford 5()-minute comedy, syndicated. Produced by: Consolidated
Director: Robert Alton. Cast: Red Skelton, Gloria Cirahame, atrical feature film called The Misadventures of Buster Keaton.
Virginia O'Brien, Leon Ames, Alan Mowbray Script: Carl Hittleman, Jay Sommers, Clyde Bruckman, Ben
Perry, Harold Goodw in. Photography: Jackson Rose. Producers:
A Southern Yankee (1948) Carl Hittleman, Clyde Bruckman, Jav Sommers. Directors:
Released: 194S. Distributed b\ : Mctro-Cioldwyn-Mayer. Arthur Hilton, Eddie Cline. Cast: Buster Keaton, Marcia Mae
Director: Edward Sedgwick. Cast: Red Skelton, Arlene Dahl Jones, Dorothy Ford, Jack Reitzen, Philip Van Zandt, Eddie
Gribbon, Eleanor Keaton. Episodes: "The Army Story," "The
Neptune's Daughter {\9-[9) Bakery Stor\," "I'hc Billboard Story," "The Collapsible
Released: 1949. Distributed by: Metro-Gold\\\n-Mayer. Clerk," "The Detective Story," "'Vhe Fishing Stor\'," "The
Director: Edward Buzzell.Cast: Esther Williams, Red Gymnasium Story," "The Haunted House," "The Little
Skelton, Ricardo Montalban Theater," "The Shakespeare Story," "The Time Machine,"
"The Western Storw" and "'I he Gorilla Stor\"
Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)
Released: 1949. Distributed b\-: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The Jack Carter Show (1951 )
l^irector: Busb\- Berkeley Cast: ?'rank Sinatra, Gene KelK', 6U-minute \arict\, NBC. Host: Jack Carter. Air date: Fcbruar\
Released: 1950. Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 60-minute \ariet\; NBC. Host: Ed W\ nn. Air date: No\ember
Director: Jack Donohoe. Cast: Red Skelton, Arlene Dahl, 10,1951
Ann Miller
The Yellow Cab Man {]9^(]) 60-minute \ariet\, NBC. Host: Donald (yConn()r..\ir date:
Director: Roy Rowland. C^ast: Red Skelton, SalK I'brrest, Kate Smith Presents: Matinee in Neve York (1952)
MacDonald C;are\ NBC:..\irdale:|uK 15, 1952
']7.eFdW>7inS7unv(1949) A//S^/rReviVM'(l952)
30-minute variety, C;BS.Air Dale: December 22, 1949, 60-mmute variety, NBC. 1 lost: Waller C)'Keete..\u- dale:
Cast: V.d Wynn, Buster Keaton, Virginia O'Brien December 27, 1952
230
Douglas I'airhanks, Jr. Presents: The RheiugoUl Iheatre 7'o(/(n'(1956)
\ikola\ \asil\c\icli Clogol. Piocluctr; Lance C^omlort. Swcrling. Based on a story In Patrick 1 1. .Vlaloy. .Music/i.vrics:
niicclor: Michael McCIartliy. C^ast: Hustcr Kcatoii. jaiiics 1 lal Stanley. Choreography: Ibny C^harmoli. Producer: 1 lal
llaytcr, C^arl jaffc, Iamiic Cole, Geoffrey Keen Stanley. C^ast: Buster Keaton, Robert Slack, Ka\ Starr, Hick
1 lavnies, l.onis .\nnslrong, Nejla Ates, Mike Ross, .Arthur Q.
Best of Broadway {\9S-\) Br\an, Oliver Blake, Barr\ Kellc\, Jerry Marcn
60-minulc antliolo^y, CBS. Air date: October B, 1954. l''.|)is()clc
title; "I he Man Who (^anie to thinner." .\cla])tati()n: Roiiaici The Steve Allen Show (1956)
Alexander. Based on the pla\ b\ Kantman and I lart. Mnsic: 6()-minute variety, NBC. Host: Sle\e Allen. Air date:
David Broeknian. Prothiccr: Martin Mannlis. Hirec lor: Havid December ^0,1956
Alexander. C>ast: Moiih \\i)i)llc\, jo.in Bciincll. C.illicrine
Doncct, S\Kia I'ield. Reginald Cartliner, Margaret Haniillon, The Lux Show Starring Rosemary Clooney (1956)
Bnster Keaton, Bert I ,ahr, Merle Oberon, '/aSu Pitts, \Villi;ini 5()-minnte musical \ariet\, NBC
Prince, Howard St. John, Frank Iweddcll
Lux Video Theater ( 1956)
3(l-minute variety, ABC. Host: Eddie Cantor. Air date: 105-minute talk-variety, NBCl Host: Jack Lescoulic. Air date:
October 10, 1955. Episode title: "The Square World of Alonzo April 24, 1957
: ennvvvortli
C/ufc60(1957)
Screen Director's Playhouse (1955) NBC. Air date: May 2, 1957
3()-minutc anthology, NBC. Air date: December 21, 1955.
Episode title: "I'hc Silent Partner." Writer: Barbara Hammer Eve Got a Secret (\9S7)
(from a story by Barbara Hammer and George Marshall). 3()-minutc quiz, CBS. Moderator: Garry Moore
Producer: Hal Roach. Director: George Marshall. Cast: Bnster
Keaton, ZaSu Pitts, Joe E. Brown, Evelyn Ankers, Jack What's My Line? (1957
Kruschen, Jack Elam, Perc\ Helton, Joseph Corey, Lyle 30-minute quiz, CBS. Moderator: John Daly
I,atcll.C;liarlcs llorvath
IfCou/dBeYou(1957)
The Martha Rave Show (1956) 30-minute quiz, NBC..\ir date: December 23, 1957
March 6, 1956. Guests: Buster Keaton, Paul Douglas, Harold Truth or Consequences (1958)
.\rlcn, the Baird Marionettes 30-minute quiz, NBC. Air dates: January 3, 1958, January 10,
30-minutc quiz, NBC..-\ir date: June ~, 1956 The Betty White Show (1958)
Betty White
You Asked for It (m^) Oscar Night in Hollywood (1960)
?0-minulc audience request, ABC. Air date Fehruarv 16, 1958. Special, NBC. Air date: April 4, 1960
Host: Art Baker
30-minute anthology, ABC. Host: Dr. Erank Baxter Producer: Buck Houghton. Director: Norman Z. McEeod.
Cast: Buster Keaton, Stanley Adams, Milton Parsons, Jesse
The Jack Paar Show {\9S8) White, Gil Lamb, James Elavin, Michael Ross, George E.
105-minute talk-variety, NBC. Host: Jack Paar. Air date: Stone, Warren Parker
November 14, 1958
The Garry Moore Show (1958) NBC. Air date: January 12, 1962
60-minute anthology/variety, NBC. Air date: P'ebruarv 7, 1960. Your First Impression (1962)
Episode title: "After Hours." Script: Tony Webster. Director: NBC..\ir date: August 29, 1962
Alex March. Cast: Buster Keaton, Christopher Plummer,
Sally Ann Howes, Robert Emhardt, Philip Abbott, Natalie Route 66 (1962)
Schafcr, John Eiccllcr 60-niinute atKcnIurc, CT3S. Ej^isodc lillc: ")(>urnc\ to
Whileman, Busier Kcalon, Peggy Lee, James Karen Your I'irst Impression (1963)
"M) niinulcs.NI3C:. Air (laic: i'cbruarv 12, 1963
2U
iruth or Consequences (196^) C; () \i \i r K c I \ i.s
'I Ins listing ot c-onnnereials does not inelnde the nian\ loeal
'loda\[\')U^->\ eoniinereials — ])riinarily beer eommereials — made by Kealoii
12(l-niiiiulc iicws-lalk, NIK], Air date; April 26. 1%\ I '.pisodc that remain unidenlified.
lilli.': "Biiska Kcaloii IUa isiltcl." I losi: I ln<;l) Downs
1956:
1958:
6()-miiiutc drama, ABC:. Air date: April 28, 1964. Kpisodc title: Northwest Orient Airlines
"You're Alright, l\\," Direetor: )aek Palauee. (^ast: Jaek Simon Pure Beer
Palanee, Stuart lawiu. Buster Keatou, l,\nn I .oriiig, lli'd
7- Up
Burke's Law (WM) U.S. Steel
60-uiinule deteetive drauia, ABC], Air dale: Ma\ S, 1964.
Kpisode title: 'A\ lio Killed / olClorx Pee." Seripl: Harlan 1960:
Pllisoii. C^ast: C'.ene Barr\, C".ar\ C'onwa\, iU'gis 'lbonie\, Wen ower I loo
lools
DOC U M E N T .'k RY
A SaUite to Stan Laurel (1965)
60-niinute speeial, CBS. Host: Diek \'an Dyke. Air date: Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965)
November 23, 1965. Cast: Lueille Ball, Fred Gwynnc, Danny Relea.sed: October 30, 1965. Produced by: National Film Board
Kaye, Buster Keaton. Gregory Peek, Cesar Ronrero, Phil of Canada. Commentary: Donald Brittain. Editors: John
SiKers Spotton (picture), Maica Gillsom (music), Sidnev Pearson
(sound). Producer: Julian Biggs. Director/Photogra|)her: John
233
Index Christy Dorothy 180, 181
Abbott and Custcllo in llollywoocl, 198 College, 26, 27, 56, 88, 155, 152-55, J52, 153, J54, 155, 165
Anger, Lou, H, 52, 64, 65, n5, 155 Country Hero, A, 55, 92
Arbuekle, Roseoe "Fatty," 14, 17, 23, 51, 58, 6 J, 66, 104,
Crane, Ward, 106, 122
Arbuckle-Keaton shorts, 52-61, 52, 55, 54, 55, 57, 60, 67, Crisp, Donald, 151, J32
Battling Butler, 26, 56, 62, 155, 141, 142-45, J42, H5, Dulo, Jane, 205-4
182
Beach Blanket Bingo, 209, 210 Durante, Jimmy, J84, 185, i85, 186, J86, J87, 188, 189
Blacksmith. The, 17, 61. 92, 92, 160 Educational Films Corporation. 194-96
Brand, KdwardR.,56, 36 Electric House, 'I he, 14. 25. 66. 82. 98. 98, 106
Busier Kcaton Show, I'hc CIV), 29, 201, 202 I'aye, Alice, 198
Buster Keaton Story, The, 50, 58-59, 40, 126, 195, 207 F//m, 50,208-9,210
Butcher Boy, The, 52-55, 53, 55, 76, 200, 201, 215
Fleischer, Max, 114
Cameraman, The, 166-69. Fox, Virginia, 75, 75, 76, 79, 84, 88, 92, 102
J9, 27, 155, /66, i67. J69. 198
2?4
M. S4, ^)S. U)l H, l^d. P^r H", 1^6. 192; hirih and childhood. 13-14, 45-51. 45, ^{7, 50. 51;
Ciihonnc, I'Vccl. 24, , I
career, 12. 13- 14. 17, 23-24, 27. 29-30; as clown, 29, 199;
ISS, 166, 172
comedy st\ le, 17, 66, 180, 184. 210; deadpan. 40. 47. 55. 212;
Cdrdi^c.T/K'. 60, 61.92
dc-.ilh of, 33, 43; as diiecloi. 198.216; engineering skills. 23,
Cliiibo, ClrcUi. 1~/
161, I9S; ,iiul I, HIS. 14; Icilurr films. 24. 2f). 1 10 63; m films.
(;aihi.Kl,)iulv,2()2
26. 27, 37, ^9, 41. 87. 116, P.O. r^2. ^S. see speeifie titles; as gag writer, I9S; innncnee of. 129, 169,
Cc'/KTd/, T/;c, 21 1
126-27; Italian
141144 SI, Hi, 146. 14". W, h'O. h'I.P2,16l 173, 215; injuries. 26, 46, 69, 98. 104, 115,
20, 23. 24. 26. 164; "ranch." 39. 40, 41 ; reputation. 33, 38,
Ccr/iclH
40. 132; shorts. 24, 52-61, 64-103, 160, 174, 194-96, 198;
Ciltorcl, Jack, 41
silent film.s,27,29,37,213;sonsof. 106.107.108-9, 109,189;
C'.isli, Lillian, 1411, 141
so, 92 special effects, 87, 88, 121, 124, 135, 147, 149, 150, 156, 158.
C;o(//, 77r', 6S, so,
160-61. 162; summer stock, 199, 200, 204, 207; supporting
C'.oodmau, Dody. 204
roles. 199. 202; technological innoxations, 23-24, 27, 83;
Good \ioht. Nurse!, SH
61, 128 television and. 29. 200. 201-2, 202, 207, 209, 212; tributes
C'.oodricli, William,
16". 19S. J95. 202 to, 29, 37, 39, 214; in vaudeville, 14,46-51, 46, 47, 48, 58;
ChhkKmii, Harold, h'^ P^r
wives, see Keaton, f'.leaiior Kulh Norris; Scri\cu, Mae;
C;on7/cy. 7/r', 199 ,
C;rccn\vood,C:liarloUc, 180-81, IHl 203. 208. 210. 214-15; death of. 33; "Mv I ,itc with Buster."
Keaton, larry "Jingles," 14, 34, 48, 50, 51, 71, 195, 196
Hall, Jon, J99
I
Keaton, Joe (father), 13, 14, 45-51, 50, 52. 109. 158, 215; in
f/i/rJ/.i/cl 7'9. 79
Busler-shlms.64.71."5,116. 12". 149. 194. 195. 196; in
Hart. Williams., i6, 95
Keaton, Myra (mother), 14, 34, 45-48, 47, 48, 50-51, 194,
Have/,. Jean, 24, 57, 64. 65. (J2. 118. 130. P." 140
195 196
Havseed, The, 92
Kell, Sherman, 64
lleplnirn. Audrey, 173 J.
Lessley, Elgin, 24, 64, 67, 83, 119. 124-25, 135, 166, 172
llow to Stuff ci Wild Bikmi,2i)9
Ix'ster, Richard, 41
Ihans. F,ddie,200
Ihinans, l.elia, ]~2 Lewis, Diana, 195
Life, 29
Life in Sometown V.S.A., 198
IDooJI/, 173,198
Life with Buster Keaton (TV), 201
Inee, Thomas H., 83
Lloyd. Harold, 29, 30, 33, 37, 79, 88, 91. 110. 121. 132, 137,
l»v<;c/c'r,7/!c', 190,192,196
Keaton, Buster, 12. 14, 16, 18, 30,42, 1J2; .\eadeniy .\\vard.29,
MacFarland. James Hood, 16
McGuire, Kathrvn,122, 129, 130,131
40, 41, 214; advertising shots, 42; alcohol and. 29, 38, 163,
235
172. 183, 186, 189, 190. 193; autobiography, 40; bankruptcy.
McHugh, Jimmy, -il
Mack, Marion. 146. M9 Pickford, Lottie, 16
Mayer, Louis B., 29, 164, 189 "Princess Rajah" act, 58, 60, 174, 174
Metro-Goldvvyn-Mayer (M-G-M), 27, 29, 143, 163, Purple Rose of Cairo, The, 129
164-90, 198
Mitchell, Joseph, 24, 64, 65, U2. 137, 140 Railrodder, The, 209-10, 211, 212
My Wife's Relations, 91, 9J Roberts, Joe, 64, 71, 71 72, 75, 75, 76, 87, 91
, , 92,
National Film Board of Canada, 210 Rohauer, Raymond, 29, 30. 37, 41, 79, 137, 203, 216
Navigator, The, 24, 26, 62, 130-33, BO, 132, 142, 143, Roland, Gilbert, 185, 185
O'Brien, Mary, J42 Schenck. Joseph M., 16. 23, 24. 27. 52, 61. 62-63, 64,
O'Connor, Donald, 38, 126, 207 102. 104. 110, 114, 134-35, 143, 149, 152, 153, 155, 156, 163
O'Neil, Sally, 142,143 Scriven, Mae (second wife), 190, 191, 192-93
One Week, 17,23, 65, 66, 67, 68-69, 69, 84, 160, Sebastian, Dorothy, 35, 108, 170, 171 , 173, 176
180,216 Sedgwick, Edward M., 166, 167, 172. 176, 179, 179,
Our Hospitality, 23, 26, 87. 115, 116-21, 116, 119, Seely, Sybil, 69. 69, 71, 72, 72,84
J2J,215 Sennett, Mack, 17, 24, 52, 64, 196
Paleface, The, 23, 87, 87 Sherlock }r, 6, 24. 26, 106, 122-29. 122. /25. 12',
Slcaiuh,Hil Bill. jr.. 17,26,27, 16, 1S4, 1S6-61. (56, /58, 7u/7/V'/"n('. //k'(!'\'),207
I6f), 16/, 162 two-strip leehiiieolor. 115. 1~4
Slcchhau, ll.O.. H
Slc'|)licns()n, Ccorgc, 118 UniledArtists. 141. 161
SlcNfiis, Josephine-, SI
Sullivan, lul, 209 vaudeville: Keaton family in, 14, 46-51, 46, 47, 48; in
Su;i,se^ Boulevard, 10, 18, 20(, 202 Kcaton's films, 10, 11, 51, 71, 75, 82, 81, 122, 126, ]28;
'lalnuKlge, Bobhv (son), 106, 107, 108-9, 109, 121, 189 \'idor. King, /79
'lalnuidge, Constanee, 16, S2, 104-x J04, 107, 111, 114, 117 \'/7/(//;i S//7/ Pursued Her. The. 199. /9y
aim ads e, lunnn (son) /06, 107, 108-9, 109,116,189
'lalmadgc, Natalie (first wite), J6,29, 82,104-9. 104, U)H, Walker, Mieke\, /41
116, 119, 121. ISl, 161. r2. 180, 189, 190, 21S \V(;r/k//;c/;;Sh/t'. 41.2/2
'I'almadge, Norma, J6,21, 52, 104-S. 104. ISl Warner. 11. B.. 20/. 202
Thalberg, Irving, 164, 172-71, 181, 189 White, Jules, 182, 196
237
Acknowledgments Photograph Credits
This book could not lia\e been possible \\ ithoiit the full coop- Battling Butler, Go West, The Navigator, Our Hospitality,
tion, making certain that this book is of a high pictorial The Cameraman, Doughboys, Free and Easy, The
Hollywood Revue of 1929, The Passionate Plumber,
standard. I am also appreciative of his kindh' reading the
Sidewalks of New York, Speak Easily, Spite Marriage,
manuscript and improving it with his suggestions.
What-No Beer? Copyright ©Turner Entertainment. All
Manoah Bowman printed all of the superb photographs for
Rights Reserved
this book and ser\ed as photographic editor. More than that,
"Chaplin at Work" photoessa\ photographs by W. Eugene
he made sure that this book made it to publication and filled Smith. Cop\right © The Heirs of W. Eugene Smith,
the collaborative void left by Eleanor's death. I am \er\ grate- Courtesy Black Star, Inc., New York Collection, Center for
ful to him for his help. Creative Photograpln, the Unixersity of Arizona
I am grateful to jon S. Bouker for his friendship and his The Ed Sullivan Show, The Ed Wynn Show, Route 66, A
Salute to Stan Laurel, Toast of the Town, The Twilight
numerous contributions to this project; to Kevin Brownlow for
Zone Copyright © CBS Worldwide, Inc. Courtes\ CBS
graciously providing the book's afterword; to David Shepard
Photo /\rchi\'e
for assisting with picture permissions and for helpful sugges-
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
tions with the manuscript; to David Robinson for his friend-
Copyright © 1966 Quadrangle Eilm, S.A. All Rights
ship and guidance with the manuscript; to Casey Shaw for his Reserved. Courtesy Metro-Goldwy n-Mayer
friendship and moral support, as well as his reminders of the Hollywood Cavalcade Copvright ©' 1919 Twentieth Century
things that are most important; and to James Karen for his Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved
constant encouragement and invaluable information deriving It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Copyright © 196?
M-G-M-Pathe Communications Company. All Rights
from his long friendship with Buster and Eleanor Keaton.
Reserved. Courtesv' Metro-Goldwyn-Maycr
I thank m\ editor Elisa Urbanelli for her enthusiasm,
Buster Keaton with Bimbo the elephant in a photo shoot for a
patience, and judicious editing. am also grateful to Kate
1
U.S. Steel advertisement, 1964. Copyright © 1964 Sid Avery.
Guyonvarch of Association Chaplin, Richard W. Bann, Robert Courtesy Motion Picture & Television Photo Archive
S. Birchard, Marc Wanamaker of Bison Archives, Michael Limelight Copyright © 2001 Rov' Export Company
Schlesinger of Columbia Pictures, Melissa Talmadge Cox, I'.stablishment. All Rights Reserved
Gary Dartnall and Tim Lanza of The Douris Corporation, Pajama Party Copyright ©1963 American International
larl\- m\ mother Sandra Vance, for their sui3]5ort. Studios Publishing Rights, a Division ot Universal Studios
Licensing, Inc.
238
iulitor; I'.lisii I lrl)MiK-lli
Kcatoii, I'.lcanor.
p. cm.
ISBN ()-8in9-4::"-s
1. Keaton, Bnstcr, 1S9S-1966. 2. Keaton, I'.leanor. U)1S-199S.
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