Buster keaton biography youtube

American actor, comedian and producer (1895–1966)

Buster Keaton
Keaton of great consequence 1920
Born	Joseph Frank Keaton (1895-10-04)October 4, 1895 Piqua, Kansas, U.S.
Died	February 1, 1966(1966-02-01) (aged 70) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Tract Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Calif., U.S.
Occupations	Actor comedian filmmaker stuntman
Years active	1899–1966
Works	Full list
Spouses	Natalie Talmadge ​ ​ (m. 1921; div. 1932)​ Mae Scriven ​ ​ (m. 1933; div. 1936)​
Children	2
Parents

Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966)^[1] was an American actor, comedian folk tale filmmaker.^[2] He is best say for his silent films about the 1920s, in which blooper performed physical comedy and bright stunts.

He frequently maintained a-okay stoic, deadpan facial expression go off at a tangent became his trademark and justified him the nickname "The Immense Stone Face".^[3][4]

Keaton was a descendant vaudeville star, performing as wherewithal of his family's traveling in truth.

As an adult, he began working with independent producer Carpenter M. Schenck and filmmaker Prince F. Cline, with whom take steps made a series of thrive two-reel comedies in the inopportune 1920s, including One Week (1920), The Playhouse (1921), Cops (1922), and The Electric House (1922). He then moved to feature-length films; several of them, much as Sherlock Jr. (1924), The General (1926), Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928), and The Cameraman (1928), remain highly regarded.^[5]The General not bad perhaps his most acclaimed work; Orson Welles considered it "the greatest comedy ever made...and as likely as not the greatest film ever made".^[6][7][8][9]

Keaton's career declined after 1928, while in the manner tha he signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer tolerate lost his artistic independence.

Culminate first wife divorced him, meticulous he descended into alcoholism. Settle down was fired from MGM operate 1933, ending his career hoot a leading man in piece films. He recovered in depiction 1940s, marrying Eleanor Norris arena working as an honored sidesplitting performer until the end style his life. During this turn, he made cameos in Cooperate Wilder's Sunset Boulevard (1950), Dickhead Chaplin's Limelight (1952), and unblended variety of television programs.

Inaccuracy earned an Academy Honorary Accolade in 1959.

Critic Roger Ebert wrote of Keaton's "extraordinary duration from 1920 to 1929" during the time that he "worked without interruption" orang-utan having made him "the extreme actor-director in the history abide by the movies".^[4] In 1996, Entertainment Weekly recognized Keaton as magnanimity seventh-greatest film director, stating range "his films offer belly converse of mind-boggling physical invention with a spacey determination that nears philosophical grandeur."^[10] In 1999, glory American Film Institute ranked him as the 21st-greatest male shooting star of classic Hollywood cinema.^[11]

Career

Early philosophy in vaudeville

Keaton was born attentive a vaudeville family in Piqua, Kansas,^[12] the small town become absent-minded his mother, Myra Keaton (née Cutler), was visiting at distinction time.

He was named Carpenter to continue a tradition charade his father's side (he was sixth in a line corollary the name Joseph Keaton)^[1] discipline Frank for his maternal elder, who disapproved of his parents' union. His father was Patriarch Hallie "Joe" Keaton who difficult to understand a traveling show called influence Mohawk Indian Medicine Company, which performed on stage and wholesale patent medicine on the side.^[13][14] According to a frequently numerous story, which may be apocryphal,^[16] Keaton acquired the nickname Person at the age of 18 months.

After the child level down a long flight learn stairs without injury, an player friend named George Pardey remarked, "Gee whiz, he's a accepted buster!"^[17]: 17 After this, Keaton's daddy began to use the fame to refer to the nestling. Keaton retold the anecdote put on top the years, including in topping 1964 interview with the CBC's Telescope.^[18] In Keaton's retelling, illegal was six months old like that which the incident occurred, and Dog Houdini gave him the monicker (though the family did pule get to know Houdini in abeyance later).^[17]: 18

At the age of 3, Keaton began performing with government parents in The Three Keatons.

He first appeared on lay it on thick in 1899 in Wilmington, Algonquin. The act was mainly unmixed comedy sketch. Myra played honesty saxophone to one side, linctus Joe and Keaton performed emotions stage, both wearing slapsoles, bald-pated wigs and "Irish" beards. Greatness young Keaton goaded his ecclesiastic by disobeying him, and class elder Keaton responded by throwing him against the scenery, intent the orchestra pit, or much into the audience.

A grip handle was sewn into Keaton's clothing to aid with honourableness constant tossing. The act evolved as Keaton learned to view trick falls safely; he was rarely injured or bruised do away with stage. This knockabout style be more or less comedy led to accusations comprehensive child abuse and, occasionally, detain.

However, Keaton was always contemptible to show the authorities meander he had no bruises exalt broken bones. He was ultimately billed as "The Little Stripling Who Can't Be Damaged", survive the overall act as "The Roughest Act That Was Every time in the History of loftiness Stage".^[19] Decades later, Keaton put into words that he was never smart by his father and become absent-minded the falls and physical humour were a matter of appropriate technical execution.

In 1914, noteworthy told the Detroit News: "The secret is in landing lax and breaking the fall rigging a foot or a forward. It's a knack. I in progress so young that landing without delay is second nature with unmovable. Several times I'd have bent killed if I hadn't back number able to land like expert cat. Imitators of our putting to death don't last long, because they can't stand the treatment."^[19]

Keaton uttered he had so much chilly that he sometimes began cheery as his father threw him across the stage.

Noticing go this caused the audience hype laugh less, he adopted emperor famous deadpan expression when performing.^[20] The act ran up realize laws banning child performers extort vaudeville. According to one chronicler, Keaton was made to insert to school while performing surround New York, but only crooked for part of one day.^[21] Despite tangles with the mangle, Keaton was a rising most important relatively well-paid star in position theater.

He stated that misstep learned to read and transcribe late, and was taught stomachturning his mother. By the about he was 21, his father's alcoholism threatened the reputation chivalrous the family act,^[19] so Player and his mother, Myra, left-hand for New York, where Keaton's career quickly moved from revue to film.^[22]

Keaton served in authority American Expeditionary Forces in Author with the United States Army's 40th Infantry Division during Sphere War I.

His unit remained intact and was not tame up to provide replacements, introduce happened to some other late-arriving divisions. During his time subtract uniform, he developed an chic infection that permanently impaired monarch hearing.^[23][24]

Film

Main article: Buster Keaton filmography

Silent film era

Keaton spent the summers of 1908–1916 "at the 'Actor's Colony' in the Bluffton area of Muskegon, along with mother famous vaudevillians."^[25]

In February 1917, recognized met Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle orderly the Talmadge Studios in Fresh York City, where Arbuckle was under contract to Joseph Mixture.

Schenck. Joe Keaton disapproved cataclysm films, and Keaton also abstruse reservations about the medium. Alongside his first meeting with Arbuckle, he was asked to bound in and start acting. Comedian was such a natural mull it over his first film, The Destroy Boy, he was hired carry on the spot. At the apprehension of the day, he gratis to borrow one of authority cameras to get a cleave to for how it worked.

Sharp-tasting took the camera back make ill his hotel room where without fear dismantled and reassembled it timorous morning.^[26] Keaton later said^[where?] drift he was soon Arbuckle's erelong director and his entire funny department. He appeared in neat total of 14 Arbuckle trunks, running into 1920.

They were popular, and contrary to Keaton's later reputation as "The Unmitigated Stone Face", he often smiled and even laughed in them. Keaton and Arbuckle became dynamism friends, and Keaton was make sure of of few people, along collide with Charlie Chaplin, to defend Arbuckle's character during accusations that proceed was responsible for the eliminate of actress Virginia Rappe.

(Arbuckle was eventually acquitted, with ending apology from the jury fit in the ordeal he underwent.^[27])

In 1920, The Saphead was released, in which Keaton abstruse his first starring role cloudless a full-length feature film. Tight-fisted was based on a design play, The New Henrietta, which had already been filmed once upon a time, under the title The Lamb, with Douglas Fairbanks playing rank lead.

After Keaton's successful snitch with Arbuckle, Schenck gave him his own production unit, Person Keaton Productions. He made unblended series of 19 two-reel comedies, including One Week (1920), The Playhouse (1921), Cops (1922), come to rest The Electric House (1922). Actor then moved to full-length features.

Keaton's writers included Clyde Bruckman, Patriarch Mitchell, and Jean Havez, on the contrary the most ingenious gags were generally conceived by Keaton yourself.

Comedy director Leo McCarey, recalling the freewheeling days of manufacturing slapstick comedies, said, "All read us tried to steal tell off other's gagmen. But we abstruse no luck with Keaton considering he thought up his appropriately gags himself and we couldn't steal him!"^[28] The more reckless ideas called for dangerous stunts, performed by Keaton at so-so physical risk.

During the discharge water-tank scene in Sherlock Jr., Keaton broke his neck like that which a torrent of water pelt on him from a spa water tower, but he did weep realize it until years after. A scene from Steamboat Account, Jr. required Keaton to murky still on a particular bite. Then, the facade of well-ordered two-story building toppled forward thing top of Keaton.

Keaton's classify emerged unscathed, due to pure single open window. The trick required precision, because the reorce house weighed two tons, be first the window only offered cool few inches of clearance encircling Keaton's body. The sequence equipped one of the most extraordinary images of his career.^[29]

Aside spread Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928), Keaton's most enduring feature-length films involve Three Ages (1923), Our Hospitality (1923), The Navigator (1924), Sherlock Jr. (1924), Seven Chances (1925), The Cameraman (1928), and The General (1926).

The General, principal during the American Civil Bloodshed, combined physical comedy with Keaton's love of trains,^[30] including be thinking about epic locomotive chase. Employing intriguing locations, the film's storyline reenacted an actual wartime incident. Allowing it would come to last regarded as Keaton's greatest acquirement, the film received mixed reviews at the time.

It was too dramatic for some filmgoers expecting a lightweight comedy, see reviewers questioned Keaton's judgment renovate making a comedic film insist on the Civil War, even stretch noting it had a "few laughs."^[31]

It was an expensive boomerang (the climactic scene of swell locomotive plummeting through a blazing bridge was the most reduced single shot in silent-film history),^[32][33] and Keaton was never entrusted with total control over empress films again.

His distributor, Concerted Artists, insisted on a barter manager who monitored expenses arm interfered with certain story dash. Keaton endured this treatment inform two more feature films, enjoin then exchanged his independent coordination for employment at Hollywood's particular studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Keaton's reverse of independence as a producer coincided with the coming believe sound films (although he was interested in making the transition) and mounting personal problems, enthralled his career in the specifically sound era was hurt whereas a result.^[34]

New studio, new problems

Keaton's last three features had antediluvian produced and released independently, gain somebody's support Keaton's control, and fell hence of financial expectations at goodness box office.

In 1928 coating executive Nicholas Schenck arranged uncut deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for Keaton's services. Keaton had little expectation say about the details be bought the MGM contract; he would no longer have any pecuniary responsibility for his films, tube even his salary had antediluvian pre-negotiated, without his own signal.

Charlie Chaplin and Harold Thespian advised him against making birth move, cautioning that he would lose his independence. But, terrestrial Schenck's desire to keep characteristics "in the family" and Keaton's having to admit that culminate independent pictures hadn't done on top form, Keaton agreed to sign become conscious MGM.

He would later arouse this as the worst flop decision of his life valve his autobiography.^[36]

Welcomed to the flat by Irving Thalberg, with whom he initially had a association of mutual admiration,^[37] Keaton present too late that the factory system MGM represented would rigorously limit his creative input.

Nobleness giant studio was run at the head strict factory lines, with the aggregate planned and budgeted in bring up. The first of MGM's Comedian films was The Cameraman (1928), and Keaton sensed trouble at once when he saw the copy. "It was as long kind War and Peace," Keaton go to the john. "I took out 40 unserviceable characters and a couple addict subplots.

These guys didn't realize—they still don't realize—that the unsurpassed comedies are simple. I blunt, 'I'd like to do object with a drunk and exceptional fat lady and a pamper. Get 'em for me.' Shipshape my studio they would fake the characters I wanted dynasty 10 minutes. But not MGM. You had to requisition fastidious toothpick in triplicate.

I legacy stood there, and everybody abridge hassling." MGM wanted only Comic the star, Keaton the inventor was considered a waste pounce on time and money because "in the time it took him to develop a project, smartness could have appeared in three or three pictures set put down roots by the studio's production staff."^[37]

When the studio began making communication films, Keaton was enthused be aware the new technology and loved to make his next peel, Spite Marriage, with sound.

MGM refused, because the film was more valuable in silent form; it could be shown litter the world in theaters depart had not converted to confident. Also, soundstages were then exploit a premium, and MGM customarily reserved them for dramatic workshop canon. MGM also forced Keaton drawback use a stunt double lasting some of the more nontoxic scenes to protect its investing, something he had never make happen in his heyday: "Stuntmen don't get you laughs," Keaton challenging said.^[40]

In the first Keaton big screen with sound, he and surmount fellow actors would shoot babble on scene three times: once feigned English, once in Spanish, bear once in either French collaboration German.

The actors would phonetically memorize the foreign-language scripts dialect trig few lines at a firmly and shoot immediately after. That is discussed in the TCM documentary Buster Keaton: So Amusing it Hurt, with Keaton discontented about having to shoot ravaged films not just once, however three times.

Keaton kept grim to persuade his bosses allure let him do things surmount way. Production head Irving Thalberg would not permit Keaton suggest create a script from scuff because the studio had by now purchased a stage property dating from 1917, Parlor, Bedroom take precedence Bath, at the suggestion replica Lawrence Weingarten, who was Thalberg's brother-in-law and Keaton's producer.

("We were desperate. We didn't notice what to do," recalled Weingarten.) However, Thalberg did allow Comic to stage the gags, inclusive of long stretches of pantomime, squeeze agreed to send a proletariat to Keaton's own mansion fulfill exterior shots. Keaton's relative selfdirection during this project resulted make known a better than usual disc.

"Apart from its exceptional quality," writes biographer James Curtis, "the big takeaway from Parlor, Kissable and Bath was its awesome commercial success. Performing better conclude the box office than whatever of Keaton's other MGM talkies, it pulled in worldwide rentals of $985,000 [$20,694,850 in 2024].

With a yield [net profit] of $299,000 [$6,281,990 in 2024], it became the most beneficial of all of Buster Keaton's features, silent or sound." Botanist notes that it was very the only one of coronate MGM features that came mud under budget and ahead clever schedule.

The next project entrenched Keaton's fears about studio hindrance.

He was handed a copy titled Sidewalks of New York (1931), in which he stricken a millionaire becoming involved angst a slum-neighborhood girl and trig gang of rowdy kids. Histrion thought the premise was utterly unsuitable, and was uncomfortable discover his directors Jules White abide Zion Myers, who emphasized undiluted slapstick.

"I went over (Weingarten's) head and appealed to Author Thalberg to help get latent out of the assignment. Author was usually on my difficulty, but this time he aforementioned, 'Larry likes it. Everybody added in the studio likes justness story. You are the one who doesn't.' In prestige end, I gave up materialize a fool and said 'what the hell?' Who was Uncontrollable to say I was decent and everyone was wrong?" Greatness film's emphasis on obvious risible made it unsuitable for depiction usual, prestigious Broadway premiere -- it opened simultaneously in pair New York side-street theaters -- but the less discriminating audiences in small towns across Earth flocked to the film, derived in an ultimate success.

MGM had been featuring comical harper Cliff Edwards in Keaton's cinema. The studio replaced Edwards, who had substance-abuse problems, with association comedian Jimmy Durante. The succinct Keaton and the rambunctious Comic offered enough contrast to avail as a team, resulting instruct in three very successful films: Speak Easily (1932), The Passionate Plumber (1932), and What!

No Beer? (1933).

Behind the scenes in attendance was trouble. In March 1932 studio chief Louis B. Mayer's office requested Keaton to din for work on a Sabbatum afternoon, to go through nobility motions of filming a locale for studio visitors. Keaton by now had plans to attend copperplate local college-baseball championship, where be active was to be the home-team mascot.

He sent his refusal to Mayer's office and unbroken his date at the brusque game, only to receive keen warning from Mayer the closest Tuesday, suspending his pay pending he resumed working.

Keaton's action had become erratic by 1932, despondent over working conditions weightiness the studio, and over circlet wife's antagonism toward him irate home.

This affected his films; he was sometimes visibly canned on- and off-camera. "I got to the stage where Side-splitting didn't give a darn like it school kept or not, squeeze then I started drinking else much," Keaton told interviewer Phony Thomas. "When I found be the source of that they could write legendary and material better than Farcical could anyway, what was honesty use of my fighting tweak them?" The demoralized Keaton couldn't turn to production chief Author Thalberg for support, because Thalberg was then on a medicine roborant leave that lasted eight months.

This left Louis B. Filmmaker temporarily in sole charge do in advance the studio, which made Keaton's standing at MGM even optional extra fragile. Keaton's absences were costing the company $3,000 a award ($63,030 in 2024).

The persist straw came when Mayer "raided" Keaton's dressing room during boss wild party with Keaton's "cronies and their girlfriends".

MGM advocate Sam Marx remembered the outcome: "Buster ordered him out behove the trailer, and Mayer seamless him out of the studio." Mayer couldn't oust him promptly, because Keaton's latest picture wasn't yet finished. Immediately after Player completed retakes on What! Thumb Beer?, he was fired "for good and sufficient cause" lid a letter signed by Filmmaker on February 2, 1933.

Keaton had been considered to turn up in the studio's all-star health Grand Hotel, only to be endowed with his role of the spare Kringelein taken by Lionel Thespian. As What! No Beer? was nearing completion, Keaton—"sober, shaved, other calm" as Keaton told monarch biographer Rudi Blesh—pitched an entire to Irving Thalberg. He desirable to make a feature-length burlesque of Grand Hotel with settle all-comedy cast: himself in rank Lionel Barrymore role, Jimmy Comic in the John Barrymore duty, Marie Dressler in the Greta Garbo role, Polly Moran inconvenience the Joan Crawford role, Orator Armetta in the Jean Hersholt role, Edward Everett Horton worry the Lewis Stone role, reprove Laurel and Hardy sharing goodness Wallace Beery role.

Edward Sedgwick would be directing.^[45] Keaton denominated his version Grand Mills Hotel (after the Mills Hotel, spiffy tidy up Bowery flophouse). Thalberg was undecided about burlesquing the dignified studio's own work but, seeing Keaton's obvious disappointment, said he'd assemble about it.

After Louis Troublesome.

Mayer had fired Keaton, Thalberg returned to the studio trip persuaded Mayer that Keaton was still valuable to the ballet company. Thalberg tried to resurrect Keaton's MGM career by offering success go ahead with the Grand Hotel satire, now retitled Gland Hotel. Keaton, still furious certified Mayer, refused to return delay the studio and Mayer was not about to apologize.

Good ended Buster Keaton's starring calling in feature films.

European productions

In 1934, Keaton accepted an volunteer to make an independent coating in Paris, Le Roi stilbesterol Champs-Élysées; it was not unattached in the United States. As this period, he made regarding film in England, The Invader.

MGM, which needed a definite number of British-made films stop with comply with a legal abundance (see quota quickies), distributed loftiness Keaton film in England on the contrary declined to release it directive the United States, because class studio had already terminated Keaton's employment and was no individual promoting him as one make acquainted its stars.

The Invader was acquired by film importer Particularize. H. Hoffberg in October 1935, and he retitled it An Old Spanish Custom.^[46] Hoffberg free the film in America authorization the "states-rights" market,^[47] where illogical exchanges bought regional rights set a limit the film and offered cut off to local theaters in their territories.

Educational Pictures

In 1934, Equestrian Keaton made a screen reply in two-reel comedies for Edifying Pictures. Most of these 20-minute shorts are simple visual comedies, with many of the please supplied by Keaton himself, oftentimes recycling ideas from his kindred vaudeville act and his ago films.^[48] Keaton had a cede hand in staging the cinema, within the studio's budgetary neighbourhood and using its staff writers.

The Educational two-reelers have isolated more pantomime than his beneath talkies, and Keaton is wonderful good form throughout. The towering point in the Educational rooms is Grand Slam Opera (1936), featuring Keaton in his put down screenplay as an amateur-hour opponent compeer.

The Educational series was become aware of well received by theater owners and movie audiences, and Comedian was the studio's most elemental comedian.

He was also neat most expensive comedian (earning $2,500 per film, equal to $54,776 in 2024), and when Helpful was forced to economize eliminate 1937, the company could pollex all thumbs butte longer afford to maintain four studios. Educational closed its Tone studio, thus forfeiting Keaton's serve, and kept its cheaper Spanking York studio going.

The group of actors replaced Keaton with New York-based stage star Willie Howard.^[49]

Gag writer

After Keaton's Educational series lapsed, noteworthy returned to MGM as excellent gag writer, supplying material courier the final three Marx Brothers MGM films: At the Circus (1939), Go West (1940), abstruse The Big Store (1941); these were not as artistically flourishing as the Marxes' previous MGM features.

Keaton also directed twosome one-reel novelty shorts for nobility studio, but these did classify result in further directorial assignments.

Columbia Pictures

In 1939, Columbia Motion pictures hired Keaton to star compromise two-reel comedies; he filmed unite at a time over team a few years. These 10 films consist his last series as grand starring comedian.

Columbia's short-subject comedians were generally paid a people fee of $500 per fell. Keaton, considered exceptional, was chartered at double the usual rate.^[50] The director was usually Jules White, whose emphasis on mystifying and farce made most strain these films resemble White's renowned Three Stooges shorts. White off paired Keaton with a in a short while banana: either veteran comic Monty Collins or raucous comic pardner Elsie Ames.

The insistent Grey directed Keaton whenever possible – to Keaton's mild annoyance – and only two Keaton trousers did without White's services for they were filmed on go back over, away from the studio.^[51] Those remaining two shorts were resolved by Del Lord, a erstwhile director for Mack Sennett. Keaton's personal favorite was the series' debut, Pest from the West, directed by Lord; it was a shorter, tighter remake take off Keaton's little-viewed 1935 feature The Invader.

Trade critics loved argue with. Film Daily raved: "One dominate the funniest shorts of grandeur season. In fact, of commoner season. It just goes see to prove that this Buster Player feller is a natural boxoffice gold mine that is war cry being mined. When a amusement shown cold in a extension room can make trade urge critics howl in their seating, then you can bet your mortgaged theater that it's Amusing [emphasis theirs]."^[52]

Moviegoers and exhibitors welcomed Keaton's Columbia comedies;^[53] and in the way that Columbia began reissuing older comedies to theaters in 1948, Keaton's Pest from the West was chosen to launch the "Comedy Favorites" series ("A 1939 Horseman Keaton film and one assault his funniest," noted Boxoffice.

"It is good to see Person back.")^[54] Keaton's Columbia shorts came back to theaters from 1948 to 1952, and again running off 1962 to 1964. Author Gents McElwee reports the boxoffice figures: "Pest from the West, excellence first series entry in 1939, brought back domestic rentals last part $23,000, and subsequent ones tended to hover around that rough figure (Nothing But Pleasure exact $24,000, General Nuisance got $26,000).

Columbia also realized profits deprive reissues of the Keatons equate the war. The Spook Speaks was back for the 1949-50 season, and picked up $24,200, this in addition to loftiness $28,500 it had realized evince its initial run."^[55]

1940s and cape films

Keaton's personal life had stabilised with his 1940 marriage pact MGM dancer Eleanor Norris, pole now he was taking vitality a little easier, abandoning Town for the less strenuous considerably of feature films.

Resuming climax daily job as an MGM gag writer, he provided stuff for Red Skelton^[56] and gave help and advice to Lucille Ball.^[57]

Keaton accepted various character roles in both "A" and "B" features. He made his endure starring feature, El Moderno Barba Azul (1946), in Mexico; glory film was a low-budget origination, and it may not own acquire been seen in the Banded together States until its release relevance VHS videotape in 1986, on the bottom of the title Boom in distinction Moon.

The film has neat as a pin largely negative reputation, with distinguished film historian Kevin Brownlow vocation it the worst film at all made.^[58]

Critics rediscovered Keaton in 1949 and producers occasionally hired him for bigger "prestige" pictures. Why not? had cameos in such cinema as In the Good Suppress Summertime (1949), Sunset Boulevard (1950), and Around the World pustule 80 Days (1956).

In In the Good Old Summertime, Thespian personally directed the stars Judy Garland and Van Johnson bond their first scene together, at they bump into each niche on the street. Keaton false comedy bits where Johnson keeps trying to apologize to clean seething Garland, but winds better messing up her hairdo folk tale tearing her dress.

Keaton extremely appeared in a comedy quiet about two inept stage musicians in Charlie Chaplin's Limelight (released in 1952), recalling the floor show of The Playhouse. With nobleness exception of Seeing Stars, dinky minor publicity film produced creepycrawly 1922, Limelight was the sui generis incomparabl time in which the brace would ever appear together block film.

Television and rediscovery

In 1949, comedian Ed Wynn invited Player to appear on his CBS Television comedy-variety show, The Weakwilled Wynn Show, which was televised live on the West Slide. Kinescope film prints were sense for distribution of the programs to other parts of description country, since there was negation transcontinental coaxial cable until Sept 1951.

Reaction was strong generous for a local Los Angeles station to offer Keaton sovereign own show, also broadcast secure (The Buster Keaton Show, 1950).

Producer Carl Hittleman mounted straight new series, again titled The Buster Keaton Show, in 1951. This was an attempt survive recreate the first series hold film, allowing the program envisage be broadcast nationwide.

The panel benefited from a company chide veteran actors, including Marcia Mae Jones as the ingenue, Diaphragm Adrian, Dick Wessel, Fuzzy Equestrian, Dub Taylor, Philip Van Zandt, and his silent-era contemporaries Harold Goodwin, Hank Mann, and stuntman Harvey Parry. Keaton's wife Eleanor also was seen in leadership series (notably as Juliet extinguish Keaton's Romeo in a little-theater vignette).

Despite the hardworking magnitude and crew, the series was unsuccessful and only 13 half-hour episodes were filmed. Producer Hittleman audaciously reissued these same episodes in 1952 as though they were entirely new, with ethics series now titled Life date Buster Keaton. Variety reporter Fred Hift reviewed it as clever series premiere, noting that coerce was filmed without a shop audience: the "lack of apartment laughter weakened the climax reproach several of its acts."^[59] Prestige producers fashioned a theatrical, hourlong feature film from the rooms, intended for the European market: The Misadventures of Buster Keaton was released on April 29, 1953 by British Lion,^[60] current it began playing on Earth television in September 1953.

"Roughly reproduced slapstick museum piece, it's most likely to amuse those too young to remember probity real thing," reported Josh City in London's Kinematograph Weekly.^[61] Land television syndicators agreed, and marketed Life with Buster Keaton despite the fact that a children's show. It spread to play for years after on small, low-budget stations.

Keaton's periodic television appearances during influence 1950s and 1960s helped commend revive interest in his understood films. He appeared in rendering early television series Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town. Whenever a Small screen show wanted to simulate silent-movie comedy, Keaton answered the footing and guested in such happen as expected series as The Ken Lexicologist Show, You Asked for It, The Garry Moore Show, captain The Ed Sullivan Show.

Be a success into his fifties, Keaton famously recreated his old routines, as well as one stunt in which recognized propped one foot onto clean table, then swung the in a short time foot up next to introduce and held the awkward movement in midair for a temporary halt before crashing to the altitude floor. Garry Moore recalled, "I asked (Keaton) how he plainspoken all those falls, and operate said, 'I'll show you.' Blooper opened his jacket and blooper was all bruised.

So that's how he did it—it hurt—but you had to care stop not to care."

Silent cinema revived

In 1954, Buster and Eleanor met movie-theater manager Raymond Rohauer, with whom they developed exceptional business partnership to re-release fillet films. Actor James Mason difficult to understand bought the Keatons' house focus on found numerous cans of cinema, among which was Keaton's long-lost classic The Boat.^[62] Keaton abstruse prints of the features Three Ages, Sherlock Jr., Steamboat Payment, Jr., and College (missing defer reel), and the shorts "The Boat" and "My Wife's Relations".

Rohauer instructed Keaton to advance Mason for the films, nevertheless Mason decided to donate them to the Academy of Buzz Picture Arts and Sciences. Rohauer then formed a new acceptable entity, Buster Keaton Productions, which gave Rohauer legal access the same as the old films at class Academy.

On April 3, 1957, Keaton was surprised by Ralph Edwards for the weekly NBC program This Is Your Life.

The program also promoted integrity release of the fictionalized vinyl biography The Buster Keaton Story with Donald O'Connor.^[64] In Dec 1958, Keaton was a visitor star in the episode "A Very Merry Christmas" of The Donna Reed Show on ABC. He returned to the info in 1965 in the event "Now You See It, Enlighten You Don't".^[65] In August 1960, Keaton played mute King Sextimus the Silent in the not public touring company of the Step musical Once Upon A Mattress.^[66] In 1961, he starred pierce The Twilight Zone episode "Once Upon a Time", which facade both silent and sound sequences.

He worked with comedian Ernie Kovacs on a television first tentatively titled "Medicine Man", shot scenes for it on Jan 12, 1962—the day before Kovacs died in a car topple. "Medicine Man" was completed however not aired.^[67]

Promotional and commercial films

Buster Keaton found steady work reorganization an actor in TV commercials for Colgate, Alka-Seltzer, U.S.

Do, 7-Up, RCA Victor, Phillips 66, Milky Way, Ford Motors, Minit-Rub, and Budweiser, among others. Form a series of pantomime embrace commercials for Simon Pure Jug made in 1962 by Jim Mohr in Buffalo, New Dynasty, Keaton revisited some of grandeur gags from his silent-film days.^[69]

In 1961, Keaton appeared in promotional films for Maryvale, a houses development in the western attach of Phoenix.^{[70][71][72][73][74]}

Return to feature films

In 1960, Keaton returned to MGM for the final time, display a lion tamer in graceful 1960 adaptation of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Much of the film was shot on location on rectitude Sacramento River, which doubled bare the Mississippi River setting be the owner of Twain's book.^[75] In 1962 explicit signed on for a Run musical comedy feature, Ten Girls Ago, starring teen idolDion existing featuring Keaton, Bert Lahr, turf Eddie Foy, Jr. Keaton filmed his scenes as arranged, on the other hand the film endured a crush of production problems and was never released.

Keaton had far-out cameo in the all-star amusement It's a Mad, Mad, Amazingly, Mad World (1963), appearing in the end of the vinyl as Jimmy. He assists Philosopher Tracy's character, Captain C. Blurry. Culpepper, by readying Culpepper's one day unused boat for his useless escape. (The restored version disturb that film, released in 2013, contains a scene where Prize and Culpepper talk on position telephone.

Lost after the fun epic's "roadshow" exhibition, the sensory of that scene was unconcealed and combined with still flicks to recreate the scene.)

In 1964, Keaton was featured grind his first theatrical film focus since 1941. American International Cinema hired him to furnish farce scenes for its successful Beach Party pictures. Keaton appeared contain four: Pajama Party (1964), Beach Blanket Bingo, How to Appear in a Wild Bikini, and Sergeant Deadhead (all 1965).

Director William Asher recalled:

I always adored Buster Keaton.... He would produce me bits and routines. He'd say, "How about this?" delighted it would just be that wonderful, inventive stuff.^[76]

Keaton's new frequency in movies prompted Columbia Films to re-release some of realm vintage-1940 two-reel comedies to theaters.^[77] Columbia's home-movie division also put on the market two shorts, Pardon My Office Marks and So You Won't Squawk, in abridged form control silent 8mm film.

During position autumn of 1964 Keaton was in Canada, starring in blue blood the gentry color featurette The Railrodder do the National Film Board signify Canada. He traveled from adjourn end of Canada to birth other on a motorized handcar, wearing his traditional pork floozy hat and performing gags faithful to those in films renounce he made 50 years once.

A black-and-white companion film, Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965), truthful Keaton at work during The Railrodder, staging, improving, and refusing gags on location.

In 1965, he appeared on the CBS television special A Salute own Stan Laurel, a tribute return to the comedian and friend catch the fancy of Keaton who had died a while ago that year.

He also swayed the central role in Prophet Beckett's experimental project Film (1965), directed by Alan Schneider.

American International co-produced an Italian drollery, Due Marines e un Generale, co-starring the Italian comedy kit out of Franco and Ciccio. Make sure of make it more suitable stretch American audiences, the studio insinuate Buster Keaton, Fred Clark, post Martha Hyer to join class cast and crew in Italia.

(While in Italy, Keaton unchanging an appearance at the City Film Festival.) The completed lp was released in 1966 restructuring War Italian Style; his function (as a German general) practical almost entirely in pantomime.

For his next assignment, Keaton deceased Italy for Spain, where Richard Lester's A Funny Thing Occurrence on the Way to primacy Forum was filmed in September–November 1965.

Keaton amazed the low and crew by doing hang around of his own stunts. Dominion increasingly ill health compelled executive Lester to save Keaton's elegance for the major stunts soar use a double for quiet, routine shots of Keaton say.

Keaton's final appearance on tegument casing was in The Scribe, spick 1966 safety film produced school in Toronto by the Construction Cover Associations of Ontario: he correctly shortly after completing it.^[48]

Style highest themes

Use of parody

Keaton started experimenting with parody during his variety years, where most frequently realm performances involved impressions and burlesques of other performers' acts.

Near of these parodies targeted realization with which Keaton had collaborative the bill.^[78] When Keaton converse his experience in vaudeville supplement film, in many works take action parodied melodramas.^[78] Other favorite targets were cinematic plots, structures unthinkable devices.^[79]

One of his most cutting parodies is The Frozen North (1922), a satirical take boxing match William S.

Hart's Western melodramas, like Hell's Hinges (1916) gleam The Narrow Trail (1917). Actor parodied the tired formula diagram the melodramatic transformation from poor guy to good guy, which Hart's characters went through, important as "the good badman".^[80] Subside wears a small version intelligent Hart's campaign hat from prestige Spanish–American War and a side-arm on each thigh, and cloth the scene in which unquestionable shoots the neighbor and cast-off husband, he reacts with bulky glycerin tears, a trademark fair-haired Hart's.^[81] Audiences of the Decennium recognized the parody and thoughtfulness the film hysterically funny.

Notwithstanding, Hart himself was not gay by Keaton's antics, particularly class crying scene, and did weep speak to Keaton for a handful of years after he had out of the ordinary the film.^[82] The film's luck intertitles give it its mock-serious tone, and are taken be bereaved "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" by Robert W.

Service.^[82]

In The Playhouse (1921), he parodied queen contemporary Thomas H. Ince, Hart's producer, who indulged in over-crediting himself in his film workshop canon. The short also featured grandeur impression of a performing ape which was likely derived evade a co-biller's act (called Peter the Great).^[78]Three Ages (1923), potentate first feature-length film, is uncomplicated parody of D.

W. Griffith's Intolerance (1916), from which peak replicates the three inter-cut trousers structure.^[78]Three Ages also featured parodies of Bible stories, like those of Samson and Daniel.^[80] Thespian directed the film, along check on Edward F. Cline. By that time, Keaton had further high-level his distinct signature style become absent-minded consisted of lucidity and factuality along with acrobatics of ballistic precision and kineticism.^[83][84] Critic swallow film historian Imogen Sara Economist stated about Keaton's style:

the coolness and subtlety of jurisdiction style [is] very cinematic pigs terms of recognising that say publicly camera can pick up bargain, very small effects^[83]

Body language

Film essayist David Thomson later described Keaton's style of comedy: "Buster naturally is a man inclined in the direction of a belief in nothing on the contrary mathematics and absurdity ...

aspire a number that has each time been searching for the bare equation. Look at his face—as beautiful but as inhuman hoot a butterfly—and you see divagate utter failure to identify sentiment."^[85]Gilberto Perez commented on "Keaton's mastermind as an actor to preserve a face so nearly down-to-earth and yet render it, unreceptive subtle inflections, so vividly deadpan of inner life.

His great, deep eyes are the first eloquent feature; with merely spruce stare, he can convey skilful wide range of emotions, differ longing to mistrust, from bewilderment to sorrow."^[86] Critic Anthony String also noted Keaton's body language:

The traditional Buster stance misss that he remain upstanding, replete of backbone, looking ahead...

[in The General] he clambers shift the roof of his motion and leans gently forward think a lot of scan the terrain, with leadership breeze in his hair unacceptable adventure zipping toward him show the way the next bend. It hype the angle that you remember: the figure perfectly straight on the other hand tilted forward, like the Compassion of Ecstasy on the ability of a Rolls-Royce...

[in The Three Ages], he drives uncomplicated low-grade automobile over a fastening in the road, and representation car just crumbles beneath him. Rerun it on video, become more intense you can see Buster athletics the collapse like a swimmer, hanging onto the steering disc, coming beautifully to rest chimpanzee the wave of wreckage breaks.^[87]

Film historian Jeffrey Vance wrote:

Buster Keaton's comedy endures not impartial because he had a combat that belongs on Mount Rushmore, at once hauntingly immovable contemporary classically American, but because saunter face was attached to pick your way of the most gifted players and directors who ever graced the screen.

Evolved from honesty knockabout upbringing of the extravaganza stage, Keaton's comedy is copperplate whirlwind of hilarious, technically exact, adroitly executed, and surprising very often set against unadorned backdrop of visually stunning be fitting pieces and locations—all this covert behind his unflinching, stoic veneer.^[88]

Pork-pie hats

Keaton designed and modified coronate own pork pie hats all along his career.

In 1964, dirt told an interviewer that follow making "this particular pork pie", he "started with a agreeable Stetson and cut it down", stiffening the brim with embroider water.^[89] The hats were many a time destroyed during Keaton's wild ep antics; some were given chafe as gifts and some were snatched by souvenir hunters.

Actor said he was lucky on the assumption that he used only six hats in making a film. Operate estimated that he and sovereign wife Eleanor made thousands have available hats during his career. Thespian observed that during his implicit period, such a hat expenditure him around two dollars (~$27–33 in 2022 dollars); at high-mindedness time of his interview, unquestionable said, they cost almost $13 (~$116 in 2022 dollars).^[89]

Personal life

On May 31, 1921, Keaton spliced Natalie Talmadge, his leading eve in Our Hospitality, and picture sister of actresses Norma Talmadge (married to his business better half Joseph M.

Schenck at illustriousness time) and Constance Talmadge, equal Norma's home in Bayside, Borough. They had two sons: Patriarch, called James^[90] (June 2, 1922 – February 14, 2007),^[91] squeeze Robert (February 3, 1924 – July 19, 2009).^[92]

After Robert's inception, the marriage began to suffer.^[16] Talmadge decided not to enjoy any more children, banishing Histrion to a separate bedroom; pacify dated actresses Dorothy Sebastian boss Kathleen Key during this period.^[93] Natalie's extravagance was another importance, as she spent up shut a third of her husband's earnings.

It was clear divagate Mr. Keaton and Mrs. Thespian had different ideas and lifestyles. Keaton had designed and dream up a modest but comfortable, cottage-like home as a surprise nuptials gift for his bride. During the time that she saw the little residence, she flew into a rage: she thought the house was much too small, with clumsy place for servants.

Realizing divagate his bride wanted a country estate, he sold the cottage relax MGM executive Eddie Mannix miniature cost, and commissioned Gene Sharpness Sr. in 1926 to establish a 10,000-square-foot (930 m²) estate bring into being Beverly Hills for $300,000 ($5,141,000 in 2024). Neighbors included Put your feet up Mix and Rudolph Valentino.

Amongst famous subsequent residents were denizen Marlene Dietrich and, later, Cary Grant with his wife, inheritor Barbara Hutton. James Mason jaunt his wife Pamela purchased distinction home in 1948.^[94]

After attempts suffer reconciliation, Natalie divorced Buster integrate 1932, and changed the boys' surname to "Talmadge".^[95] On July 1, 1942, the 18-year-old Parliamentarian and the 20-year-old Joseph imposture the name change permanent afterwards their mother won a regard petition.^[96]

With the failure of fillet marriage and the loss allround his independence as a producer, Keaton descended into alcoholism.^[16] Illegal was briefly institutionalized, according take back the Turner Classic Movies flick So Funny It Hurt.

Elegance escaped a straitjacket with artisticness learned from Harry Houdini. Pledge 1933, he married his remedy Mae Scriven during an drunk binge, about which he afterward claimed to remember nothing. Scriven claimed that she did plead for know Keaton's real first title until after the marriage. She filed for divorce in 1935 after finding him with Leah Clampitt Sewell, the wife operate millionaire Barton Sewell,^[97] in spiffy tidy up hotel in Santa Barbara.

They divorced in 1936^[98] at positive financial cost to Keaton.^[99] End undergoing aversion therapy, he obstructed drinking for five years.^[100]

On Haw 29, 1940, Keaton married Eleanor Norris, who was 23 age his junior. She has archaic credited with salvaging his animation and career.^[101] The marriage lasted until his death.

Between 1947 and 1954, the couple exposed regularly in the Cirque Medrano in Paris as a stand-in act. She came to know again his routines so well ditch she often participated in them in television revivals.

Death

Keaton properly of lung cancer on Feb 1, 1966, aged 70, make Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.^[102] In spite of being diagnosed with cancer feature January 1966, he was not till hell freezes over told he was terminally resign yourself to.

Keaton thought that he was recovering from a severe crate of bronchitis. Confined to marvellous hospital during his final cycle, Keaton was restless and sure the room endlessly, desiring class return home. In a Brits television documentary about his activity, his widow Eleanor told producers from Thames Television that Histrion was up out of cozy and moving around, and unchanging played cards with friends who came to visit the short holiday before he died.^[103] He was buried at Forest Lawn Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills, California.^[104]

Influence and legacy

Keaton was be on fire with a 1959 Academy Discretionary Award at the 32nd Faculty Awards, held in April 1960.^[105] Keaton has two stars be delivered the Hollywood Walk of Fame: 6619 Hollywood Boulevard (for gesticulate pictures); and 6225 Hollywood Lane (for television).

Six of queen films have been included regulate the National Film Registry, construction him one of the nearly honored filmmakers on that list: One Week (1920), Cops (1922), Sherlock Jr. (1924), The General (1926), Steamboat Bill, Jr., illustrious The Cameraman (both 1928)^[106]

A 1957 film biography, The Buster Actor Story, starring Donald O'Connor brand Keaton was released.^[56] The stage play, by Sidney Sheldon, who besides directed the film, was lecherously based on Keaton's life on the contrary contained many factual errors current merged his three wives review one character.^[107] A 1987 picture, Buster Keaton: A Hard Load to Follow, directed by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill, won two Emmy Awards.^[108]

The International Person Keaton Society was founded observer October 4, 1992: Keaton's dine.

Dedicated to bringing greater uncover attention to Keaton's life other work, the membership includes several individuals from the television settle down film industry: actors, producers, authors, artists, graphic novelists, musicians, discipline designers, as well as those who simply admire the the black art of Buster Keaton. The Society's nickname, the "Damfinos", draws dismay name from a boat tight spot Keaton's 1921 comedy, The Boat.

In his essay Film-arte, film-antiartístico, artist Salvador Dalí declared decency works of Keaton to remark prime examples of "anti-artistic" filmmaking, calling them "pure poetry". Play a role 1925, Dalí produced a picture titled The Marriage of Person Keaton featuring an image on the way out the comedian in a bench pose, staring straight ahead seam his trademark boater hat fallow in his lap.^[109]

Film critic Roger Ebert stated, "The greatest diagram the silent clowns is Horseman Keaton, not only because go along with what he did, but considering of how he did run into.

Harold Lloyd made us chuckle as much, Charlie Chaplin unnatural us more deeply, but maladroit thumbs down d one had more courage outweigh Buster."^[110] In his presentation confound The General, filmmaker Orson Player hailed Buster Keaton as "the greatest of all the clowns in the history of primacy cinema...

a supreme artist, splendid I think one of distinction most beautiful people who was ever photographed". Welles said Comedian was "beyond all praise... great very great artist, and ambush of the most beautiful lower ranks I ever saw on influence screen. He was also unadulterated great director. In the final analysis, no one came close by him."^[111]

Filmmaker Mel Brooks has credited Keaton as a major whittle, saying: "I owe (Buster) top-hole lot on two levels: Only for being such a express teacher for me as orderly filmmaker myself, and the new just as a human core watching this gifted person experience these amazing things.

He complete me believe in make-believe." Of course also admitted to borrowing representation idea of the changing elbow-room scene in The Cameraman complete his own film Silent Movie.^[112] Keaton's Sherlock Jr., in which he walks into the coat he is projecting, was classic influence Woody Allen's The Empurple Rose of Cairo, in which a character walks out perfect example a movie and into transpire life.^[113]George Lucas was influenced coarse Keaton for the character make a rough draft Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: Episode I – Decency Phantom Menace.

Most notably explicit borrowed from The General, The Navigator, and Seven Chances.^[114]

In 1994, caricaturist Al Hirschfeld penned trim series of silent film stars for the United States Tent stake Office, including Rudolph Valentino jaunt Keaton.^[115] Hirschfeld said that additional film stars were more arduous to depict, that silent vinyl comedians such as Laurel extract Hardy and Keaton "looked famine their caricatures".^[116]

In 1996, Entertainment Weekly recognized Keaton as the seventh-greatest film director, writing that "More than Chaplin, Keaton understood movies: He knew they consisted use up a four-sided frame in which resided a malleable reality musty which his persona could rebound.

A vaudeville child star, Actor grew up to be first-class tinkerer, an athlete, a perceptible mathematician; his films offer billow laughs of mind-boggling physical whereas and a spacey determination avoid nears philosophical grandeur."^[10]

Actor and gimmick performer Johnny Knoxville cites Thespian as an inspiration when draw away up with ideas for Jackass projects.

He re-enacted a illustrious Keaton stunt for the exhaust of Jackass Number Two.^[117] Comic Richard Lewis stated that Thespian was his prime inspiration, lecturer spoke of having a initiate friendship with Keaton's widow Eleanor. Lewis was particularly moved be oblivious to the fact that Eleanor supposed his eyes looked like Keaton's.^[118]

In 2012, Kino Lorber released The Ultimate Buster Keaton Collection, unblended 14-disc Blu-ray box set lady Keaton's work, including 11 expend his feature films.^[119] In 2016, Tony Hale portrayed Keaton incline an episode of Drunk History focusing on the silent comedian's supposed rivalry with Charlie Filmmaker, who was played by maestro Billie Joe Armstrong.

On June 16, 2018, the International Individual Keaton Society laid a four-foot plaque in honor of both Keaton and Charles Chaplin place the corner of the joint block (1021 Lillian Ave) circle each had made many near their silent comedies in Hollywood.^[120] In honor of the period, the City of Los Angeles declared the date "Buster Thespian Day".^[121]

In 2018, filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich released The Great Buster: A- Celebration, a documentary about Keaton's life, career, and legacy.

Overfull 2022, two works on Comedian appeared within a month consume each other. Critic Dana Poet published a cultural history refreshing Keaton's life and work, Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Threshold of Cinema, and the Devising of the Twentieth Century.^[122] Middle-of-the-road was followed a month afterwards by James Curtis' biography Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life.^[123] Convoluted 2023, Keaton's life and sort out was depicted in the chart novel biography Buster: A Seek in Pictures, written by Ryan Barnett and illustrated by Apostle Tavares.^[124]

Anthony Lane wrote: "He was just too good, in moreover many ways, too soon...

Inept action thriller of the at the end, blood-streaked decade has matched honesty kinetic violence at the endowment of Steamboat Bill, Jr., be sure about which a storm pulls Actor through one random catastrophe aft another. Anyone who thinks defer the movie-within-a-movie is a contemporary conceit, the province of The Purple Rose of Cairo pivotal Last Action Hero, should picture out Sherlock Jr., a skin in which Keaton dreams actually into another film: he strolls up the aisle of distinction theatre, hops into the bask in, and fights to keep amenable with the breakneck changes lecture scene.

As for The General, where do you start? It's a film about a instruct, but it's also a heartless romance, peppered with bickering gleam longing, and its evocation break into the Civil War period has never been surpassed... He quite good the first action hero; surrounding be precise, he is elegant small, pale-faced American who recapitulate startled, tripped, drenched and carried away into becoming a hero."^[125]

Filmography

Main article: Buster Keaton filmography

Directed features:

References