He took the camera back to his hotel room where he dismantled and reassembled it by morning. In the first Keaton pictures with sound, he and his fellow actors would shoot each scene three times: once in English, once in Spanish, and once in either French or German. Keaton, Eleanor and Jeffrey Vance. In 2022, two works on Keaton appeared within a month of each other. Because of Keaton's success, and a notorious scandal involving Arbuckle, Comique Films was renamed Buster Keaton Productions. Buster Keaton With Camera Rare Candid 8x10 Photo. It was not released until 1921. Two of Keaton's . Keaton suffered from several personal crises as well. Kinescopes were made for distribution of the programs to other parts of the country, since there was no transcontinental coaxial cable until September 1951. Imitators of our act don't last long, because they can't stand the treatment. 8 'A Woman of Paris'. [23], The act ran up against laws banning child performers in vaudeville. He was named Joseph to continue a tradition on his father's side (he was sixth in a line bearing the name Joseph Keaton)[1] and Frank for his maternal grandfather, who disapproved of his parents' union. Upon Keaton's return to Hollywood in 1934, he made a screen comeback in two-reel comedies for Educational Pictures. Geni requires JavaScript! "[12] In 2018, Peter Bogdanovich released The Great Buster: A Celebration, a tribute to Keaton featuring Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Werner Herzog and Quentin Tarantino, among others. that MGM fired him after the filming was completed, despite the film being a commercial hit. In 2016, Tony Hale portrayed Keaton in an episode of Drunk History focusing on the silent comedian's supposed rivalry with Charlie Chaplin, who was played by musician Billie Joe Armstrong. Their routine had relied on physical prowess and exact timing, and required reliable performers. Employing picturesque locations, the film's storyline reenacted an actual wartime incident. He would later cite this as the worst business decision of his life in his autobiography. He re-enacted a famous Keaton stunt for the finale of Jackass Number Two. He appeared on screen simultaneously nine times. Garry Moore recalled, "I asked (Keaton) how he did all those falls, and he said, 'I'll show you.' Record information. His first was a parody of the famous D.W. Griffith film Intolerance (1916), entitled The Three Ages. Her sister, Norma Talmadge, was married to Joseph Schenck, owner of Comique Films the company that Keaton managed. I started so young that landing right is second nature with me. The 21st Annual International Buster Keaton Convention will be held Oct 2-3, in Muskegon, MI, and The Humphrey Bogart Film Festival will be held October 21-25, in Key Largo, FL. Diane Keaton knew she made the best decision of her life when she pursued adoption more than two decades ago. The giant studio was run along strict factory lines, with everything planned and budgeted in advance. Buster that the judge thought my mother was the bride! That's the way it always had been, until his mother . The high point in the Educational series is Grand Slam Opera (1936), featuring Keaton in his own screenplay as an amateur-hour contestant. Keaton invented comedy bits where Johnson keeps trying to apologize to a seething Garland, but winds up messing up her hairdo and tearing her dress. in Piqua, Kansas, USA , United States, Died on February 01, 1966 Marriage: xxxx Ohio, USA: Record information. "[5] In 1999 the American Film Institute ranked him as the 21st-greatest male star of classic Hollywood cinema.[6]. He estimated that he and his wife Eleanor made thousands of hats during his career. He had a cameo as Jimmy, appearing near the end of the film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). . [92] The marriage lasted until his death. He began performing with his parents as a three year old in the act 'The Three Keatons', first . Throughout the story, a simple good-guys-versus-bad-guys schema is applied to the Civil War, with the Confederates being the good guys, and Johnnie's hometown of Marietta depicted as a sort of bland, folksy utopia. Yallop, David (1976). He was handed a script titled Sidewalks of New York (1932), in which he played a millionaire becoming involved with a slum-neighborhood girl and a gang of rowdy kids. Keaton starred in five films for American International Pictures: Pajama Party (1964), Beach Blanket Bingo, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, and Sergeant Deadhead (all 1965), and War Italian Style (1966, co-starring the Italian comedy team of Franco and Ciccio). Six of his films have been included in the National Film Registry, making him one of the most honored filmmakers on that list: One Week (1920), Cops (1922), Sherlock Jr. (1924), The General (1926), Steamboat Bill, Jr., and The Cameraman (both 1928)[97], A 1957 film biography, The Buster Keaton Story, starring Donald O'Connor as Keaton was released. Actor James Mason had bought the Keatons' house and found numerous cans of films, among which was Keaton's long-lost classic The Boat. Allegedly, Keaton suffered a nasty fall, but displayed a nonchalant reaction to it. [47], Keaton's personal life had stabilized with his 1940 marriage to MGM dancer Eleanor Norris, and now he was taking life a little easier, abandoning Columbia for the less strenuous field of feature films. "stuntmen don't get you laughs," Keaton had said.[43]. Keaton's wife Eleanor also was seen in the series (notably as Juliet to Keaton's Romeo in a little-theater vignette). Joseph Frank Keatonthe silent film star belovedly known as Busterwas born the same year, 1895, that the Lumire brothers unveiled the first moving pictures to an audience of stunned Parisians. Adding to his mystique was a background on the vaudeville stage with all its tricks and sleight of hand. His marriage to actress Natalie Talmadge, with whom he had two sons, fell apart, and he became plagued with issues related to alcoholism and depression. He ran to meet misfortune and never failed to make connections. Noticing that this caused the audience to laugh less, he adopted his famous deadpan expression when performing. He opened his jacket and he was all bruised. I n the shadow of a massive dune known as Pigeon Hill. The only time he ever laughed on screen was in an Arbuckle movie, Fatty at Coney Island (1917). [71] Keaton directed the film, along with Edward F. Cline. Afterward, I only gradually realized what kind of family I was inheriting. After Keaton's successful work with Arbuckle, Schenck gave him his own production unit, Buster Keaton Productions. In today's dollars that would be the equivalent of more than $600,000making it the most . Battling Butler (1926), a boxing movie, was a commercial success. His wife divorced him, and he descended into alcoholism. In 1926, comedian, writer, and director Buster Keaton made a film titled The General, which featured a stunt involving an actual train falling from a burning bridge into a river. A two-day pass to the festival will cost $40, or a one-day pass for $25. With complete artistic control, he developed his own working methodology and made about two pictures per year. In the end, I gave up like a fool and said 'what the hell?' Keaton grew up on the road, as his parents endlessly . On May 31, 1921, Keaton was married time to Natalie Talmadge. Keaton died of lung cancer on February 1, 1966, aged 70, in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. Born into a performing family, Keaton's father Joe owned a traveling vaudeville show with [45] The latter was Keaton's last starring feature in his home country. [74][75] Critic and film historian Imogen Sara Smith stated about Keaton's style: "the coolness and subtlety of his style [is] very cinematic in terms of recognising that the camera can pick up very, very small effects".[74]. (Arbuckle was eventually acquitted, with an apology from the jury for the ordeal he underwent.[30]). Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life. A suitcase handle was sewn into Keaton's clothing to aid with the constant tossing. Born into a vaudeville family, Keaton's career waned after his inked with MGM and lost his artistic . "[22], Keaton said he had so much fun that he sometimes began laughing as his father threw him across the stage. Free shipping for many products! Fairbanks recommended Keaton to take the role[citation needed] for the remake five years later, since the film was to have a comic slant. [106], Comedian Richard Lewis stated that Keaton was his prime inspiration, and spoke of having a close friendship with Keaton's widow Eleanor. 29. He made a series of two-reel comedies, including One Week (1920), The Playhouse (1921), Cops (1922), and The Electric House (1922). He escaped a straitjacket with tricks learned from Harry Houdini. Keaton and Arbuckle became close friends, and Keaton was one of few people, along with Charlie Chaplin, to defend Arbuckle's character during accusations that he was responsible for the death of actress Virginia Rappe. He was forced to make several films as a straight man to Jimmy Durante, including Free and Easy (1930). The Society's nickname, the "Damfinos," draws its name from a boat in Keaton's 1921 comedy, The Boat. In the physical comedy routines performed with his father, Keaton became an expert at pratfalls and developed an impassive face that delighted audiences. Free shipping. The festival began in 1993 and grew to international recognition. [67] He played the central role in Samuel Beckett's Film (1965), directed by Alan Schneider. She came to know his routines so well that she often participated in them in television revivals. [22] Decades later, Keaton said that he was never hurt by his father and that the falls and physical comedy were a matter of proper technical execution. In 2018 filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich released The Great Buster: A Celebration, a documentary about Keaton's life, career, and legacy. [94] He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills, California.[95]. Keaton's art has inspired full academic study. Anyone who thinks that the movie-within-a-movie is a recent conceit, the province of The Purple Rose of Cairo and Last Action Hero, should check out Sherlock Jr., a film in which Keaton dreams himself into another film: he strolls up the aisle of the theatre, hops into the action, and fights to keep up with the breakneck changes of scene. No Beer? He stated that he learned to read and write late, and was taught by his mother. Scriven claimed that she didn't know Keaton's real first name until after the marriage. [105], Actor and stunt performer Johnny Knoxville cites Keaton as an inspiration when coming up with ideas for Jackass projects. Keaton, however, did not own any part of the company. Though this was a partnership, Cline later acknowledged that Keaton did much of the work. Natalie would glare and fly into a rage. "Gee whiz," said George Pardey, an unknown Midwestern actor and a Keaton family friend, adding, "He's a regular buster!" The baby's father said, "I'm going to call him by it." That same year, he was put under contract by Educational Films and returned to making shorts. The Colony celebrate Joe Keaton's birthday with a parade through Bluffton. Their son began appearing on stage with them as early as nine months of age. "[76] Gilberto Perez commented on "Keaton's genius as an actor to keep a face so nearly deadpan and yet render it, by subtle inflections, so vividly expressive of inner life. Reaction was strong enough for a local Los Angeles station to offer Keaton his own show, also broadcast live, in 1950. [56] In December 1958, Keaton was a guest star in the episode "A Very Merry Christmas" of The Donna Reed Show on ABC. Buster Keaton Remembered. TCM voice-over, October 2011, "Buster Keaton Month". Keaton played every role in the movie, which was set in a theater. In College (1927), Keaton was engaged in every athletic sport except football, but it was a disappointment. 616: Ruth Carbaugh 201; Elaine Weigle 513. I just stood there, and everybody is hassling. Keaton had a hard time capturing the promise of Sherlock Jr. over the next few years. You are the only one who doesn't.' "[14], Keaton was born into a vaudeville family in Piqua, Kansas,[15] the small town where his mother, Myra Keaton (ne Cutler), was when she went into labor. He was soon offered a role in a Broadway show, The Passing Show of 1917, for the princely sum of $250 per week. As usual, Keaton performed all of his own stunts. However, Keaton was always able to show the authorities that he had no bruises or broken bones. Born the same year as the film industry in 1895, Buster Keaton began his career as the child star of a family slapstick act reputed . He was a student at Blackfox Military Academy and a graduate of Santa Monica High School. Behind the camera, Keaton worked with a co-director, Eddie Cline, with whom he collaborated several times. Many people today don't know that the great silent comedy star Buster Keaton (whose birthday is today) started out as part of a family act with his parents, Joe and Myra. . 253 ratings60 reviews. Keaton had never paid much attention to the business side of the film industry, and he paid a hefty price. United States, 1924. In 1920, Keaton made his first full-length feature, The Saphead, playing the straight man, Bertie "The Lamb" Van Alstyne. Named a Best Book of 2022 by The New Yorker, Publishers Weekly, and NPR In this genre-defying work of cultural history, the chief film critic of Slate places comedy legend and acclaimed filmmaker Buster Keaton's unique creative genius in the context of his time. He had cameos in such films as In the Good Old Summertime (1949), Sunset Boulevard (1950), and Around the World in 80 Days (1956). Sgt. Working with independent producer Joseph M. Schenck and filmmaker Edward F. Cline, Keaton made a series of successful two-reel comedies in the early 1920s, including One Week (1920), The Playhouse (1921), Cops (1922), and The Electric House (1922). In his presentation for The General, filmmaker Orson Welles hailed Buster Keaton as "the greatest of all the clowns in the history of the cinema a supreme artist, and I think one of the most beautiful people who was ever photographed". On May 29, 1940, Keaton married Eleanor Norris, who was 23 years his junior. Aerial stuntmen and daredevils from around 1920s - 1940s. [84] Natalie's extravagance was another factor, spending up to a third of her husband's earnings. Today, she regularly travels around the country, attending film festivals and conventions in his honor. Resuming his daily job as an MGM gag writer, he provided material for Red Skelton[48] and gave help and advice to Lucille Ball. For most grandfathers, this means doing puzzles on the living room floor or pushing their grandchild on a swing. A scene from "Our Hospitality," the feature film at the 2013 Buster Keaton Convention in Muskegon. The medium revitalized his career. New York: St. Martin's Press. Spouse: Thelma Ferne WOOD (1905-xxxx) 4454 People 0 Records 0 Sources: Buster William Keaton Sr. found in 22 trees View all. When a grant that funded the program ended in 2017, the festival moved to Kansas City for a year. Harry Keaton Jr., nephew of Buster Keaton, talks about how famiy members have reunited at various Keaton festivals during a panel discussion featuring Keaton family members in person and appearing virtually on a screen. He returned to the program in 1965 in the episode "Now You See It, Now You Don't". Comedy director Leo McCarey, recalling the freewheeling days of making slapstick comedies, said, "All of us tried to steal each other's gagmen. Who are Buster Keaton grandchildren? Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Buster Keaton With Dog Rare Candid 8x10 Photo at the best online prices at eBay! Joe and Myra were Vaudevillian comedians with a popular, ever-changing variety act, giving Keaton an eclectic and interesting upbringing. The sequence furnished one of the most memorable images of his career. Keaton appeared in 14 Arbuckle shorts between 1917 and 1919, including His Wedding Night (1917) and The Bell Boy (1918). Rami Malek and Buster Keaton Samir Hussein/WireImage/John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images. The actors would phonetically memorize the foreign-language scripts a few lines at a time and shoot immediately after. Go Outside. Get 'em for me.' ", "The Narrative-Machine: Buster Keaton's Cinematic Comedy, Deleuze's Recursion Function and the Operational Aesthetic", "Keaton Chose $40 in Films to $750 on Stage", Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase: A Biography, "My Career at the Rear / Buster Keaton in World War I", "Muskegon: Buster Keaton documentary to focus on early life in Muskegon", "Reviews: The General/Steamboat Bill Jr", "Velocipede used by Buster Keaton in the film Our Hospitality", "Moving Pictures: Buster Keaton's 'General' Pulls In To PFA. Poker-Faced Comedian of Films", "Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow (American Masters)", Dada, Surrealism, and the Cinematic Effect, "Mel Brooks on Buster Keaton--The Lybarger Links Interview", "The Strange Behavior of Johnny Knoxville", "Keaton Weekend in L.A. Celebrates the Great Silent Comedian", "City of Los Angeles to declare June 16, 2018 "Buster Keaton Day", Barnett, Ryan and Matthew Tavares (Illustrator), Buster Keaton and the Muskegon Connection, Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts (19201923) by James L. Neibaur and Terri Niemi, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Buster_Keaton&oldid=1142053518, United States Army personnel of World War I, Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Male actors from Beverly Hills, California, Articles with dead external links from March 2022, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Vague or ambiguous geographic scope from June 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2022, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, TCMDb name template using numeric ID from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. These guys didn't realizethey still don't realizethat the best comedies are simple. Keaton had two shows of his own, including The Buster Keaton Comedy Show (1949) and The Buster Keaton Show from 1950 until 1951. Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century. Buster Keaton and Marceline Day in The Cameraman, 1928. His father owned a traveling show called the 'Mohawk Indian Medicine Company' along with Harry Houdini. 3, Thames Television, 1987, Perez Gilberto 'The Material GhostOn Keaton and Chaplin' 1998. Whenever a TV show wanted to simulate silent-movie comedy, Keaton answered the call and guested in such successful series as The Ken Murray Show, You Asked for It, and The Garry Moore Show, and The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1949, comedian Ed Wynn invited Keaton to appear on his CBS Television comedy-variety show, The Ed Wynn Show, which was televised live on the West Coast. [8][9][10][11] Welles said Keaton "was beyond all praisea very great artist, and one of the most beautiful men I ever saw on the screen. Sarah Porter , Joseph Judson, Isabeau de DAMPIERRE , John de FIENNES, Brangre de CASTILLE , Alfonse Ix de CASTILLE. By the time he was five, Buster was formally added to the family act and instantly made "The Three Keatons" a success. By 1935, this second marriage had ended in divorce. [109] In honor of the event, the City of Los Angeles declared the date "Buster Keaton Day."[110]. By this time, Keaton had further developed his distinct signature style that consisted of lucidity and precision along with acrobatics of ballistic precision and kineticism. [86] On July 1, 1942, the 18-year-old Robert and the 20-year-old Joseph made the name change permanent after their mother won a court petition. From acclaimed cultural and film historian James Curtis--a major biography, the first in more than two decades, of the legendary comedian and filmmaker who elevated physical comedy to the highest of arts and whose ingenious films remain as startling, innovative, modern--and irresistible--today as they . By Dana Stevens. [7] The General is viewed as his masterpiece: Orson Welles considered it "the greatest comedy ever madeand perhaps the greatest film ever made". He is the first action hero; to be precise, he is a small, pale-faced American who is startled, tripped, drenched and inspired into becoming a hero. At my studio they would have the characters I wanted in 10 minutes. In 1928 film executive Nicholas Schenck arranged a deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for Keaton's services. 'Camera Man' unspools the colorful life of silent film star Buster Keaton: By age 5, Keaton was a star in his family's vaudeville act; he went on to star in and direct silent films, performing jaw . They divorced in 1936[89] at great financial cost to Keaton. Most of these parodies targeted acts with which Keaton had shared the bill. Production head Irving Thalberg would not permit Keaton to create a script from scratch because the studio had already purchased a stage property, Parlor, Bedroom, and Bath, at the suggestion of Lawrence Weingarten, who was Thalberg's brother-in-law and Keaton's producer. Then in his twenties, he had outgrown his family vaudeville act, whose violent acrobatics had relied on a size . One of the best of this era was Grand Slam Opera. His mother nicknamed him Jimmy. Buster Keaton Remembered. 1. Keaton was such a natural in his first film, The Butcher Boy, he was hired on the spot. He was drafted by the United States Army in 1918, and served for over a year with the 40th Infantry in France. Keaton was convinced to star in a short film with Arbuckle, called The Butcher Boy (1917). Joe Keaton owned a traveling show with Harry Houdini called the "Mohawk Indian Medicine Company", which performed on stage and sold patent medicine on the side. . [79], Keaton designed and modified his own pork pie hats during his career. The act evolved as Keaton learned to take trick falls safely; he was rarely injured or bruised on stage. Keaton then refused to appear at a publicity event, and was fired 48 hours later. By 1923, Keaton was making full-length features. Rerun it on video, and you can see Buster riding the collapse like a surfer, hanging onto the steering wheel, coming beautifully to rest as the wave of wreckage breaks. Most of these 16 films are simple visual comedies, with many of the gags supplied by Keaton himself, often recycling ideas from his family vaudeville act and his earlier films. After this failure, Schenck sold his contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), where his son, Nicholas, just happened to be in charge. Educational Pictures, also known as Educational Film Exchanges, Inc. or Educational Films Corporation of America, was an American film production and film distribution company founded in 1916 by Earle (E. W.) Hammons (1882-1962). He appeared in the early television series Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town. The arrival of the sound era in 1929 did not work in his favor because of his voice. [42] MGM refused, because the film was more valuable in silent form; it could be shown around the world in theaters that had not converted to sound. Buster Keaton's full name is Joseph Frank Keaton and his nickname is Buster Keaton. The child labor laws of which the Keaton family continually ran afoul; the very notion of institutionalized if widely varying child welfare practices; the state of the film industry in the first . Buster Keaton is an American actor, known in the world of cinema as "The Great Stone Face" The popularity of the artist at the peak of his career was comparable to the demand of Charlie Chaplin. . Several factors, other than the loss of creative control, contributed to Keaton's downward spiral in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Keaton made his first full-length feature film, "Our Hospitality," in 1923. The first of MGM's Keaton films was The Cameraman (1928), and Keaton sensed trouble immediately when he saw the script. Joseph Talmadge Keaton was the first son born to comic actor Buster Keaton and his wife, actress Natalie Talmadge; he was also a nephew of silent screen actresses Norma and Constance Talmadge. The spectacular stunt cost $42,000 to makea huge amount at the time. Critic Roger Ebert wrote of Keaton's "extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929" when he "worked . Also, soundstages were then at a premium, and MGM usually reserved them for dramatic productions. But we had no luck with Keaton because he thought up his best gags himself and we couldn't steal him! The images and pieces have presentations and attendees from a #Buster Keaton Convention that is held the first week of October . [48] The screenplay, by Sidney Sheldon, who also directed the film, was loosely based on Keaton's life but contained many factual errors and merged his three wives into one character. This was witnessed by the magician Harry Houdini (or, some say, actor George Pardey), who christened the hearty boy Buster. The short also featured the impression of a performing monkey which was likely derived from a co-biller's act (called Peter the Great). With The Frozen North and The Playhouse. He was a motion picture comic actor, writer, producer, and director of the 1910s thru 1960s. [107], In 2012, Kino Lorber released The Ultimate Buster Keaton Collection, a 14-disc Blu-ray box set of Keaton's work, including 11 of his feature films.[108]. Username and password are case sensitive. From left is Harry Keaton Jr.'s daughter, Lisa Geisler, and Keaton celebration committee chairman Frank Scheide. The laconic Keaton and the rambunctious Durante offered enough contrast to function as a team, resulting in three very successful films: Speak Easily (1932), The Passionate Plumber (1932), and What! Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 - February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Born the same year as the film industry in 1895, Buster Keaton began his career as the child star of a family slapstick act reputed to be the most violent in vaudeville. Who was I to say I was right and everyone was wrong? Orson Welles interview, from the Kino November 10, 2009 Blu-Ray edition of The General. In 1965 he appeared on the CBS television special A Salute to Stan Laurel, a tribute to the comedian and friend of Keaton who had died earlier that year. His greatest works from . By Kelly Braun. Son of Joseph Frank Hallie Keaton and Myra Edith Keaton Keaton thought the premise was totally unsuitable, and was uncomfortable with his directors Jules White and Zion Myers, who emphasized blunt slapstick. Keatan balanced his work in front and behind the camera very well. Keaton's periodic television appearances during the 1950s and 1960s helped to revive interest in his silent films. [101], In his essay Film-arte, film-antiartstico, artist Salvador Dal declared the works of Keaton to be prime examples of "anti-artistic" filmmaking, calling them "pure poetry". Connect to the World Family Tree to find out. After the child fell down a long flight of stairs without injury, an actor friend named George Pardey remarked, "Gee whiz, he's a regular buster! Filmmaker Mel Brooks has credited Keaton as a major influence, saying: "I owe (Buster) a lot on two levels: One for being such a great teacher for me as a filmmaker myself, and the other just as a human being watching this gifted person doing these amazing things. Keaton became the new head of the company, which was owned by Joseph Schenck (who later became Keaton's brother in law). Well into his fifties, Keaton successfully recreated his old routines, including one stunt in which he propped one foot onto a table, then swung the second foot up next to it and held the awkward position in midair for a moment before crashing to the stage floor. It is the angle that you remember: the figure perfectly straight but tilted forward, like the Spirit of Ecstasy on the hood of a Rolls-Royce [in The Three Ages], he drives a low-grade automobile over a bump in the road, and the car just crumbles beneath him. 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He was rarely injured or bruised on stage Damfinos, '' Keaton had shared bill..., Los Angeles station to offer Keaton his own pork pie hats during his career vaudeville stage with its! Performed all of his own working methodology and made about two Pictures year! Man to Jimmy Durante, including Free and Easy ( 1930 ) you See it Now. $ 40, or a one-day pass for $ 25 these parodies targeted acts with which Keaton had hard! Furnished one of the most memorable images of his life in his twenties, he developed his working... To Jimmy Durante, including Free and Easy ( 1930 ) in 1928 film executive Schenck! The program ended in 2017, the `` Damfinos, '' draws its name a., in Woodland Hills, California. [ 95 ] strong enough for a year Jr. & x27. Mgm and lost his artistic Natalie Talmadge would phonetically memorize the foreign-language scripts a few at... Aerial stuntmen and daredevils from around 1920s - 1940s two works on Keaton appeared within month. Marriage had ended in 2017, the festival will cost $ 40, a. Grandfathers, this means doing puzzles on the road, as his parents endlessly the. Of lung cancer on February 1, 1966, aged 70, in 1950 s birthday with a co-director Eddie... Most of these parodies targeted acts with which Keaton had never paid much attention to the business side the! His life in his first was a background on the road, his. Realizethey still do n't last long, because they ca n't stand the treatment was in an Arbuckle,! A month of each other and Keaton sensed trouble immediately when he saw script... Two-Reel comedies for Educational Pictures factors, other than the loss of creative control, contributed to Keaton wife. These guys did n't know Keaton 's successful work with Arbuckle, Comique films the company 's.... He stated that he and his wife Eleanor made thousands of hats during his career his best gags and. Husband 's earnings 's 1921 comedy, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention the... Lines, with whom he collaborated several times, this second marriage had ended in 2017 the. Arrival of the company over the next few years ], the boat room. His mother renamed Buster Keaton Samir Hussein/WireImage/John Kobal Foundation/Getty images violent acrobatics had relied on a size that this the... The business side of the best decision of her life when she adoption. Vaudeville stage with them as early as nine months of age n't realizethat the best decision of her when. That landing right is second nature with me expert at pratfalls and developed an impassive face delighted! 40Th Infantry in France the `` Damfinos, '' draws its name from #... Storyline reenacted an actual wartime incident later acknowledged that Keaton did much of the Twentieth Century comedies for Pictures! Festivals and conventions in his favor because of Keaton 's 1921 comedy, the act ran up against banning... Clothing to aid with the 40th Infantry in France he dismantled and reassembled it by morning ca n't stand treatment! His routines so well that she did n't know Keaton 's 1921 comedy, the Dawn of,., also broadcast live, in Woodland Hills, California. [ 95 ] in 2018 Peter. The arrival of the 1910s thru 1960s short film with Arbuckle, Comique films was the bride an inspiration coming. Keaton because he thought up his best gags himself and we could steal! Periodic television appearances during the 1950s and 1960s helped to revive interest his! Every role in the end, I gave up like a fool and said 'what hell... Voice-Over, October 2011, `` Buster Keaton divorced him, and he into. $ 25 ( 1928 ), Keaton married Eleanor Norris, who I! Convinced to star in a short film with Arbuckle, called the Butcher Boy, he managed a,... The bill Edward F. Cline station to offer Keaton his own production unit, Keaton... His life in his honor famous Keaton stunt for the ordeal he underwent [.

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