A wonderful review of a new biography of Buster Keaton. Sounds very inspiring.
Dennis Drabelle, the reviewer, writes:
Unlike so many other silent-era comedians, Keaton relied less on slapstick than on ingenuity, crack stunt work (almost always by the star himself) and surprise.
The apotheosis of the Keaton approach is the fluidity of “Sherlock, Jr.,” in which a projectionist dreams his way into the film he is showing. It all looks effortless, but the trickery required meticulous preparation. Keaton’s entry into the movie is followed by a series of vignettes in which the background undergoes wild changes while he remains immobile. To effect this, the crew had to measure him “from multiple angles using surveying instruments.” As McPherson sums it up, Keaton had “filmed the impossible.” “Sherlock, Jr.” and the longer, more textured “The General” are the summits of his career, perhaps of silent comedy itself.
Keaton was amazing. He was a sad figure, ultimately. He was poorly handled by the studios, and didn’t make the changeover from silent films to talkies very well. His wife was a bit of a “case,” and he began to drink a lot. In some of his movies during that period, it is easy to see he is drunk and/or not doing well. Charlie Chaplin knew he was a genius, and put Keaton in his film, Limelight–partly to help Keaton’s struggling finances. I have read that Chaplin cut Keaton’s part when he felt Keaton was stealing the picture, but there are some great scenes with the two of them. The movie is not a worldbeater, but any film with those two is worth seeing. I encourage any film fan to seek out Keaton’s movies–you are in for a real treat. If his career had been handled differently, he would be even better known and admired than he is.
I think Keaton’s best film is probably “The General”, but “Seven Chances” is my favorite. It culminates in an indescribable chase sequence with Buster in full wedding regalia being pursued by 500 angry would-be brides.
The General.. recently voted as 65 in a list of the 100 Greatest War Films of all time.
It would be high up in a list of the greatest comedies too.
Oh hell yes. Kino put out all his silent shorts and features in a wonderfully restored set, which I happily (and expensively) devoured.
The completely forgettable The Bachelor starring Chris O’Donnell that came out a few years ago is a remake of Seven Chances. It’s not worthy of wiping the butt of the original.