Keaton played every role in the movie, which was set in a theater. [92] The marriage lasted until his death. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the latest celebrity news, but don't worry we have you covered. Known as "The Great Stone Face," Keaton got big laughs out of his relentlessly blank expression in silent film comedies like The Saphead (1920), Sherlock, Jr. (1924), and his famous The General (1927). In 1920, The Saphead was released, in which Keaton had his first starring role in a full-length feature. 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 . "[28], In February 1917, he met Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle at the Talmadge Studios in New York City, where Arbuckle was under contract to Joseph M. Schenck. 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". [46] Keaton had a free hand in staging the films, within the studio's budgetary limits and using its staff writers. Prikryl, Jana (July 9, 2011), "The Genius of Buster". Buster Keaton and Ernest . A century has passed since Buster Keaton entered the plum decade of his career. Keaton, Eleanor, and Vance, Jeffrey (2001). Yallop, David (1976). Over time, things grew unpleasant between Buster and his dad . [16][17][18] According to a frequently repeated story, which may be apocryphal,[19] Keaton acquired the nickname Buster at the age of 18 months. 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. [93] Despite being diagnosed with cancer in January 1966, he was never told he was terminally ill. Keaton thought that he was recovering from a severe case of bronchitis. Keaton died of lung cancer on February 1, 1966, aged 70, in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. Keatan balanced his work in front and behind the camera very well. that MGM fired him after the filming was completed, despite the film being a commercial hit. As for The General, where do you start? Connect to the World Family Tree to find out. Buster Keaton. [69] Three Ages also featured parodies of Bible stories, like those of Samson and Daniel. His first directorial effort, The High Sign, was a short that apparently did not work very well. His great period began in 1923 when he appeared in The Three Ages and a year later he made a full length comedy . In In the Good Old Summertime, Keaton personally directed the stars Judy Garland and Van Johnson in their first scene together, where they bump into each other on the street. Keaton's widow, Eleanor, attended for a couple of years. Plus two cats, a dog, and a St. Bernard. The guest of honor and his bride Myra Keaton ride Minnie . [21] In Keaton's retelling, he was six months old when the incident occurred, and Harry Houdini gave him the nickname (though the family did not get to know Houdini until later). Wrong username or password. The Society's nickname, the "Damfinos," draws its name from a boat in Keaton's 1921 comedy, The Boat. Cox remembers him as being a lot of fun, and she always enjoyed visits to . The first ten minutes of The General tell us everything we need to know about its embrace of the Confederacy and its white supremacy. 33. login . That's the way it always had been, until his mother . Look at his faceas beautiful but as inhuman as a butterflyand you see that utter failure to identify sentiment. In 1950, he played himself in Sunset Boulevard. He was named "Joseph" to continue a tradition on his father's sidehe was sixth in a line bearing the name Joseph Keatonand "Frank" for his maternal grandfather, who disapproved of the parents' union. Maltin, Leonard, The Great Movie Comedians, Bell Publishing, 1978, Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow, Chap. Keaton found his footing with his next film, One Week (1920), which focused on the tribulations of a do-it-yourself house. [19] He was briefly institutionalized, according to the Turner Classic Movies documentary So Funny It Hurt. Critics rediscovered Keaton in 1949 and producers occasionally hired him for bigger "prestige" pictures. Spouse: Thelma Ferne WOOD (1905-xxxx) 4454 People 0 Records 0 Sources: Buster William Keaton Sr. found in 22 trees View all. He stated that he learned to read and write late, and was taught by his mother. 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. Now that many women are having their first child in their 30s, many men in their 70s are spending time with toddlers or pre-school kids. Keaton said that he canceled the filmed series himself, because he was unable to create enough fresh material to produce a new show each week. . [24] Despite tangles with the law, Keaton was a rising star in the theater. Keaton suffered from several personal crises as well. [67] He played the central role in Samuel Beckett's Film (1965), directed by Alan Schneider. John Schneider, commander of the Toledo post, announced. A two-day pass to the festival will cost $40, or a one-day pass for $25. MGM also forced Keaton to use a stunt double during some of the more dangerous scenes, something he had never done in his heyday, as MGM wanted badly to protect its investment. That's how Buster Keaton got his name, and the world got the third brilliant member of its silent-screen Comedic Triumvirate: Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Buster Keaton. Peter Hogue wrote in Film Comment, "Keaton is astonishing not only for what he does as an actor within the frame, but also for what he does with frame in relation to the actor. Myra played the saxophone to one side, while Joe and Keaton performed center stage. [80], On May 31, 1921, Keaton married Natalie Talmadge, his leading lady in Our Hospitality, and the sister of actresses Norma Talmadge (married to his business partner Joseph M. Schenck at the time) and Constance Talmadge, at Norma's home in Bayside, Queens. He was a motion picture comic actor, writer, producer, and director of the 1910s thru 1960s. [80] The hats were often destroyed during Keaton's wild film antics; some were given away as gifts and some were snatched by souvenir hunters. . Keaton had a short-lived second marriage with Mae Elizabeth Scriven, a nurse, hairstylist and playwright. It's just where his parents, two traveling vaudevillians, happened to be performing. Also, soundstages were then at a premium, and MGM usually reserved them for dramatic productions. [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". In 1949, Keaton appeared on television for the first time. The series benefited from a company of veteran actors, including Marcia Mae Jones as the ingenue, Iris Adrian, Dick Wessel, Fuzzy Knight, Dub Taylor, Philip Van Zandt, and his silent-era contemporaries Harold Goodwin, Hank Mann, and stuntman Harvey Parry. the Number One enemy by giving generously te the Heart Fuad. According to one biographer, Keaton was made to go to school while performing in New York, but only attended for part of one day. 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. But it's even more pleasurable to get back to the presentwhere brooding, miserable, non-smiling Humphrey Bogart really shines. [100] Hirschfeld said that modern film stars were more difficult to depict, that silent film comedians such as Laurel and Hardy and Keaton "looked like their caricatures". The theatrical feature film The Misadventures of Buster Keaton was fashioned from the series. On June 16, 2018, the International Buster Keaton Society laid a four-foot plaque in honor of both Keaton and Charles Chaplin on the corner of the shared block (1021 Lillian Ave) where each had made many of their silent comedies in Hollywood. Sgt. Wayne Barker on Piano. Keaton observed that during his silent period, such a hat cost him around two dollars (~$2733 in 2022 dollars); at the time of his interview, he said, they cost almost $13 (~$116 in 2022 dollars). A vaudeville child star, Keaton grew up to be a tinkerer, an athlete, a visual mathematician; his films offer belly laughs of mind-boggling physical invention and a spacey determination that nears philosophical grandeur. The one-story house, built in 1947, was bought with the $50,000 given to Buster by Paramount for the screen rights to his life story. They eventually had two sons, Joseph and Robert. . The act evolved as Keaton learned to take trick falls safely; he was rarely injured or bruised on stage. [61][62][63][64][65], Meanwhile, Keaton's big-screen career continued. Actor James Mason had bought the Keatons' house and found numerous cans of films, among which was Keaton's long-lost classic The Boat. After the company shut its doors in 1937, Keaton was re-signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, but only as a gagman. He was a student at Blackfox Military Academy and a graduate of Santa Monica High School. The resulting film, The Buster Keaton Story (1957) starring Donald O'Connor, was frankly terrible (Eleanor recalled attending a preview with Buster and how they "felt like crawling out on our hands and knees"), but it did give them the ability to finally . Comment. "[44] Keaton made the film anyway, and was amazed that it became his biggest box office success. Despite Renewed Interest, Only a Handful of Buster Keaton's Classic Comedies Are on Tape", "Buster Keaton For Simon Pure Beer Brookston Beer Bulletin", "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960)", "Buster Keaton in Maryvale, Arizona in 1961", "Buster Keaton at Maryvale Shopping City in 1961", "Buster Keaton at the Bowlero in 1961, Maryvale, Arizona", "Buster Keaton at the Lantern Inn in 1961, Maryvale, Arizona", "Buster Keaton Rides Again: Return of 'The Great Stone Face', "Why Buster Keaton is today's most influential actor", "The City of Beverly Hills: Historic Resources Inventory (19851986)", "Interviews: Melissa Talmadge Cox (Buster Keaton's Granddaughter)", "Buster Keaton's Second Wife Sues Him for Divorce", "Buster Keaton, 70, Dies on Coast. Keaton managed to get his drinking under control by 1934, after a short time in Europe where he appeared in several films including Le roi des Champs-Elyses (1934). Keaton was a seminal comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and director that shaped the industry for years to come, even though the industry stole the creative control that made his early films so valuable. In 1925, Dal produced a collage titled The Marriage of Buster Keaton featuring an image of the comedian in a seated pose, staring straight ahead with his trademark boater hat resting in his lap. [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. Her sister, Norma Talmadge, was married to Joseph Schenck, owner of Comique Films the company that Keaton managed. He began performing with his parents as a three year old in the act 'The Three Keatons', first . Who was I to say I was right and everyone was wrong? He appeared on shows such as Playhouse 90, Route 66, and The Twilight Zone. [106], Comedian Richard Lewis stated that Keaton was his prime inspiration, and spoke of having a close friendship with Keaton's widow Eleanor. I said, 'I'd like to do something with a drunk and a fat lady and a kid. Joe and Myra were Vaudevillian comedians with a popular, ever-changing variety act, giving Keaton an eclectic and interesting upbringing. Keaton had two shows of his own, including The Buster Keaton Comedy Show (1949) and The Buster Keaton Show from 1950 until 1951. Record information. I Image: Wikimedia Commons. Mini Bio (1) Joseph Frank Keaton was born on October 4, 1895 in Piqua, Kansas, to Joe Keaton and Myra Keaton. 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. Marriage: xxxx Ohio, USA: Record information. [104], Keaton's Sherlock Jr., in which he walks into the movie he is projecting, was an influence Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo, in which a character walks out of a movie and into real life. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Buster Keaton With Family Rare Candid 8x10 Photo at the best online prices at eBay! In addition to appearing in numerous commercials (including one for Alka-Seltzer), Keaton made many guest appearances in both comedies and dramas. Joseph Frank Keaton IV was born October 4, 1895, in Piqua, Kansas. 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. [7] The General is viewed as his masterpiece: Orson Welles considered it "the greatest comedy ever madeand perhaps the greatest film ever made". Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd advised him against making the move, cautioning that he would lose his independence. Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century. You are the only one who doesn't.' 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! 8 'A Woman of Paris'. Photograph: Ronald Grant. [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 College (1927), Keaton was engaged in every athletic sport except football, but it was a disappointment. [102], Film critic Roger Ebert stated, "The greatest of the silent clowns is Buster Keaton, not only because of what he did, but because of how he did it. Born into a vaudeville family, Keaton's career waned after his inked with MGM and lost his artistic . The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 - February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. 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). He would later cite this as the worst business decision of his life in his autobiography. She filed for divorce in 1935 after finding him with Leah Clampitt Sewell, the wife of millionaire Barton Sewell,[88] in a hotel in Santa Barbara. Orson Welles interview, from the Kino November 10, 2009 Blu-Ray edition of The General. The Day the Laughter Stopped. By Dana Stevens. 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. 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