Buster Keaton Delivers!

Here is some more material for your consideration on the greatest silent comedian America produced, Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton.

First off, a short memoir from one of Buster's female co-stars, Bartine Burkett Zane, who was in a classic two reeler with Buster called "The High Sign". The comedy features our hero as a hapless railway wayfarer who begins the film by thrown off a moving train onto the tracks near a small town depot. He and his girl get caught up in a nefarious crime syndicate of desperate men called "The Blinking Buzzards". (The latter also serves as the name of the British Buster Keaton Society, which meet regularly in Kennington, London.)

The article features some interesting insights into what small town Hollywood was like back at the beginning of the 1920's. It also reveals--no surprise here--that Buster Keaton was a good gent who enjoyed a bit of excitement away from the studio, some unpretentious social life at local night spots, and playing reasonably harmless practical jokes on friends.

http://www.hollywoodtimemachine.com/bartine

In keeping with the theme of Buster and the ladies, I also include a link to clips from a You Tube tribute to Buster, this time with a romantic theme. It was editted by El Kaye,who has several other fine Keaton compilations posted for viewing. The appropriate music is by Bryan Adams. What I really like about this compilation is how well you can see Buster's romantic side in his characters--he wasn't just an acrobat or pratfall expert, although he was a genius at gags that included such derring-do. Buster could be very subtle and a very convincing leading man.

http://www.youtube.com/v/6qQ6oXB1VyY

And last but not least here is a link to Buster himself being interviewed in 1958. It is from a Columbia University website. The audio of Buster speaking is far superior to the transcript and you should scroll down halfway through the page at each of the four "sessions" to get the full flavor of the interview .

http://www.fathom.com/course/10701030/index.html

pictured above: Keaton tries out for the ballteam in a stillshot from his first-rate feature film, "College" (1927) .

In real life, Buster played baseball avidly and his studio had their own teams that would play while he and his writers thought up more ideas and gags for the work at hand.