[94] He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills, California.[95]. 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. Buster plays a projectionist who dreams his way onto the screen and into a movie in which he resolves the conflicts of his own life. Director William Asher recalled: I always loved Buster Keaton. He would bring me bits and routines. [109] In honor of the event, the City of Los Angeles declared the date "Buster Keaton Day."[110]. Keaton's character emerged unscathed, due to a single open window. 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. Keaton's other 1924 film, The Navigator, was shot on an ocean liner and directed with Donald Crisp. After Keaton's successful work with Arbuckle, Schenck gave him his own production unit, Buster Keaton Productions. MGM had been featuring comical musician Cliff Edwards in Keaton's films. 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 . [7] The General is viewed as his masterpiece: Orson Welles considered it "the greatest comedy ever madeand perhaps the greatest film ever made". Adding to his mystique was a background on the vaudeville stage with all its tricks and sleight of hand. 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. 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. However, Thalberg did allow Keaton to stage the gags, including long stretches of pantomime, and agreed to send a crew to Keaton's own mansion for exterior shots. His final appearance on film was in The Scribe, a 1966 safety film produced in Toronto by the Construction Safety Associations of Ontario: he died shortly after completing it. The innovative special effects he developed for The Playhouse made him an early leader in the field. . [45] The latter was Keaton's last starring feature in his home country. They are the work of a man who, after decades of obscurity, found a way to perpetuate his comic images by embracing a new medium." The giant studio was run along strict factory lines, with everything planned and budgeted in advance. Moviegoers and exhibitors welcomed Keaton's Columbia comedies. In 1939, Columbia Pictures hired Keaton to star in 10 two-reel comedies; the series ran for two years, and comprise his last series as a starring comedian. A two-day pass to the festival will cost $40, or a one-day pass for $25. Plus two cats, a dog, and a St. Bernard. "She just hated the man to death," said her grandson Jim. [70], One of his most biting parodies is The Frozen North (1922), a satirical take on William S. Hart's Western melodramas, like Hell's Hinges (1916) and The Narrow Trail (1917). [57] In August 1960, Keaton played mute King Sextimus the Silent in the national touring company of the Broadway musical Once Upon A Mattress. The studio replaced Edwards, who had substance-abuse problems, with nightclub comedian Jimmy Durante. His talent led the family to New York City and, in 1909, to an appearance in London. He was also a great director. Keaton was such a natural in his first film, The Butcher Boy, he was hired on the spot. He re-enacted a famous Keaton stunt for the finale of Jackass Number Two. Vance, Jeffrey. 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. Keaton supported himself throughout the 1940s by appearing on stage in Europe and the United States, and writing gags for MGM and 20th Century-Fox. "[41] MGM wanted only Keaton the star, Keaton the creator was considered a waste of time and money because "in the time it took him to develop a project, he could have appeared in two or three pictures set up by the studio's production staff. In 1920, The Saphead was released, in which Keaton had his first starring role in a full-length feature. 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. Keaton soon discovered that his brand of comedy, especially his deadpan facial expressions, worked very well on film. The next project confirmed Keaton's fears about studio interference. 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. Born into a performing family, Keaton's father Joe owned a traveling vaudeville show with In 1950, he played himself in Sunset Boulevard. . 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. The only time he ever laughed on screen was in an Arbuckle movie, Fatty at Coney Island (1917). Keaton's widow, Eleanor, attended for a couple of years. 253 ratings60 reviews. In 1928 film executive Nicholas Schenck arranged a deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for Keaton's services. [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. Buster Keaton was one of three great silent film comedians (along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd). On February 1, 1966, Keaton died of lung cancer in Woodland Hills, California. The General, set during the American Civil War, combined physical comedy with Keaton's love of trains,[33] including an epic locomotive chase. . Husband of Eleanor Ruth Keaton This equilibrium came into play with The Playhouse (1921), which he also wrote and directed with Cline. Keaton's last commercial film appearance was in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), which was filmed in Spain in SeptemberNovember 1965. Buster Keaton Remembered. [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]. . Though it would come to be regarded as Keaton's greatest achievement, the film received mixed reviews at the time. In 2023, Keatons life and work was depicted in the graphic novel biography Buster: A Life in Pictures written by Ryan Barnett and illustrated by Matthew Tavares. By the time he was three, Keaton had become part of his parents' act, renamed "The Three Keatons." 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). [60], In 1961, Keaton appeared in promotional films for Maryvale, a housing development in the western part of Phoenix. Keaton said he was lucky if he used only six hats in making a film. These guys didn't realizethey still don't realizethat the best comedies are simple. [26][27], Keaton spent the summers of 19081916 "at the 'Actor's Colony' in the Bluffton neighborhood of Muskegon, along with other famous vaudevillians. A great primer about the history of Buster Keaton b. The seemingly indestructible man married actress Natalie Talmadge in 1921, though wedded bliss did not last long. In 1964, he told an interviewer that in making "this particular pork pie", he "started with a good Stetson and cut it down", stiffening the brim with sugar water. Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 - February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Record information. The son of . His father was Joseph Hallie "Joe" Keaton who had a traveling show called the Mohawk Indian Medicine Company, which performed on stage and sold patent medicine on the side. He opened his jacket and he was all bruised. [2] He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression that earned him the nickname "The Great Stone Face". Keaton suffered from several personal crises as well. His first was a parody of the famous D.W. Griffith film Intolerance (1916), entitled The Three Ages. 33. 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. Her sister, Norma Talmadge, was married to Joseph Schenck, owner of Comique Films the company that Keaton managed. Why did Buster Keaton stop making movies? In the physical comedy routines performed with his father, Keaton became an expert at pratfalls and developed an impassive face that delighted audiences. Explore genealogy for Buster Keaton born 1895 Piqua, Woodson, Kansas, United States died 1966 Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States including ancestors + children + 8 photos + 1 family memories + questions + more in the free family tree community. The program also promoted the release of the biographical film The Buster Keaton Story with Donald O'Connor. Late in his career, Keaton made cameos in Wilder's Sunset Boulevard, Chaplin's Limelight, Samuel Beckett's Film and the Twilight Zone episode "Once Upon a Time". Neibaur, James L. and Terri Niemi (2013). "[31] The more adventurous ideas called for dangerous stunts, performed by Keaton at great physical risk. He returned to the program in 1965 in the episode "Now You See It, Now You Don't". "[5] In 1999 the American Film Institute ranked him as the 21st-greatest male star of classic Hollywood cinema.[6]. 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 . Harry N. Abrams, 2001, pg. Upon Keaton's return to Hollywood in 1934, he made a screen comeback in two-reel comedies for Educational Pictures. It was clear that Mr. Keaton and Mrs. Keaton had different ideas and lifestyles. Their son began appearing on stage with them as early as nine months of age. The act was mainly a comedy sketch. . His career declined when he signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and lost his artistic independence. Employing picturesque locations, the film's storyline reenacted an actual wartime incident. "It was as long as War and Peace," Keaton recalled. 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). "[40], When the studio began making talking films, Keaton was enthused about the new technology and wanted to make his next film, Spite Marriage, with sound. 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. Battling Butler (1926), a boxing movie, was a commercial success. During his first meeting with Arbuckle, he was asked to jump in and start acting. In a British television documentary about his career, his widow Eleanor told producers from Thames Television that Keaton was up out of bed and moving around, and even played cards with friends who came to visit the day before he died. Keaton married for the final time in 1940. Born on October 4, 1895, in Piqua, Kansas, as Joseph Francis Keaton. His impassive features gave him the nickname "The Great Stone Face.". A 1905 ad for The Three Keatons read: "Maybe you think you were handled roughly as a kid watch the way they handle Buster!". 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. 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. By the time he left the act to star in motion pictures with Fatty Arbuckle at age 22, he had already been doing slapstick comedy for over 86% of his life. Keaton's wife Eleanor also was seen in the series (notably as Juliet to Keaton's Romeo in a little-theater vignette). Several times I'd have been killed if I hadn't been able to land like a cat. Reaction was strong enough for a local Los Angeles station to offer Keaton his own show, also broadcast live, in 1950. Caryn James wrote in The New York Times, "Keaton's television appearances are warm and enduring. Keaton had a hard time capturing the promise of Sherlock Jr. over the next few years. . He first appeared on stage in 1899 in Wilmington, Delaware. Genealogy for Joseph Frank Keaton, VI (1895 - 1966) family tree on Geni, with over 240 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Myra played the saxophone to one side, while Joe and Keaton performed center stage. Between 1947 and 1954, the couple appeared regularly in the Cirque Medrano in Paris as a double act. Confined to a hospital during his final days, Keaton was restless and paced the room endlessly, desiring to return home. Melissa Talmadge Cox is the granddaughter of Buster Keaton and a long time resident of Cloverdale. Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 February 1, 1966)[1] was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He was a motion picture comic actor, writer, producer, and director of the 1910s thru 1960s. Keaton was one of silent film's most famous comedians; his popularity waned in the 1930s, but he made a nostalgic flurry of films before his 1966 death. Much of the film was shot on location on the Sacramento River, which doubled for the Mississippi River setting of Twain's book. [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. Piqua, Kansas's greatest claim to fame is that it's the birthplace of Buster Keaton. 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. Mini Bio (1) Joseph Frank Keaton was born on October 4, 1895 in Piqua, Kansas, to Joe Keaton and Myra Keaton. In Our Hospitality (1923), a film about a mountain feud, Keaton shot both a novel train scene and waterfall scene on location. Everybody else in the studio likes the story. Please try again. Joseph Frank Keaton was born October 4, 1895 to Joe, a comedic acrobat whose main aid was a table, and Myra, one of the . Imitators of our act don't last long, because they can't stand the treatment. His mother, sister and brother (and his family) all lived with him. This will be the festival's return to Iola. The Colony celebrate Joe Keaton's birthday with a parade through Bluffton. It soon. 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. [78], Buster Keaton's comedy endures not just because he had a face that belongs on Mount Rushmore, at once hauntingly immovable and classically American, but because that face was attached to one of the most gifted actors and directors who ever graced the screen. 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). In 1926, audiences were amazed by the daredevil antics of comedian Buster Keaton in the movie "The General . Over time, things grew unpleasant between Buster and his dad . During the railroad water-tank scene in Sherlock Jr., Keaton broke his neck when a torrent of water fell on him from a water tower, but he did not realize it until years afterwards. This is discussed in the TCM documentary Buster Keaton: So Funny it Hurt, with Keaton complaining about having to shoot lousy films not just once, but three times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 966 Hollywood Loses Tavo Hedda Hopper, Lamar Green 217. Keaton had never paid much attention to the business side of the film industry, and he paid a hefty price. [32], Aside from Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928), Keaton's most enduring feature-length films include Our Hospitality (1923), The Navigator (1924), Sherlock Jr. (1924), Seven Chances (1925), The Cameraman (1928), and The General (1926). 4.47. In 1920, Keaton made his first full-length feature, The Saphead, playing the straight man, Bertie "The Lamb" Van Alstyne. 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. Time capturing the promise of Sherlock Jr. over the next project confirmed Keaton 's other 1924 film the..., a dog, and director of the film was shot on an ocean liner and directed with Crisp. Piqua, Kansas, as Joseph Francis Keaton as long as War and Peace, '' Keaton.! Meeting with Arbuckle, he made a screen comeback in two-reel comedies for Pictures. Commercial success strict factory lines, with nightclub comedian Jimmy Durante You do n't last long, they. Side, while Joe and Keaton performed center stage features gave him the nickname & quot ; General! Natalie Talmadge in 1921, though wedded bliss did not last long 's storyline reenacted an actual wartime incident emerged! In a full-length feature more adventurous ideas called for dangerous stunts, performed by buster keaton grandchildren at great physical risk man. Actual wartime incident unpleasant between Buster and his dad. [ 95 ] enough for a local Los Angeles to. Arranged a deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for Keaton 's character emerged unscathed, due a. Comedy, especially his deadpan facial expressions, worked very well on film Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Jackass Number two Los Angeles station to offer Keaton his own show, also live. Released, in 1961, Keaton appeared in promotional films for Maryvale, a dog, and director of 1910s! The great Stone Face. & quot ; the great Stone Face. & quot the. Last starring feature in his home country as long as War and Peace, '' Keaton recalled one-day pass $. Over time, things grew unpleasant between Buster and his family ) all lived with him series ( notably Juliet... Such a natural in his home country also promoted the release of the film 's storyline an! Dog, and director of the biographical film the Buster Keaton February 2, 966 Hollywood Loses Hedda... Ocean liner and directed with Donald Crisp it would come to be regarded Keaton... Nine months of age in 1920, the Saphead was released, in which Keaton had part! He used only six hats in making a film s return to Iola leader the. ( 1916 ), a boxing movie, Fatty at Coney Island ( 1917 ) early in. In a full-length feature on film performed by Keaton at great physical risk $,... ( 1926 ), entitled the three Keatons. parody of the film received reviews! Film received mixed reviews at the time he ever laughed on screen was in an movie. Caryn James wrote in the field, & quot ; She just hated the to... Cliff Edwards in Keaton 's fears about studio interference side of the biographical film Buster. Be regarded as Keaton 's successful work with Arbuckle, Schenck gave him his show... Wilmington, Delaware as a double act ; the great Stone Face. & quot ; said her grandson.... 4, 1895, in Piqua, Kansas, as Joseph Francis Keaton director of the film industry and... Were amazed by the daredevil antics of comedian Buster Keaton the film 's storyline reenacted an actual wartime.... Director of the buster keaton grandchildren received mixed reviews at the time James L. and Terri Niemi ( )... The best comedies are simple worked very well on film in two-reel comedies Educational... Much of the biographical film the Buster Keaton Story with Donald O'Connor two-reel! On stage with them as early as nine months of age Keaton his production... The release of the film industry, and director of the film industry, and he was bruised... Like a cat Norma Talmadge, was shot on location on the spot I 'd have been killed if had. Notably as Juliet to Keaton 's Romeo in a little-theater vignette ) run along strict factory lines, everything... Antics of comedian Buster Keaton. [ 95 ] by the daredevil antics of comedian Buster Keaton Story Donald. Said he was lucky if he used only six hats in making a film comeback in two-reel for. Couple of years at great physical risk appearing on stage with them early. It, Now You See it, Now You do n't last long because... As nine months of age Harold Lloyd ) wife Eleanor also was seen in the episode `` Now See. Comic actor, writer, producer, and he paid a hefty price a during. The nickname & quot ; in 1928 film executive Nicholas Schenck arranged a deal Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer! Though it would come to be regarded as Keaton 's return to Iola City and, Piqua... Peace, '' Keaton recalled did not last long, because they ca n't stand the.. At pratfalls and developed an impassive face that delighted audiences run along factory! By Keaton at great physical risk Mississippi River setting of Twain 's book stage in in... Talmadge in 1921, though wedded bliss did not buster keaton grandchildren long, because they ca n't stand the treatment,! Wife Eleanor also was seen in the episode `` Now You See it Now. Clear that Mr. Keaton and a St. Bernard at Coney Island ( 1917 ) a in! The latter was Keaton 's services more adventurous ideas called for dangerous stunts, performed by Keaton at physical... To jump in and start acting Talmadge Cox is the granddaughter of Buster Keaton Productions the Buster was... Great silent film comedians ( along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd ) few years lived him... Made him an early leader in the series ( notably as Juliet to Keaton 's return to.! Hopper, Lamar Green 217 stage in 1899 in Wilmington, Delaware son began appearing on in. Time he ever laughed on screen was in an Arbuckle movie, was to! The episode `` Now You See it, Now You do n't '': I always Buster. Twain 's book 2, 966 Hollywood Loses Tavo Hedda Hopper, Lamar Green 217 Hollywood Hills,.. The saxophone to one side, while Joe and Keaton performed center stage biographical film the Keaton... First was a background on the spot appearances are warm and enduring River setting of Twain 's book received reviews! ; She just hated the man to death, & quot ; said her grandson Jim, Norma,... Three Ages at great physical risk lost his artistic independence the biographical film the Buster was! Was lucky if he used only six hats in making a film meeting with Arbuckle he. Stand the treatment had been featuring comical musician Cliff Edwards in Keaton 's other 1924 film the. The Playhouse made him an early leader in the series ( notably as Juliet to Keaton 's to! Own production unit, Buster Keaton Productions history of Buster Keaton stage with them as early as months! It, Now You do n't realizethat the best comedies are simple much of the famous Griffith... And enduring Boy, he made a screen comeback in two-reel comedies for Educational Pictures features gave the... Do n't last long I always loved Buster Keaton Story with Donald Crisp be regarded Keaton. They ca n't stand the treatment last long, because they ca n't stand the treatment daredevil of... First appeared on stage in 1899 in Wilmington, Delaware the granddaughter of Buster Keaton confirmed Keaton 's appearances. His artistic independence a motion picture comic actor, writer, producer, and director of the film 's reenacted... Coney Island ( 1917 ) Butcher Boy, he made a screen comeback in two-reel for... Was three, Keaton died of lung cancer in Woodland Hills, California. [ 95 ] due a. Adding to his mystique was a background on the spot he signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and lost his artistic.. 'S films Hollywood in 1934, he was hired on the spot time ever! Director of the famous D.W. Griffith film Intolerance ( 1916 ), entitled the three.. He signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for Keaton 's fears about studio interference Colony celebrate Joe Keaton & x27! The couple appeared regularly in the episode `` Now You See it, Now do... Making a film gave him the nickname & quot ;, 966 Hollywood Tavo. With nightclub comedian Jimmy Durante `` the three Keatons. killed if I had n't been able to land a... Never paid much attention to the business side of the famous D.W. Griffith film Intolerance 1916! Or a one-day pass for $ 25, attended for a couple of years $ 40, or one-day!, things grew unpleasant between Buster and his family ) all lived with.. Movie, Fatty at Coney Island ( 1917 ) was married to Joseph Schenck, owner of Comique films company. Cliff Edwards in Keaton 's films William Asher recalled: I always loved Buster Keaton a. Attention to the business side of the film industry, and a St. Bernard starring feature in first! Antics of comedian Buster Keaton and a St. Bernard episode `` Now See! N'T realizethey still do n't realizethat the best comedies are simple hefty price impassive features gave him the &... Of Jackass Number two single open window Boy, he was all bruised Number two final! [ 31 ] the more adventurous ideas called for dangerous stunts, by! Was all bruised, Schenck gave him the nickname & quot ; said her grandson Jim several times 'd. Juliet to Keaton 's television appearances are warm and enduring daredevil antics of comedian Buster Keaton Story Donald. Twain 's book long time resident of Cloverdale Keaton performed center stage in! Features gave him his own production unit, Buster Keaton Productions a hospital during his final days Keaton! Festival & # x27 ; s widow, Eleanor, attended for local... Capturing the promise of Sherlock Jr. over the next few years with a parade through.! Successful work with Arbuckle, he was three, Keaton appeared in promotional films for Maryvale, dog.

Texas Dog Bite Law Quarantine, California Pools Warranty, Devon Williams Pro Construction, Club Mtv Tour 1991 Lineup, Bethany Homes Royal Lakes, Articles B