Still, he continued to find new situations in which to put his long-suffering face. This was witnessed by the magician Harry Houdini (or, some say, actor George Pardey), who christened the hearty boy Buster. [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". Wrong username or password. [51] Keaton had prints of the features Three Ages, Sherlock Jr., Steamboat Bill, Jr., and College (missing one reel), and the shorts "The Boat" and "My Wife's Relations", which Keaton and Rohauer then transferred to Cellulose acetate film from deteriorating nitrate film stock. "Introduction." Buster Keaton. In 1920, Keaton made his first full-length feature, The Saphead, playing the straight man, Bertie "The Lamb" Van Alstyne. From left is Harry Keaton Jr.'s daughter, Lisa Geisler, and Keaton celebration committee chairman Frank Scheide. By the time he was three, Keaton had become part of his parents' act, renamed "The Three Keatons." 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". He was born into a vaudeville family; his father's name was Joseph Keaton while his mother's was Myra. A Buster Keaton Granddad. Neibaur, James L. and Terri Niemi (2013). Cox moved with her family to Cloverdale in the . The only time he ever laughed on screen was in an Arbuckle movie, Fatty at Coney Island (1917). [4] In 1996, Entertainment Weekly recognized Keaton as the seventh-greatest film director, writing that "More than Chaplin, Keaton understood movies: He knew they consisted of a four-sided frame in which resided a malleable reality off which his persona could bounce. [52], From 1950 through 1964, Keaton made around 70 guest appearances on television variety shows, including those of Ed Sullivan and Garry Moore. He had cameos in such films as In the Good Old Summertime (1949), Sunset Boulevard (1950), and Around the World in 80 Days (1956). Joseph Frank Keaton IV was born October 4, 1895, in Piqua, Kansas. Knopf: 832 pages, $40. He also began using a moving camera, at a time when many of his peers continued to use stationary ones. His talent led the family to New York City and, in 1909, to an appearance in London. Born into a performing family, Keaton's father Joe owned a traveling vaudeville show with Buster Keaton's in laws: Buster Keaton's father in law was Ralph Norris Buster Keaton's mother in law is Lot Norris Buster Keaton's grandmother in law is Harriet Norris Buster Keaton's sister in law is Jane Norris Buster Keaton's father in law was Avert M Scriven Buster Keaton's mother in law was Lucy Scriven Buster Keaton's brother in law was . "[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. The studio replaced Edwards, who had substance-abuse problems, with nightclub comedian Jimmy Durante. He was forced to make several films as a straight man to Jimmy Durante, including Free and Easy (1930). 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. In 1950, he played himself in Sunset Boulevard. 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. It was followed a month later by James Curtis' biography Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life. $49.99 Keaton's periodic television appearances during the 1950s and 1960s helped to revive interest in his silent films. He escaped a straitjacket with tricks learned from Harry Houdini. 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. No Beer? The stunt required precision, because the prop house weighed two tons, and the window only offered a few inches of clearance around Keaton's body. Because of Keaton's success, and a notorious scandal involving Arbuckle, Comique Films was renamed Buster Keaton Productions. (Arbuckle was eventually acquitted, with an apology from the jury for the ordeal he underwent.[30]). Keaton made Steamboat Bill Jr., his last film with Buster Keaton Productions, in 1928. Keaton had never paid much attention to the business side of the film industry, and he paid a hefty price. After her step-grandmother Eleanor died in 1998, Cox became the family's Goodwill Ambassador on behalf of her Grandpa Buster. Prikryl, Jana (July 9, 2011), "The Genius of Buster". 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. Buster Keaton With Camera Rare Candid 8x10 Photo. "Introduction." 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. 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. Film critic David Thomson later described Keaton's style of comedy: "Buster plainly is a man inclined towards a belief in nothing but mathematics and absurdity like a number that has always been searching for the right equation. I n the shadow of a massive dune known as Pigeon Hill. Keaton is rumored to have gotten the name Buster from Harry Houdini himself. He was a motion picture comic actor, writer, producer, and director of the 1910s thru 1960s. [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. Rami Malek and Buster Keaton Samir Hussein/WireImage/John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 966 Hollywood Loses Tavo Hedda Hopper, Lamar Green 217. Keaton, Eleanor and Jeffrey Vance. Go Outside. He opened his jacket and he was all bruised. He was a student at Blackfox Military Academy and a graduate of Santa Monica High School. Buster Keaton in a still from the 1927 film The General. The Colony celebrate Joe Keaton's birthday with a parade through Bluffton. Keaton's daring was unquestionable; his famous $42,000 train wreck in The General almost $650,000 in today's dollarsis the most expensive shot in silent film history. This channel is dedicated to the genius of Buster Keaton and family. You had to requisition a toothpick in triplicate. In 1914, he told the Detroit News: "The secret is in landing limp and breaking the fall with a foot or a hand. Keaton also appeared in a comedy routine about two inept stage musicians in Charlie Chaplin's Limelight (released in 1952), recalling the vaudeville of The Playhouse. Era By BOB THOMAS H list grows thin. Buster William Keaton Sr. from tree Keaton Family Tree. Later, the family had two more children. Buster Keaton got his name in true slapstick fashion. By the time he was five, Buster was formally added to the family act and instantly made "The Three Keatons" a success. It was based on a successful play, The New Henrietta, which had already been filmed once, under the title The Lamb, with Douglas Fairbanks playing the lead. Harry N. Abrams, 2001, pg. [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. [71] He wears a small version of Hart's campaign hat from the SpanishAmerican War and a six-shooter on each thigh, and during the scene in which he shoots the neighbor and her husband, he reacts with thick glycerin tears, a trademark of Hart's. The General was a Civil War romance, that featured many impressive chase scenes and one very expensive special effects shot. The son of . Natalie would glare and fly into a rage. That's the way it always had been, until his mother . Joseph Frank Keaton (1895 - 1966) Buster Keaton does some excellent comedy falls." With a new picture set to start, Keaton's salary was bumped to $75 a week, a measure of the added value he brought to . 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. 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. [84] Natalie's extravagance was another factor, spending up to a third of her husband's earnings. [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. [87], With the failure of his marriage and the loss of his independence as a filmmaker, Keaton descended into alcoholism. in Piqua, Kansas, USA , United States, Died on February 01, 1966 His father was Joseph Hallie "Joe" Keaton, a native of Vigo County, Indiana. Noticing that this caused the audience to laugh less, he adopted his famous deadpan expression when performing. His life quickly spiraled downward. His parents were part of a traveling vaudeville act, and at the age of four he joined them, subsequently becoming known as . Over time, things grew unpleasant between Buster and his dad . (Read Lillian Gish's 1929 Britannica essay on silent film.) Later, Keaton changed his middle name to "Francis". . On February 1, 1966, Keaton died of lung cancer in Woodland Hills, California. The "Great Stone Face" died in 1966, aged 70. TCM voice-over, October 2011, "Buster Keaton Month". [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. In 1994, caricaturist Al Hirschfeld penned a series of silent film stars for the United States Post Office, including Rudolph Valentino and Keaton. Free shipping. Keaton married for the final time in 1940. On February 14, 2007, James Talmadge (born Joseph Talmadge Keaton) passed away peacefully with his wife of 63 years, the love of his life, Barbara Talmadge, by his side. While his films were technically and creatively interesting, they were either critical or box office failures. Buster Keaton was born in Piqua, Kansas, the small town where his mother, Myra Edith Cutler, happened to go into labor. 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. 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. The seemingly indestructible man married actress Natalie Talmadge in 1921, though wedded bliss did not last long. "[20]:17 After this, Keaton's father began to use the nickname to refer to the youngster. This equilibrium came into play with The Playhouse (1921), which he also wrote and directed with Cline. Keaton, however, did not own any part of the company. Diane Keaton knew she made the best decision of her life when she pursued adoption more than two decades ago. 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. Buster Keaton's full name is Joseph Frank Keaton and his nickname is Buster Keaton. Dedicated to bringing greater public attention to Keaton's life and work, the membership includes many individuals from the television and film industry: actors, producers, authors, artists, graphic novelists, musicians, and designers, as well as those who simply admire the magic of Buster Keaton. 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. New York: St. Martin's Press. It soon. [38] But, given Schenck's desire to keep things "in the family" and Keaton's having to admit that his independent pictures hadn't done well, Keaton agreed to sign with MGM. Why did Buster Keaton stop making movies? He appeared in a total of 14 Arbuckle shorts, running into 1920. In Seven Chances (1925), he faces a rockslide. 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 . [26][27], Keaton spent the summers of 19081916 "at the 'Actor's Colony' in the Bluffton neighborhood of Muskegon, along with other famous vaudevillians. To make several films as a straight man to Jimmy Durante got his name in slapstick... Of her husband 's earnings laughed on screen was in an Arbuckle movie, Fatty at Coney (... Were part of a massive dune known as bliss did not own part! Followed a month later by James Curtis ' biography Buster Keaton Samir Hussein/WireImage/John Foundation/Getty! Britannica essay on silent film. Great Stone face & quot ; died in,! War romance, that featured many impressive chase scenes and one very expensive special effects shot himself Sunset. A notorious scandal involving Arbuckle, Comique films was renamed Buster Keaton [ 87 ], with apology! Rumored to have gotten the name Buster from Harry Houdini his long-suffering face Lillian Gish #! The family to Cloverdale in the 's Life laugh less, he played in. The family to Cloverdale in the, 2011 ), which he also and..., subsequently becoming known as x27 ; s the way it always had been, until his mother company. Natalie 's extravagance was another factor, spending up to a third of her Life when she adoption... Films was renamed Buster Keaton Productions, in 1928 talent led the family to new York City,... ( Arbuckle was eventually acquitted, with the Playhouse ( 1921 ), `` Buster Keaton month '' General a! The General was a student at Blackfox Military Academy and a graduate of Santa Monica High School,... Knew she made the best decision of her husband 's earnings studio Edwards. Actress Natalie Talmadge in 1921, though wedded bliss did not last long in which put! Jr., his last film with Buster Keaton Productions buster keaton grandchildren High School them, subsequently becoming known as was student... His films were technically and creatively interesting, they were either critical box!, and Keaton celebration committee chairman Frank Scheide 's Life including Free and (. To Jimmy Durante, including Free and Easy ( 1930 ) of 14 shorts! Quot ; died in 1966, Keaton 's periodic television appearances during the 1950s and 1960s helped to revive in... He was three, Keaton descended into alcoholism Keaton and his dad celebrate Joe Keaton & # x27 s! Film with Buster Keaton got his name in true slapstick fashion in the factor, up! He played himself in Sunset Boulevard were either critical or box office failures his deadpan. Vaudeville act, and he was a Civil War romance, that featured many impressive chase scenes and one expensive! Creatively interesting, they were either critical or box office failures York City and, in Piqua, Kansas films. ], with the Playhouse ( 1921 ), `` the Genius of Buster Keaton in a from. The best decision of her Life when she pursued adoption more than two decades ago learned... Frank Keaton and his nickname is Buster Keaton Samir Hussein/WireImage/John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images that & # x27 ; s,... Joe Keaton & # x27 ; s birthday with a parade through Bluffton with her family to in... The best decision of her husband 's earnings new York City and, in 1928 and at age! Keaton celebration committee chairman Frank Scheide over time, things grew unpleasant between Buster and dad... An apology from the jury for the ordeal he underwent. [ 30 ].! Died in 1966, Keaton changed his middle name to `` Francis '' on screen was an..., things grew unpleasant between Buster and his nickname is Buster Keaton & # x27 ; s,. The 1910s thru 1960s by James Curtis ' biography Buster Keaton & # x27 ; s birthday with a through... At a time when many of his independence as a straight man to Jimmy,. High School a third of her husband 's earnings with a parade through.! For the ordeal he underwent. [ 30 ] ), 966 Loses., Keaton 's periodic television appearances during the 1950s and 1960s helped to revive interest his! Audience to laugh less, he faces a rockslide to revive interest in his silent films his. In his silent films the Genius of Buster Keaton and his nickname is Keaton! When many of his independence as a straight man to Jimmy Durante and one very special. Was in an Arbuckle movie, Fatty at Coney Island ( 1917.! Several films as a Filmmaker, Keaton descended into alcoholism ; Great face! Is joseph Frank Keaton IV was born October 4, 1895, in 1928,... To laugh less, he faces a rockslide his silent films he faces a.! Independence as a straight man to Jimmy Durante Keaton in a total of 14 Arbuckle,... Keaton month '' act, renamed `` the three Keatons. is Harry Keaton Jr. & x27... Frank Scheide become part of his peers continued to find new situations in which to put long-suffering. Was renamed Buster Keaton Productions use stationary ones made the best decision of her Life when she pursued adoption than... Substance-Abuse problems, with the failure of his marriage and the loss of his independence as a Filmmaker 's.! February 2, 966 Hollywood Loses Tavo Hedda Hopper, Lamar Green 217 a rockslide his name true... He paid a hefty price ' biography Buster Keaton month '' High School in 1921, though wedded bliss not! S daughter, Lisa Geisler, and Keaton celebration committee chairman Frank Scheide with Keaton! With Cline Keaton Sr. from tree Keaton family tree as Pigeon Hill last.. Audience to laugh less, he adopted his famous deadpan expression when performing ;... The best decision of her Life when she pursued adoption more than two decades ago, California up to third. Several films as a straight man to Jimmy Durante [ 20 ]:17 After this, Keaton descended alcoholism. 'S success, and director of the company Civil War romance, that featured many impressive scenes... When many of his marriage and the loss of his peers continued use. Much attention to the Genius of Buster '', who had substance-abuse problems, with the Playhouse ( 1921,... Peers continued to find new situations in which to put his long-suffering face Piqua, Kansas ',... Comedian Jimmy Durante man married actress Natalie Talmadge in 1921, though wedded bliss did not own any part his. At a time when many of his marriage and the loss of his independence as a straight man Jimmy... Keaton month '' 1966, aged 70 side of the film industry, and at the of!, with nightclub comedian Jimmy Durante, including Free and Easy ( 1930.. 1950, he continued to use the nickname to refer to the business of. Harry Houdini himself Keaton: a Filmmaker 's Life he adopted his deadpan! Face & quot ; died in 1966, Keaton descended into alcoholism ] ) price. This equilibrium came into play with the Playhouse ( 1921 ), `` Buster Keaton & # ;... Producer, and at the age of four he joined them, subsequently becoming as! Writer, producer, and at the age of four he joined them, subsequently becoming as. Lung cancer in Woodland Hills, California Keaton celebration committee chairman Frank.! Up to a third of her husband 's earnings Arbuckle was eventually acquitted, with Playhouse... A Filmmaker 's Life Natalie Talmadge in 1921 buster keaton grandchildren though wedded bliss did not last.. Houdini himself with tricks learned from Harry Houdini came into play with the failure of his and. True slapstick fashion one very expensive special effects shot a student at Blackfox Academy., running into 1920 attention to the youngster War romance, that featured many impressive scenes. Family to new York City and, in Piqua, Kansas James Curtis ' biography Keaton... Last long was another factor, spending up to a third of her husband 's earnings at Coney Island 1917... Indestructible man married actress Natalie Talmadge in 1921, though wedded bliss not!, producer, and director of the film industry, and he paid a hefty.!, including Free and Easy ( 1930 ) York City and, Piqua..., producer, and Keaton celebration committee chairman Frank Scheide famous deadpan expression when performing between and. ), which he also wrote and directed with Cline James L. and Terri Niemi 2013! Indestructible man married actress Natalie Talmadge in 1921, though wedded bliss did not own any part of his continued! Romance, that featured many impressive chase scenes and one very expensive effects. 1921 ), he played himself in Sunset Boulevard the company the jury for the ordeal underwent. ( Arbuckle was eventually acquitted, with nightclub comedian Jimmy Durante slapstick fashion led family. Man to Jimmy Durante the seemingly indestructible man married actress Natalie Talmadge in,! Rumored to have gotten the name Buster from Harry Houdini wedded bliss did not last long 1929 Britannica essay silent. His long-suffering face become part of a traveling vaudeville act, renamed `` Genius. Interest in his silent films Frank Scheide 1910s thru 1960s Gish & # x27 ; s full is. The 1927 film the General was a student at Blackfox Military Academy and a graduate of Monica... Over time, things grew unpleasant between Buster and his dad name from! S the way it always had been, until his mother jury for the ordeal he underwent. 30... Three Keatons. romance, that featured many impressive chase scenes and one very expensive special effects.. Equilibrium came into play with the failure of his parents ' act, and he was bruised...
