Buster Keaton

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I saw Buster Keaton's The General on TV when I was a kid, probably in a butchered version; broadcasters in the 1960s were not kind to silent films. But some of Keaton's masterworks reappeared in theaters in the 1970s, in Raymond Rohauer's wonderful prints, and I saw as many as I could. I listed Sherlock Jr. as my favorite film if anyone asked and named my cat Buster (jocularly, Buster Kitten), although he was as clumsy as his namesake was deft. The San Francisco Silent Film Festival showed a lot of Keaton in 1995, including a dozen shorts I had not seen before. My list of films I have seen in theaters since 1982 includes 20 separate Keaton items as of November 2011.

When Keaton was the featured star of the month on Turner Classic Movies in October 2011, I recorded everything they showed: 46 items, about 33 hours of material, including 5 early two-reel shorts Keaton made with Roscoe Arbuckle (1917-1919), all 19 of the Buster Keaton Productions shorts (1920-1923), all 13 of Keaton's silent features (1920-1929), 8 talkies (starting 1929), and a documentary about Keaton's MGM years. In November 2011, I resolved to watch all this material (plus three later films) in chronological order and to reread my half-dozen books on Keaton, while recording my impressions for this page. It's a work in progress; to date I've written 5 reviews.


Online references:

My Keaton books:


Click on a heading below to sort the list accordingly. Click on a review date to show the review. Click here to show all the reviews.


Title Year Director Stars Time Silent Short Reviewed Comments
The Balloonatic 1923 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 27 silent short
The Love Nest 1923 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster
Fox, Virginia
20 silent short
The Navigator 1924 Donald Crisp
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster
McGuire, Kathryn
60 silent
Spite Marriage 1929 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster 76 silent
What - No Beer? 1933 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster
Durante, Jimmy
65
The Saphead 1920 Herbert Blaché Keaton, Buster 77 silent
She Went to the Races 1945 Willis Goldbeck Craig, James
Gardner, Ava
Keaton, Buster
86
College 1927 James W. Horne Keaton, Buster 65 silent
Coney Island 1917 Roscoe Arbuckle Arbuckle, Roscoe
Keaton, Buster
St. John, Al
26 silent short 11/06/11
The Boat 1921 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 26 silent short
The Cameraman 1928 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster 76 silent
The Blacksmith 1922 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 21 silent short
The Bell Boy 1918 Roscoe Arbuckle Arbuckle, Roscoe
Keaton, Buster
St. John, Al
20 silent short 11/07/11
Battling Butler 1926 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 61 silent
The Paleface 1922 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 21 silent short
Convict 13 1920 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 20 silent short
The Passionate Plumber 1932 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster
Durante, Jimmy
74
Cops 1922 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster
Fox, Virginia
19 silent short
Seven Chances 1925 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 56 silent
Day Dreams 1922 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 18 silent short
So Funny it Hurt 2004 Kevin Brownlow
Christopher Bird
Keaton, Buster 38 documentary; color
Doughboys 1930 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster 80
Sunset Boulevard 1950 Billy Wilder Holden, William
Swanson, Gloria
110
The Electric House 1922 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 19 silent short
Limelight 1952 Charles Chaplin Chaplin, Charles
Bloom, Claire
137
Free and Easy 1930 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster 93
My Wife's Relations 1922 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 30 silent short
The Frozen North 1922 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 17 silent short
Neighbors 1921 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 18 silent short
The Garage 1920 Roscoe Arbuckle Arbuckle, Roscoe
Keaton, Buster
25 silent short 12/27/11
Our Hospitality 1923 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster
Talmadge, Natalie
73 silent
The General 1927 Buster Keaton
Clyde Bruckman
Keaton, Buster
Mack, Marion
75 silent
Parlor, Bedroom and Bath 1931 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster
Greenwood, Charlotte
Denny, Reginald
73
The Goat 1921 Buster Keaton
Malcolm St. Clair
Keaton, Buster 27 silent short
The Play House 1921 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 22 silent short
Good Night, Nurse 1918 Roscoe Arbuckle Arbuckle, Roscoe
Keaton, Buster
19 silent short 11/10/11
The Scarecrow 1920 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 19 silent short
Go West 1925 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 69 silent
Sherlock Jr. 1924 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster
McGuire, Kathryn
44 silent
Hard Luck 1921 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 22 silent short
The Sidewalks of New York 1931 Jules White Keaton, Buster
Page, Anita
74
The Haunted House 1921 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 21 silent short
Speak Easily 1932 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster
Durante, Jimmy
Selwyn, Ruth
81
The High Sign 1921 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 21 silent short
Steamboat Bill Jr. 1928 Charles F. Reisner Keaton, Buster 69 silent
Li'l Abner 1940 Albert S. Rogell York, Jeff
O'Drisoll, Martha
78
The Three Ages 1923 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster
Beery, Wallace
63 silent
One Week 1920 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 25 silent short
Back Stage 1919 Roscoe Arbuckle Arbuckle, Roscoe
Keaton, Buster
17 silent short 11/11/11
Back Stage 1919 Roscoe Arbuckle Arbuckle, Roscoe 17 silent short 11/11/11
The Bell Boy 1918 Roscoe Arbuckle Arbuckle, Roscoe 20 silent short 11/07/11
Coney Island 1917 Roscoe Arbuckle Arbuckle, Roscoe 26 silent short 11/06/11
The Garage 1920 Roscoe Arbuckle Arbuckle, Roscoe 25 silent short 12/27/11
Good Night, Nurse 1918 Roscoe Arbuckle Arbuckle, Roscoe 19 silent short 11/10/11
The Three Ages 1923 Buster Keaton Beery, Wallace 63 silent
Limelight 1952 Charles Chaplin Bloom, Claire 137
Limelight 1952 Charles Chaplin Chaplin, Charles 137
She Went to the Races 1945 Willis Goldbeck Craig, James 86
Parlor, Bedroom and Bath 1931 Edward Sedgwick Denny, Reginald 73
The Passionate Plumber 1932 Edward Sedgwick Durante, Jimmy 74
Speak Easily 1932 Edward Sedgwick Durante, Jimmy 81
What - No Beer? 1933 Edward Sedgwick Durante, Jimmy 65
Cops 1922 Buster Keaton Fox, Virginia 19 silent short
The Love Nest 1923 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Fox, Virginia 20 silent short
She Went to the Races 1945 Willis Goldbeck Gardner, Ava 86
Parlor, Bedroom and Bath 1931 Edward Sedgwick Greenwood, Charlotte 73
Sunset Boulevard 1950 Billy Wilder Holden, William 110
Back Stage 1919 Roscoe Arbuckle Keaton, Buster 17 silent short 11/11/11
The Balloonatic 1923 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 27 silent short
Battling Butler 1926 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 61 silent
The Bell Boy 1918 Roscoe Arbuckle Keaton, Buster 20 silent short 11/07/11
The Blacksmith 1922 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 21 silent short
The Boat 1921 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 26 silent short
The Cameraman 1928 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster 76 silent
College 1927 James W. Horne Keaton, Buster 65 silent
Coney Island 1917 Roscoe Arbuckle Keaton, Buster 26 silent short 11/06/11
Convict 13 1920 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 20 silent short
Cops 1922 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 19 silent short
Day Dreams 1922 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 18 silent short
Doughboys 1930 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster 80
The Electric House 1922 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 19 silent short
Free and Easy 1930 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster 93
The Frozen North 1922 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 17 silent short
The Garage 1920 Roscoe Arbuckle Keaton, Buster 25 silent short 12/27/11
The General 1927 Buster Keaton
Clyde Bruckman
Keaton, Buster 75 silent
Go West 1925 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 69 silent
The Goat 1921 Buster Keaton
Malcolm St. Clair
Keaton, Buster 27 silent short
Good Night, Nurse 1918 Roscoe Arbuckle Keaton, Buster 19 silent short 11/10/11
Hard Luck 1921 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 22 silent short
The Haunted House 1921 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 21 silent short
The High Sign 1921 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 21 silent short
The Love Nest 1923 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 20 silent short
My Wife's Relations 1922 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 30 silent short
The Navigator 1924 Donald Crisp
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 60 silent
Neighbors 1921 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 18 silent short
One Week 1920 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 25 silent short
Our Hospitality 1923 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 73 silent
The Paleface 1922 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 21 silent short
Parlor, Bedroom and Bath 1931 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster 73
The Passionate Plumber 1932 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster 74
The Play House 1921 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 22 silent short
The Saphead 1920 Herbert Blaché Keaton, Buster 77 silent
The Scarecrow 1920 Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Keaton, Buster 19 silent short
Seven Chances 1925 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 56 silent
She Went to the Races 1945 Willis Goldbeck Keaton, Buster 86
Sherlock Jr. 1924 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 44 silent
The Sidewalks of New York 1931 Jules White Keaton, Buster 74
So Funny it Hurt 2004 Kevin Brownlow
Christopher Bird
Keaton, Buster 38 documentary; color
Speak Easily 1932 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster 81
Spite Marriage 1929 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster 76 silent
Steamboat Bill Jr. 1928 Charles F. Reisner Keaton, Buster 69 silent
The Three Ages 1923 Buster Keaton Keaton, Buster 63 silent
What - No Beer? 1933 Edward Sedgwick Keaton, Buster 65
The General 1927 Buster Keaton
Clyde Bruckman
Mack, Marion 75 silent
The Navigator 1924 Donald Crisp
Buster Keaton
McGuire, Kathryn 60 silent
Sherlock Jr. 1924 Buster Keaton McGuire, Kathryn 44 silent
Li'l Abner 1940 Albert S. Rogell O'Drisoll, Martha 78
The Sidewalks of New York 1931 Jules White Page, Anita 74
Speak Easily 1932 Edward Sedgwick Selwyn, Ruth 81
The Bell Boy 1918 Roscoe Arbuckle St. John, Al 20 silent short 11/07/11
Coney Island 1917 Roscoe Arbuckle St. John, Al 26 silent short 11/06/11
Sunset Boulevard 1950 Billy Wilder Swanson, Gloria 110
Our Hospitality 1923 Buster Keaton Talmadge, Natalie 73 silent
Li'l Abner 1940 Albert S. Rogell York, Jeff 78