Buster Keaton
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:
- Keaton's Wikipedia biography
- Keaton's Wikipedia filmography
-
Life magazine issue of 9/05/1949 at Google Books.
[James Agee's essay Comedy's Greatest Era starts on page 70, Keaton section starts on page 82.]
My Keaton books:
-
Agee, James:
Agee on Film.
Beacon, Boston, 1958.
[Essay Comedy's Greatest Era, originally published in Life magazine on 9/05/1949; see online version above.] - Benayoun, Robert: The Look of Buster Keaton. St. Martin's, New York, 1981.
-
Brownlow, Kevin:
The Parade's Gone By....
Ballantine, New York, 1968.
[Chapter 43 (pp. 543 ff.): Buster Keaton.] - Dardis, Tom: Keaton: The Man Who Wouldn't Lie Down. Scribner's, New York, 1979.
- Kerr, Walter: The Silent Clowns. Knopf, New York, 1975.
-
McGregor, Dan:
Buster: The Early Years.
Eclipse, New York, 1982.
[Buster Keaton Film Festival pamphlet.] - Robinson, David: Buster Keaton. Indiana, Bloomington, 1969.
-
Sarris, Andrew:
The American Cinema.
Dutton, New York, 1968.
[Keaton: pp. 61-63.]
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 |
