I don't recall when I first heard the name "Buster" Keaton. All I remember is that somewhere in my teen years my dad, who introduced me to most pop culture, mentioned his name as one of the great silent-movie stars as good as/ even better than Chaplin. Growing up in India I had only seen Chaplin comedies and never had a chance to see the Great Buster. So when I moved to the US in 1998 following my marriage, I promptly asked my spouse to point me to three things 1) the nearest library 2) the nearest video rental place 3) the classic movies channel on TV. Thus began my adventures with Buster. I watched all his movies first by myself and then with my spouse and then with friends to whom I evangelized (one literally fell off our couch when watching the boxing scenes of "Battling Butler" - which inspired Raging Bull) and then when my daughter turned 7 or 8 she too was initiated into the Busterian cult. Why, then did I wait so many years to write about The Great Stone-Face?
Well, two biographies of Buster were released this year and I promptly got James Curtis' Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life. I might still get Dana Stevens', Cameraman, but I wanted a complete biography and Curtis' book was the one that offered that. 700 pages of Buster took me about a week to get through and during that time I re-watched all the movies and shorts that I so adore, this time with my teenage daughter who claims that I always introduce things to her too early and therefore she ends up needing a re-introduction. It has been a riot watching these shorts and movies with her while I read the book in parallel. Now I had more insight into the films and could pause and explain to her how a shot was made and the context.
Before you read:If you don't know anything about Buster, please watch the links I've provided below. If you know something about him but don't know what the hoopla is all about, please watch this short clip on the Art of the Gag.
I always preferred Buster to all the other comedians. I don't think Chaplin or Lloyd can equal him. He was a consummate filmmaker, actor, cameraman, designer, gagman, stuntman all rolled into one. No cheats, no shortcuts. This much I knew before I read the book. Now I have an even greater appreciation for him when I realize all the challenges he was up against. The underwater scene in Navigator was shot in Lake Tahoe in extreme cold temperatures and with him actually staying under water in the ridiculous diving suit. The famous house collapse in Steamboat Bill was actually executed in one take and even the cameraman closed his eyes when the house collapsed. The motorcycle scene in Sherlock Jr actually had him controlling the motorcycle from the handlebar with no brakes. He even stunted for the driver. There are many vaudevillian tricks in Sherlock but I was blown away to find that every shot on the pool table was executed by Buster after hours of practice! I can watch The General any number of times and still be awed by everything he did, especially when the bridge collapses. Curtis' book provides so many engrossing details on each of his shorts and movies that it is a must-read for anyone interested in Buster, the art of movie-making, or just films in general.
However, where the book truly excelled for me was the myth-busting biography of the second half of his life. I always thought that talkies killed his career. I was completely wrong! What (almost) killed Buster's career was losing creative control to the studios, especially MGM. Buster was first and foremost a creative genius with a core team that helped execute his vision (Gabe Gabourie, Elgin Lessley come to mind). Directors like Mal St.Clair, Eddie Cline were quick to know when to hand over the reins to Buster as no one knew the camera and the audience as much as Buster did. He was also a technophile so it was not new technologies that killed his career in the second half. When MGM decided to treat him just as an actor who needed to be managed closely and not use his special talents it sent him on a downward spiral that turned him to alcohol and led to failed marriages. Even with all that Buster worked continuously and was still delivering pretty solid commercial hits.
My admiration for Buster the human being, solidified when I read about how he dealt with the downward spiral and came back for a third stage of his career. He went from a $3000/week salary to $100/week writing gags for other artists just to pay the bills. "If I am worth more, they will pay more" was all he had to say when a reporter goaded him about his fallen fortunes. From villa to moving back with his parents, accepting any job that came his way, I don't think he ever stopped working until he died. His third marriage to Eleanor was a lifeline and she helped him beat alcohol and supported him in every way possible that when TV came along Buster was back. He helped identify Lucille Ball's potential helping her hone her audition, wrote scenes for Judy Garland, mentored so many other comedians and did it all behind the scenes with no credit. And during this third stage of his career he saw the revival of interest in his films which were now acknowledged to be greater than anything Chaplin did. He had no fights with Chaplin and acknowledged him all the time, something that Chaplin could never do. When asked who he thought were the greatest comedians, he listed Chaplin first among men and in the same breath said Lucy among the women. He never thought that his movies would have a life beyond two years, let alone few decades or centuries.
As a human being Buster is a shining example of how to deal with adversity with grace, what it means to mentor others, being committed to the gag with a dedication that is unparalleled and being gracious when crediting others. While I always admired the genius, it was the humanity in him that moved me to the verge of tears. At many points in the book I had to stop, close and collect myself as I could not believe that such a person truly lived! This book is a triumph because the life that is told is a triumph! I watched The Railrodder a short he made few months before he died from lung cancer. I saw the 70 year old Buster (who did all the stunts) and could see the same vitality of the guy who made The General in 1925!
I know there needs to be a discussion about racism in Buster's movies and frankly I am not qualified to address that. However, it is not addressed in Curtis' book although I am told Dana Stevens' book has a chapter on Black-face and minstrel traditions in Buster's movies and shorts. I was listening to Larry Wilmore interview James Curtis (incidentally one of the best interviews and discussions on Buster I've heard) and he mentioned that someone needs to do a proper book on minstrel shows and use of ethnic humor in Antebellum America. When we watched The General last week, my daughter said that not watching the Confederate flag in color made it a bit more palatable and it didn't make her top 3 list because of the theme. Why did Buster reverse the story and show the Confederates as winning this particular battle? Was he a Lost Cause supporter? The truth most likely was the fact that he didn't want to make fun of the losers and felt that making the Northerners as a butt of his jokes was acceptable given they already won the war. The Playhouse is truly a ground breaking innovation in cinema but that's one short that i can't watch because of the minstrel aspects. My daughter does not like Paleface because it makes her uncomfortable to see white people dressed up as Native Americans, even though the theme is that of white man stealing the land from Native Americans. To put him context, Buster was born around the time of Wounded Knee, about 30 years after the Civil War. So it is hard for me to label him a racist even though there are some racist stereotypes in his pictures. While I am not excusing these portrayals I also don't want to dismiss these pictures as just racist tropes as they are truly much, much more than that. After all very few directors have 7 of their movies preserved by the National Archives. I am going to go out on a limb and say that Buster is like Shakespeare. Yes, there are problem plays (Shrew, Merchant of Venice, Othello) but the overall canon is very uplifting and timeless and helps us question our own assumptions.
We compared notes on our top 3 Buster movies and shorts. Here is my list (most of it are available for free on youtube as the copyright has long expired)
Full Features:
- The General
- Steamboat Bill Jr
- Sherlock Jr / Cameraman
Shorts:
Here is her list (She hasn't yet watched Seven Chances, Cameraman)
Full Features:
- Battling Butler
- Steamboat Bill Jr
- Navigator
Shorts:
- The Goat
- High Sign
- Daydreams / Electric House
