| Better known as The Great Stone Face, Buster was a Hollywood legend unlike any other. He had the ability to make things that noone could possibly think was funny, into that, just what was funny! He had a way of wooing anyone who came into his presence, and unlike most silent film stars, he was "hip" to friend Sam Warner's idea of actors talking in film. And why not?? After all, he had come from a line of performers, and according to imdb, had a fine voice with no speech impediments and years of stage experience, so dialogue was not a problem. You can read his yearlong film profile on imdb ... for now, we will get to his story ...
He popped into the world as Joseph Frank Keaton, the VI (by the way), on October 4th, 1895 in Piqua, Kansas (by the way), and left a legacy few could ever live up to. He was born into a family of performers (his grandfather did street shows, his fater, and mother were both on the Vaudeville circuit) so it was only natural, that young Joseph was a super-natural performer. He landed (literally) his first gig at only 6-months old when he tumbled down a flight of stairs unscathed. He was given the name "Buster" by Harry Houdini who, along with W.C. Fields, Bill Robinson ("Bojangles"), Eddie Cantor and Al Jolson shared headlines with The Three Keatons: Buster, his father Joe Keaton and mother Myra Keaton. Not long after, his parents decided to include young Buster in thier stage shows. The routine, was about how to discipline a prankster child. Buster was thrown all over the stage and even into the audience. No matter what the stunt, he was snone-faced. His father, Joseph, and Harry Houdini owned a travelling show called the Mohawk Indian Medicine Company, which performed on stage and sold patent medicine on the side. Little Buster grew to love performing. He was a "no bullshit" performer who took great pride and seriousness in his work. While it was "comedy," if you weren't serious about it, you could leave his presence. He lived in these three homes in California. His his long list of films you can see at imdb. 144 as an actor, 48 as a director, 38 as a writer, 14 as a producer, 6 as editor, and countless apperances and archived. Not bad for a white boy from Kansas, eh?? Needless to say, all were comedy. His career spanned SEVEN decades, and continue to be admired even from this deccendance. Keaton's filmmaking unit was acquired by MGM in 1928, a business decision that Keaton regretted ever afterwards. He was forced to enter the ranks of the studio system, working at the MGM studios in a more restrictive environment that he had previously worked in. He had difficulty adapting to the studio system and lapsed into alcoholism. His career declined within a few years, and he spent most of the 1930s in obscurity, working as a gag writer for various MGM films. In his life, Buster married three times, eventually settling with his third wife until his death. In 1940, Buster married Eleanor Norris, who was 23 years younger than he. She saved his life and helped salvage his career. All their friends advised them against it, but the marriage lasted until Buster's death. Buster contracted lung cancer after years of smoking. His wife and doctors let him believe that he had contracted chronic bronchitis and he was never told that he was dying. Why exactly they did this is uncertain, but it is clear that Keaton required others to manage his daily living. Since his condition was already terminal when it was diagnosed, perhaps they were concerned that if he had been told, he would have stopped working. Performing before a camera or a live-audience was what Buster enjoyed most, apart from model trains. He is buried in Forrest Lawn Cemetary, in Los Angeles, CA. R.I.P Buster, you weren't only a Hollywood legend, you were a worldwide legend! Leave virtual flowers and message here. TRIVIA: Fractured his neck while filming a movie and did not learn about it until a doctor saw x-rays of his neck during a routine physical examination many years later. Died quietly at home, in his sleep, shortly after playing cards with his wife. He was already quite ill with the cancer that would eventually kill him by the time he made his last completed film, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He used a stunt double in this film, as well as most of the films he made as an MGM contract player. Before signing with MGM in 1928, he had performed all of his own stunts, and even doubled for cast members in his own films, as in Sherlock, Jr., where he played both himself, riding on the handlebars of a motorcycle and the man who falls off the back of it. His mother was of British/German heritage, and his father was of Scottish/Irish heritage. Because most of his childhood was spent on vaudeville with his parents, he had few peers. However, he enjoyed a more regular childhood during his family's annual summer getaways to an Actor's Colony on Lake Michigan in Muskegon, Michigan. In fact, the city of Muskegon has erected a historical marker to note his stomping ground. |
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| Buster Keaton Hollywood Legend |