He was basically bewildered at how such bad films as his early talkies were such a success at the. A turner classic movies tcm documentary about keaton s rocky relationship with mgm and the events that eventually led to his career downfall. An essay by film critic imogen sara smith portrait of a lady on fire 2019 june 23. This channel is dedicated to the genius of buster keaton and family. This interest grew into a career spent documenting and restoring film. The sound era began while keaton was at mgm, and he had to film his movies in multiple languages, learning the french and german dialogue phonetically, one scene at a. Criterion announces june 2020 releases cinema sentries. His films for mgm, educational pictures, and columbia plus. Buster keaton is the october 2011 turner classic movies star of the month. Criterion unveils june 2020 titles and special sale.
Starting life in show business as a toddler in his familys vaudeville act, keaton rose to fame in his visionary silent comedies of the 1920s. Brownlow became interested in silent film at the age of eleven. In 1928 when he joined mgm, buster keaton, one of the screens greatest comedians and also a remarkable filmmaker, was at the peak of his career. This gives a surface wash to keaton s alcoholism, marital problems, and frustration with the sound era and the studios demands. In 1932, mgm tried teaming the laconic keaton with the rambunctious jimmy durante in a series of films, the passionate plumber, speak easily, and what. Buster keaton was an american comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer.
Greta garbo in anna christie 1930, filmed in english and german. American epic 2004 the tramp and the dictator 2002 lon chaney. Keaton collection, along with the documentary so funny it hurt. Multiplelanguage version film collectors guide brenton. Release dates 1 also known as aka 0 release dates usa 7 december 2004. Filmography for buster keaton turner classic movies.
Just five years later he had lost both that career and his family, and was unemployable. The documentary chronicles the comedians mgm period, and features fascinating rare footage, including archival interviews with the master himself. Lets take a look at two of his popular stunts that nearly cost him. In 1960, keaton returned to mgm for the final time, playing a lion tamer in a 1960 adaptation of mark twains the adventures of. This technique is discussed in the tcm documentary buster keaton. Famous comedian buster keaton performed so many dangerous stunts himself that in some cases, he could have got himself killed. It charts the artistic and personal decline of keaton as he struggled to come to terms with working within the studio system. Criterion collection announces june releases, includes an. Buster keaton, one of the first great indie filmmakers, moved to a major studio in 1928. Criterion collection announces june titles geek vibes nation.
Keaton was briefly institutionalized, according to the turner classic movies documentary so funny it hurt. So funny it hurt, with keaton complaining about having to shoot lousy movies not just once, but three times. Also known as aka it looks like we dont have any akas for this title yet. Criterion, indicator, arrow and others volume 3 movies. Most of so funny it hurt is narrated by keaton himself, via interviews he filmed in the last years of his life when hed become a respected elder statesman of comedy, which are fascinating not only in his comments about what happened to him but also his bitching about other comedians he regarded the marx brothers as irresponsible and abbott and costello as just lazy, including the ones he wrote gags for when mgm rehired him to write for other performers in the 1940s. So so documentary about buster keaton s careerending stint at mgm. Controversial classic gets a definitive new restoration article by patrick stanbury at. Multiplelanguage version film collectors guide brenton film. This is discussed in the tcm documentary buster keaton. Keaton was recognized as the seventhgreatest director of all time by entertainment weekly. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname the great stone face. Database speak easily is available for free download at the internet archive. A celebration, the 2018 the life and filmmaking career of iconic comedian buster keaton is celebrated in this documentary.
The narrative repetitively conveys the message that the studio did not use keaton. Kevin brownlow born 2 june 1938 is a british film historian, television documentarymaker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. In 1933, he married his nurse mae scriven during an alcoholic binge about which he afterwards claimed to remember nothing. Mgm decided to use her in a movie with buster keaton. Cline, buster keaton the playhouse 1921 best free legal movies ever 53 comedy. Criterion announces june 2020 slate, including portrait of a lady on fire john latchem.
Joseph frank keaton october 4, 1895 february 1, 1966, known professionally as buster. This whole thing basically started when my mate kyle and i got seriously inspired by buster keaton s performances back in his heyday. His films for mgm, educational pictures, and columbia. In the fall of 1995 eleanor norris keaton will come to kansas to celebrate. Buster worked occasionally on the mgm writing staff at that time and was. So funny it hurt, with keaton complaining about having to shoot lousy films not just once, but three times. This watershed period in keatons life is the basis for film historian kevin brownlows poignant new documentary so funny it hurts. The actors would phonetically memorize the foreignlanguage scripts a few lines at a time and shoot immediately after. He hated the movies he made, but they earned money and made him doubt his own abilities and taste. Brownlow is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era. Silent comic buster keaton s successes and struggles to fulfill his own hollywood dream are expertly depicted in a new, original documentary by legendary filmmaker kevin brownlow, so funny it hurt. A turner classic movies tcm documentary about keaton s discontented relationship with mgm and the events that eventually led to his career downfall. The cameraman buster keaton is at the peak of his slapstick powers in the cameramanthe first film that the silentscreen legend made after signing with mgm, and his last great masterpiece. Narrated by james karen in the style of a friend telling a friend, the keaton time at mgm, and indeed his whole career comes alive in ways i never expected.
Iconic film distributor criterion has announced its full lineup of titles set to hit shelves on bluray in june, which includes the buster. These are the classic films for which keaton is best known, and. He escaped a straitjacket with tricks learned from harry houdini. This page includes a gallery of vintage buster keaton movie cards and collectibles directly below as well as the entire tcm schedule of keaton movies and shorts airing throughout the month. The digital restoration was funded by the german commission for culture and the media bkm. Laurel and hardy, greta garbo, buster keaton, marlene dietrich. Buster keaton and mgm ties everything together and even has footage of keaton himself talking about his decline at mgm. A documentary which explores movie comedian buster keaton s five years under contract at mgm, where personal problems and studio tyranny nearly destroyed him. Buster keaton and mgm 2004 this must see documentary on buster keatons time at mgm is like having the story told to you by a good friend. Silent comic buster keatons successes and struggles to fulfill his own hollywood dream are expertly depicted in a new, original documentary by legendary filmmaker kevin brownlow, so funny it hurt. Keaton was so demoralized during the production of 1933s what. The final work over which he maintained creative control, this clever farce is the culmination of an extraordinary, decadelong run that produced some of the most innovative and enduring.
Buster keaton tcm star of the month october 2011 schedule. Free and easy, whose working title was on the set, was buster keaton s first starring role in a film shot for sound he had appeared in mgm s talking the hollywood revue of 1929, but did not speak. In 1999, the american film institute ranked keaton. Criterion announces june 2020 slate, including portrait. As with his previous film for mgm, spite marriage, production on free and easy was largely out of keaton. The free and easy disc also includes so funny it hurt.
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