His films for mgm, educational pictures, and columbia. Database speak easily is available for free download at the internet archive. Joseph frank keaton october 4, 1895 february 1, 1966, known professionally as buster. This technique is discussed in the tcm documentary buster keaton. In 1933, he married his nurse mae scriven during an alcoholic binge about which he afterwards claimed to remember nothing. Criterion announces june 2020 releases cinema sentries.
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. In the fall of 1995 eleanor norris keaton will come to kansas to celebrate. Multiplelanguage version film collectors guide brenton. Release dates 1 also known as aka 0 release dates usa 7 december 2004. Criterion collection announces june releases, includes an. Buster keaton, one of the first great indie filmmakers, moved to a major studio in 1928. As with his previous film for mgm, spite marriage, production on free and easy was largely out of keaton. 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. These are the classic films for which keaton is best known, and. Lets take a look at two of his popular stunts that nearly cost him. So funny it hurt, with keaton complaining about having to shoot lousy films not just once, but three times. He escaped a straitjacket with tricks learned from harry houdini. A turner classic movies tcm documentary about keaton s discontented relationship with mgm and the events that eventually led to his career downfall.
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. 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. The narrative repetitively conveys the message that the studio did not use keaton. 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. Multiplelanguage version film collectors guide brenton film. This is discussed in the tcm documentary buster keaton. 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. Cline, buster keaton the playhouse 1921 best free legal movies ever 53 comedy. Also known as aka it looks like we dont have any akas for this title yet.
He was basically bewildered at how such bad films as his early talkies were such a success at the. Mgm decided to use her in a movie with buster keaton. This gives a surface wash to keaton s alcoholism, marital problems, and frustration with the sound era and the studios demands. The digital restoration was funded by the german commission for culture and the media bkm. Kevin brownlow born 2 june 1938 is a british film historian, television documentarymaker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. In 1999, the american film institute ranked keaton. The motion picture camera 1979, a documentary by a. A celebration, the 2018 the life and filmmaking career of iconic comedian buster keaton is celebrated in this documentary. 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. The documentary chronicles the comedians mgm period, and features fascinating rare footage, including archival interviews with the master himself. Criterion announces june 2020 slate, including portrait of a lady on fire john latchem. Just five years later he had lost both that career and his family, and was unemployable. 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.
Criterion collection announces june titles geek vibes nation. 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. Keaton was so demoralized during the production of 1933s what. Buster keaton and mgm ties everything together and even has footage of keaton himself talking about his decline at mgm. 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. The free and easy disc also includes so funny it hurt. Buster worked occasionally on the mgm writing staff at that time and was. This interest grew into a career spent documenting and restoring film. A turner classic movies tcm documentary about keaton s rocky relationship with mgm and the events that eventually led to his career downfall. His films for mgm, educational pictures, and columbia plus. Brownlow is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era.
Buster keaton was an american comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. Iconic film distributor criterion has announced its full lineup of titles set to hit shelves on bluray in june, which includes the buster. This channel is dedicated to the genius of buster keaton and family. 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. This whole thing basically started when my mate kyle and i got seriously inspired by buster keaton s performances back in his heyday. Buster keaton is the october 2011 turner classic movies star of the month. 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. Criterion announces june 2020 slate, including portrait. An essay by film critic imogen sara smith portrait of a lady on fire 2019 june 23. So funny it hurt, with keaton complaining about having to shoot lousy movies not just once, but three times.
The actors would phonetically memorize the foreignlanguage scripts a few lines at a time and shoot immediately after. Criterion, indicator, arrow and others volume 3 movies. So so documentary about buster keaton s careerending stint at mgm. Controversial classic gets a definitive new restoration article by patrick stanbury at. Criterion unveils june 2020 titles and special sale. Buster keaton tcm star of the month october 2011 schedule. This watershed period in keatons life is the basis for film historian kevin brownlows poignant new documentary so funny it hurts. He hated the movies he made, but they earned money and made him doubt his own abilities and taste. Brownlow became interested in silent film at the age of eleven. Keaton collection, along with the documentary so funny it hurt. Keaton was briefly institutionalized, according to the turner classic movies documentary so funny it hurt. Famous comedian buster keaton performed so many dangerous stunts himself that in some cases, he could have got himself killed. Laurel and hardy, greta garbo, buster keaton, marlene dietrich.
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