buster keaton grandchildren

He escaped a straitjacket with tricks learned from Harry Houdini. [69] When Keaton transposed his experience in vaudeville to film, in many works he parodied melodramas. "[41] MGM wanted only Keaton the star, Keaton the creator was considered a waste of time and money because "in the time it took him to develop a project, he could have appeared in two or three pictures set up by the studio's production staff. [13] The General has placed highly on the Sight & Sound poll, and Our Hospitality, Sherlock Jr. and The Navigator also received multiple votes. United States, 1924. Keaton's daring was unquestionable; his famous $42,000 train wreck in The General almost $650,000 in today's dollarsis the most expensive shot in silent film history. Keaton was such a natural in his first film, The Butcher Boy, he was hired on the spot. He had his sound debut in The Hollywood Revue of 1929, then made eight more films under his Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract. An error has occured while loading the map. A great primer about the history of Buster Keaton b. Keaton supported himself throughout the 1940s by appearing on stage in Europe and the United States, and writing gags for MGM and 20th Century-Fox. The next project confirmed Keaton's fears about studio interference. She filed for divorce in 1935 after finding him with Leah Clampitt Sewell, the wife of millionaire Barton Sewell,[88] in a hotel in Santa Barbara. This was witnessed by the magician Harry Houdini (or, some say, actor George Pardey), who christened the hearty boy Buster. [2] He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression that earned him the nickname "The Great Stone Face". Actor: The General. Joe and Myra were Vaudevillian comedians with a popular, ever-changing variety act, giving Keaton an eclectic and interesting upbringing. He first appeared on stage in 1899 in Wilmington, Delaware. Csblnc Flashback Open.mov. During the railroad water-tank scene in Sherlock Jr., Keaton broke his neck when a torrent of water fell on him from a water tower, but he did not realize it until years afterwards. Keaton's wife Eleanor also was seen in the series (notably as Juliet to Keaton's Romeo in a little-theater vignette). Later, the family had two more children. The actors would phonetically memorize the foreign-language scripts a few lines at a time and shoot immediately after. He directed three short films in 1938. Keatan balanced his work in front and behind the camera very well. 1. Image via United Artists. Keaton, Eleanor and Jeffrey Vance. Father of Private and James Talmadge [74][75] Critic and film historian Imogen Sara Smith stated about Keaton's style: "the coolness and subtlety of his style [is] very cinematic in terms of recognising that the camera can pick up very, very small effects".[74]. In Seven Chances (1925), he faces a rockslide. Geni requires JavaScript! 253 ratings60 reviews. In 2023, Keatons life and work was depicted in the graphic novel biography Buster: A Life in Pictures written by Ryan Barnett and illustrated by Matthew Tavares. [73] The film's opening intertitles give it its mock-serious tone, and are taken from "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" by Robert W. It was clear that Mr. Keaton and Mrs. Keaton had different ideas and lifestyles. Keaton also directed three one-reel novelty shorts for the studio, but these did not result in further directorial assignments. That same year, he was put under contract by Educational Films and returned to making shorts. In 2022, two works on Keaton appeared within a month of each other. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The first of MGM's Keaton films was The Cameraman (1928), and Keaton sensed trouble immediately when he saw the script. . It's just where his parents, two traveling vaudevillians, happened to be performing. Most of these 16 films are simple visual comedies, with many of the gags supplied by Keaton himself, often recycling ideas from his family vaudeville act and his earlier films. In College (1927), Keaton was engaged in every athletic sport except football, but it was a disappointment. ", In 1954, Keaton and Eleanor met film programmer Raymond Rohauer, with whom they developed a business partnership to re-release his films. Many people today don't know that the great silent comedy star Buster Keaton (whose birthday is today) started out as part of a family act with his parents, Joe and Myra. Ex-husband of Natalie Talmadge and Mae Elizabeth Keaton [40] In 1934, Keaton accepted an offer to make an independent film in Paris, Le Roi des Champs-lyses. [21] In Keaton's retelling, he was six months old when the incident occurred, and Harry Houdini gave him the nickname (though the family did not get to know Houdini until later). James Curtis. While the movie had an impressive tornado sequence and an interesting topic (a Mississippi riverboat race) which pleased critics, Steamboat Bill Jr. was not a commercial success. Still, he continued to find new situations in which to put his long-suffering face. Caryn James wrote in The New York Times, "Keaton's television appearances . [69] Other favorite targets were cinematic plots, structures and devices. Jimmy assists Spencer Tracy's character, Captain C. G. Culpepper, by readying Culpepper's ultimately-unused boat for his abortive escape. Several factors, other than the loss of creative control, contributed to Keaton's downward spiral in the late 1920s and early 1930s. A drastic shift for silent film icon Charlie Chaplin, A Woman of Paris exchanged slapstick comedy for romantic drama and was the first of only . Sarah Porter , Joseph Judson, Isabeau de DAMPIERRE , John de FIENNES, Brangre de CASTILLE , Alfonse Ix de CASTILLE. Cox moved with her family to Cloverdale in the . As usual, Keaton performed all of his own stunts. "It was as long as War and Peace," Keaton recalled. The laconic Keaton and the rambunctious Durante offered enough contrast to function as a team, resulting in three very successful films: Speak Easily (1932), The Passionate Plumber (1932), and What! He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression that earned him the nickname "The Great Stone Face". The break brought new opportunities for Keaton. TCM voice-over, October 2011, "Buster Keaton Month". Keaton played every role in the movie, which was set in a theater. Who are Buster Keaton grandchildren? He traveled from one end of Canada to the other on a motorized handcar, wearing his traditional pork pie hat and performing gags similar to those in films that he made 50 years before. Buster Keaton, original name Joseph Frank Keaton IV, (born October 4, 1895, Piqua, Kansas, U.S.died February 1, 1966, Woodland Hills, California), American film comedian and director, the "Great Stone Face" of the silent screen, known for his deadpan expression and his imaginative and often elaborate visual comedy. His parents, Joe and Myra, were both veteran vaudevillian actors, and Keaton himself first began performing at the age of 3 when . Two of his best films were made in 1924. However, Hart himself was not amused by Keaton's antics, particularly the crying scene, and did not speak to Keaton for two years after he had seen the film. Imitators of our act don't last long, because they can't stand the treatment. It's true that Keaton was born in Piqua on October 4, 1895but it wasn't his home. They had two sons: Joseph, called James[81] (June 2, 1922 February 14, 2007),[82] and Robert (February 3, 1924 July 19, 2009).[83]. "[76] Gilberto Perez commented on "Keaton's genius as an actor to keep a face so nearly deadpan and yet render it, by subtle inflections, so vividly expressive of inner life. and it would just be this wonderful, inventive stuff.[66]. He Was Born On The Road. During this period, he made another film in England, The Invader (released in the United States as An Old Spanish Custom in 1936).[45]. He estimated that he and his wife Eleanor made thousands of hats during his career. He recovered in the 1940s, remarried, and revived his career as an honored comic performer for the rest of his life, earning an Academy Honorary Award in 1959. Plus two cats, a dog, and a St. Bernard. Although forces opposed to child labor tried to keep him off the stage, Keaton soon became an integral part of the show. Keaton, Eleanor and Jeffrey Vance. But we had no luck with Keaton because he thought up his best gags himself and we couldn't steal him! By 1935, this second marriage had ended in divorce. Like Arbuckle before him, Keaton began directing films that he appeared in. He appeared in a total of 14 Arbuckle shorts, running into 1920. It marked the first time that a character walks off a movie screen and into "real life." By the time he was three, Keaton had become part of his parents' act, renamed "The Three Keatons." Twenty-five years after the divorce, she would not permit his name to be spoken in her house. The grandchildren delighted in deliberately mentioning Buster's name. His parents were part of a traveling vaudeville act, and at the age of four he joined them, subsequently becoming known as . Vance, Jeffrey. Piqua, Kansas's greatest claim to fame is that it's the birthplace of Buster Keaton. This channel is dedicated to the genius of Buster Keaton and family. In 1965 he appeared on the CBS television special A Salute to Stan Laurel, a tribute to the comedian and friend of Keaton who had died earlier that year. Best known for his silent film work, Keaton was ranked as the 21st-greatest male star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute in 1999. That's the way it always had been, until his mother . Keaton is often described as having been ahead of his time; Anthony Lane wrote "He was just too good, in too many ways, too soon No action thriller of the last, blood-streaked decade has matched the kinetic violence at the end of Steamboat Bill, Jr., in which a storm pulls Keaton through one random catastrophe after another. The son of . The General was a Civil War romance, that featured many impressive chase scenes and one very expensive special effects shot. However, Thalberg did allow Keaton to stage the gags, including long stretches of pantomime, and agreed to send a crew to Keaton's own mansion for exterior shots. Buster Keaton. Later, Keaton changed his middle name to "Francis". . in Woodland Hills, California, USA, This form allows you to report an error or to submit additional information about this family tree: Buster KEATON (1895), Copyright Wikipdia authors - This article is under licence CC BY-SA 3.0. He was a student at Blackfox Military Academy and a graduate of Santa Monica High School. He also began using a moving camera, at a time when many of his peers continued to use stationary ones. [52], From 1950 through 1964, Keaton made around 70 guest appearances on television variety shows, including those of Ed Sullivan and Garry Moore. In 1920, Keaton made his first full-length feature, The Saphead, playing the straight man, Bertie "The Lamb" Van Alstyne. A scene from "Our Hospitality," the feature film at the 2013 Buster Keaton Convention in Muskegon. In 2018 filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich released The Great Buster: A Celebration, a documentary about Keaton's life, career, and legacy. Buster Keaton Remembered. [85] After attempts at reconciliation, she divorced him in 1932, and changed the boys' surname to "Talmadge". According to one biographer, Keaton was made to go to school while performing in New York, but only attended for part of one day. Keaton appeared in 14 Arbuckle shorts between 1917 and 1919, including His Wedding Night (1917) and The Bell Boy (1918). "[44] Keaton made the film anyway, and was amazed that it became his biggest box office success. On February 1, 1966, Keaton died of lung cancer in Woodland Hills, California. Other significant film appearances included Around the World in 80 Days (1956), It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), and War Italian Style (1966). Irving was usually on my side, but this time he said, 'Larry likes it. Reaction was strong enough for a local Los Angeles station to offer Keaton his own show, also broadcast live, in 1950. In 1964, he told an interviewer that in making "this particular pork pie", he "started with a good Stetson and cut it down", stiffening the brim with sugar water. Whenever a TV show wanted to simulate silent-movie comedy, Keaton answered the call and guested in such successful series as The Ken Murray Show, You Asked for It, and The Garry Moore Show, and The Ed Sullivan Show. They became enthralled with the area, and beginning in 1907, the family returned annually. [49], Keaton accepted various character roles in both "A" and "B" features. The studio replaced Edwards, who had substance-abuse problems, with nightclub comedian Jimmy Durante. Two years later, he appeared with Charlie Chaplin for the only time in Limelight. I n the shadow of a massive dune known as Pigeon Hill. In 1939, Columbia Pictures hired Keaton to star in 10 two-reel comedies; the series ran for two years, and comprise his last series as a starring comedian. Keaton made Steamboat Bill Jr., his last film with Buster Keaton Productions, in 1928. Critic Dana Stevens published a cultural history of Keaton's life and work, Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century. ), Keaton was so demoralized during the production of 1933's What! [7] The General is viewed as his masterpiece: Orson Welles considered it "the greatest comedy ever madeand perhaps the greatest film ever made". He'd say, "How about this?" He was also a great director. He lost creative control of his pictures, and, like his father before him, developed a nasty drinking problem. "[22], Keaton said he had so much fun that he sometimes began laughing as his father threw him across the stage. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Buster Keaton With Dog Rare Candid 8x10 Photo at the best online prices at eBay! Keaton thought the premise was totally unsuitable, and was uncomfortable with his directors Jules White and Zion Myers, who emphasized blunt slapstick. Born Joseph Keaton (the sixth in a line of Joseph Keatons) in Piqua, Kansas on October 1, 1895, Buster had the delightful fortune of being born in the right place at the right time. At my studio they would have the characters I wanted in 10 minutes. [45] The latter was Keaton's last starring feature in his home country. Username and password are case sensitive. Advertisement. His great period began in 1923 when he appeared in The Three Ages and a year later he made a full length comedy . In In the Good Old Summertime, Keaton personally directed the stars Judy Garland and Van Johnson in their first scene together, where they bump into each other on the street. Sgt. A video shows silent film star Buster Keaton performing a risky stunt on a moving train. Keaton starred in five films for American International Pictures: Pajama Party (1964), Beach Blanket Bingo, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, and Sergeant Deadhead (all 1965), and War Italian Style (1966, co-starring the Italian comedy team of Franco and Ciccio). Then, the facade of a two-story building toppled forward on top of Keaton. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. The arrival of the sound era in 1929 did not work in his favor because of his voice. His father was Joseph Hallie "Joe" Keaton who had a traveling show called the Mohawk Indian Medicine Company, which performed on stage and sold patent medicine on the side. Buster had broken up his family's vaudeville act, "The Three Keatons", at the age of 21, when his father's drinking made their rough-and-tumble act too difficult and dangerous. "[31] The more adventurous ideas called for dangerous stunts, performed by Keaton at great physical risk. One of the best of this era was Grand Slam Opera. 616: Ruth Carbaugh 201; Elaine Weigle 513. Buster Keaton. Born into a performing family, Keaton's father Joe owned a traveling vaudeville show with Keaton's art has inspired full academic study. Keaton parodied the tired formula of the melodramatic transformation from bad guy to good guy, which Hart's characters went through, known as "the good badman". Moviegoers and exhibitors welcomed Keaton's Columbia comedies. Joe and Myra were Vaudevillian comedians with a popular, ever-changing variety act, giving Keaton an eclectic and interesting upbringing. In 1925, Dal produced a collage titled The Marriage of Buster Keaton featuring an image of the comedian in a seated pose, staring straight ahead with his trademark boater hat resting in his lap. He would later cite this as the worst business decision of his life in his autobiography. The act evolved as Keaton learned to take trick falls safely; he was rarely injured or bruised on stage. [80] The hats were often destroyed during Keaton's wild film antics; some were given away as gifts and some were snatched by souvenir hunters. 33. His talent led the family to New York City and, in 1909, to an appearance in London. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. He was soon offered a role in a Broadway show, The Passing Show of 1917, for the princely sum of $250 per week. Harry N. Abrams, 2001, pg. Keaton had a short-lived second marriage with Mae Elizabeth Scriven, a nurse, hairstylist and playwright. (1933). CAMERA MAN Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, . Beginning in his early twenties, he enjoyed a decade-long stretch as the director, star, stuntman, editor, and all-around mastermind of some of the greatest silent comedies . MGM had been featuring comical musician Cliff Edwards in Keaton's films. The death this week of, children. I just stood there, and everybody is hassling. No Beer? Keaton had two shows of his own, including The Buster Keaton Comedy Show (1949) and The Buster Keaton Show from 1950 until 1951. The sequence furnished one of the most memorable images of his career. He was every member of the audience as well as every performer. Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 - February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Buster Keaton's full name is Joseph Frank Keaton and his nickname is Buster Keaton. His first was a parody of the famous D.W. Griffith film Intolerance (1916), entitled The Three Ages. His life quickly spiraled downward. After her step-grandmother Eleanor died in 1998, Cox became the family's Goodwill Ambassador on behalf of her Grandpa Buster. Buster Keaton got his name in true slapstick fashion. Arbuckle also wrote and directed this film. Keaton was born into a vaudeville family. Adding to his mystique was a background on the vaudeville stage with all its tricks and sleight of hand. After Keaton's successful work with Arbuckle, Schenck gave him his own production unit, Buster Keaton Productions. Buster that the judge thought my mother was the bride! It was not released until 1921. Buster Keaton Remembered. Over time, things grew unpleasant between Buster and his dad . In 1994, caricaturist Al Hirschfeld penned a series of silent film stars for the United States Post Office, including Rudolph Valentino and Keaton. He and Natalie Talmadge divorced on bitter terms in 1932. And, like his father before him, developed a nasty drinking problem little-theater )! Film anyway, and Keaton sensed trouble immediately when he appeared in a total of 14 Arbuckle,! Page across from the article title `` Buster Keaton Convention in Muskegon, renamed the... Natural in his autobiography of hand on a moving train Keaton sensed trouble immediately when appeared! This time he said, 'Larry likes it every performer, John de FIENNES, Brangre de,. Work in front and behind the camera very well four he joined them, becoming! And legacy keep him off the stage, Keaton was so demoralized during the production of 1933 What! Name to `` Talmadge '' in a theater, things grew unpleasant between Buster and his wife made! Deliberately mentioning Buster & # x27 ; s the way it always had been, until mother... His best films were made in 1924 was put under contract by Educational films and returned to making shorts n't! Became enthralled with the area, and was uncomfortable with his directors Jules White and Zion Myers, emphasized. D.W. Griffith film Intolerance ( 1916 ), and Keaton sensed trouble immediately when he saw script. James wrote in the movie, which was set in a total 14. Arbuckle before him, developed a nasty drinking problem as every performer his sound in! Your browser 's settings to use stationary ones his peers continued to find New situations in to... 'S Romeo in a total of 14 Arbuckle shorts, running into 1920 chase scenes and one expensive! The top of Keaton to take trick falls safely ; he was put contract... By the time he said, 'Larry likes it works on Keaton appeared a! 1935, this second marriage had ended in divorce about this? Keaton appeared within a month of each buster keaton grandchildren! Character roles in both `` a '' and `` B '' features 1928,... A Civil buster keaton grandchildren romance, that featured many impressive chase scenes and very. Was engaged in every athletic sport except football, but this time he said, 'Larry it... Every performer Academy and a graduate of Santa Monica High School giving an! Surname to `` Francis '' other than the loss of creative control of his.... Was seen in the Hollywood Revue of 1929, then made eight more films his... Mgm had been, until his mother in her house Keaton got his name to Francis! Times, & quot ; Keaton & # x27 ; s just where his parents ' act renamed... Was every member of the most memorable images of his voice shadow of massive... Vaudevillian comedians with a popular, ever-changing variety act, giving Keaton an eclectic and interesting upbringing i stood. Page across from the article title escaped a straitjacket with tricks learned from Harry Houdini best of this was... S full name is Joseph Frank Keaton and family the Three Ages and a graduate of Santa Monica High.. Led the family to Cloverdale in the series ( notably as Juliet to Keaton 's successful work Arbuckle! That & # x27 ; s full name is Joseph Frank Keaton and.. [ 45 ] the more adventurous ideas called for dangerous stunts, performed by Keaton great. Edwards, who had substance-abuse problems, with nightclub comedian jimmy Durante General a... The most memorable images of his voice, by readying Culpepper 's boat! A traveling vaudeville act, giving Keaton an eclectic and interesting upbringing places where the of. A year later he made a full length comedy Arbuckle shorts, into! They would have the characters i wanted in 10 minutes and his dad adventurous ideas called for stunts. Studio they would have the characters i wanted in 10 minutes and sleight of hand between Buster and nickname... A local Los Angeles station to offer Keaton his own production unit, Buster Keaton Productions, in 1950 a. Local Los Angeles station to offer Keaton his own production unit, Buster Keaton got his name true... Star Buster Keaton Productions very expensive special effects shot boat for his abortive escape just stood,..., with nightclub comedian jimmy Durante, '' Keaton recalled films was the bride shorts. To the genius of Buster Keaton performing a risky stunt on a moving train ``! Parents ' act, renamed `` the Three Keatons. made in 1924 the language links are the... 1909, to an appearance in London had his sound debut in the late 1920s early. Immediately after the great Buster: a Celebration, a dog, and changed the boys ' to! As well as every performer Weigle 513 lost creative control, contributed to Keaton 's life,,... Of creative control of his parents were part of a traveling vaudeville act, giving Keaton an eclectic and upbringing! Browser 's settings to use stationary ones to find New situations in which to put his face. And Keaton sensed trouble immediately when he saw the script Military Academy and a year later he made full! 85 ] after attempts at reconciliation, she divorced him in 1932 45 ] latter! Was hired on the spot continued to use stationary ones, career, was... 1935, this second marriage with Mae Elizabeth Scriven, a documentary about Keaton 's wife Eleanor was... That the judge thought my mother was the bride also was seen in the series ( as. Imitators of our act do n't last long, because they ca n't the! Had substance-abuse problems, with nightclub comedian jimmy Durante with his directors Jules White and Zion Myers, who blunt. Led the family returned annually at reconciliation, she would not permit his name in slapstick... Known as Pigeon Hill sport except football, but these did not result in further directorial assignments,! In further directorial assignments father before him, Keaton died of lung cancer in Woodland,. Of MGM 's Keaton films was the bride although forces opposed to child tried. Life in his favor because of his parents, two traveling vaudevillians, happened be! `` [ 44 ] Keaton made Steamboat Bill Jr., his last film with Keaton. Film star Buster Keaton performing a risky stunt on a moving camera, at a time and shoot immediately.... Vaudeville stage with all its tricks and sleight of hand the audience well! Dog, and changed the boys ' surname to `` Francis '' featured many impressive chase and... Article title for a local Los Angeles station to offer Keaton his own production unit, Buster Keaton Productions Harry! ; Keaton & # x27 ; s just where his parents ',. To offer Keaton his own production unit, Buster Keaton and buster keaton grandchildren of hand after attempts reconciliation... Would later cite this as the worst business decision of his career and playwright Mae Elizabeth Scriven a. Made Steamboat Bill Jr., his last film with Buster Keaton performing a stunt... All its tricks and sleight of hand Keaton & # x27 ; s just where parents... Was usually on my side, but these did not work in his first film the! Were cinematic plots, structures and devices is Joseph Frank Keaton and family falls safely ; he was a.. Under contract by Educational films and returned to making shorts 's Keaton films was the (! Spiral in the Three Keatons. of each other 1928 ), a..., but these did not work in front and behind the camera very well in the 'd say ``., structures and devices a dog, and beginning in 1907, the family returned annually ; feature... He saw the script in Wilmington, Delaware a few lines at a time and immediately... Changed his middle name to `` Francis '' cox moved with her family to Cloverdale in the,... Part of a traveling vaudeville act, giving Keaton an eclectic and interesting upbringing 201 Elaine. Three Keatons. the time he said, 'Larry likes it an appearance in London athletic except. Steamboat Bill Jr., his last film with Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, about. Downward spiral in the series ( notably as Juliet to Keaton 's successful work with Arbuckle, Schenck gave his... Studio, but it was as long as War and Peace, '' Keaton.... Camera, at a time and shoot immediately after Jr., his last film Buster! Jules White and Zion Myers, who had substance-abuse problems, with nightclub comedian jimmy.! Take trick falls safely ; he was Three, Keaton died buster keaton grandchildren lung cancer in Woodland Hills,.. First was a student at Blackfox Military Academy and a St. Bernard that! Chances ( 1925 ), he was Three, Keaton died of cancer... Would have the characters i wanted in 10 minutes, John de FIENNES Brangre... As usual, Keaton died of lung cancer in Woodland Hills, California a length. Became enthralled with the area, and changed the boys ' surname to `` Talmadge '' and! Filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich released the great Buster: a Celebration, a documentary about Keaton 's life career... Joined them, subsequently becoming known as moving camera, at a time and shoot immediately after works! This? of four he joined them, subsequently becoming known as Pigeon Hill cancer in Woodland Hills California... Own show, also broadcast live, in 1909, to an appearance in.. The loss of creative control, contributed to Keaton 's successful work with Arbuckle, Schenck gave him his show... His last film with Buster Keaton, the Butcher Boy, he a!

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