The Buster Keaton Blogathon, hosted by film historian, writer and silent movie expert Lea Stans of the outstanding Silentology webpage, is back with a brand new lineup of scholarly, informative posts on The Great Stone Face for 2022. As always, there will be plenty of interesting pieces by good writers.
The Roster for the 8th Buster Keaton Blogathon:
Big V Riot Squad | “Buster Keaton’s Silent Shorts — Reel Two”
Century Film Project | Cops (1922)
Cinematica | The Scarecrow (1920)
CrÃtica Retrô | Buster Keaton: The Genius Destroyed By Hollywood (2016) documentary
dream in dizzy sunlight | The Heart Of Go West (1925)
Inimitable BK | Adventures With Horses essay Movie Rob | The Cameraman
nitrateglow | Reviews of the books The Vampire Diary of Buster Keaton and Bluffton
Realweegiemidget Reviews | Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
Rekha’s Sousaphone | Our Hospitality adaptations in Hindi pop cinema
Silent-ology | Reviewing All Of Buster’s MGM Features
Silent Locations | Video tour of Buster Keaton film locations
Silver Screenings | The Haunted House (1921)
Taking Up Room | College
The Thoughts Of One Truly Loved | How I Fell For Buster Keaton
University of Iowa Libraries blog | Article on the Marion Meade research paper collection, Silent Film Star Still Shines in Special Collections & Archives
Whimsically Classic | The Great Buster (2018) documentary
The Wonderful World of Cinema | The Donna Reed Show episode “A Very Merry Christmas”
The gang at Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog are very pleased to be among the contributors to the 8th Buster Blogathon and shall be writing a post titled Mr. Keaton Goes To The Columbia Shorts Department about The Great Stone Face's ignominious (but better than one would expect) stretch starring in proto-Three Stooges 2-reelers for Jules White and Del Lord. Long ago and far away, we posted a six-part series delving into the history of the Columbia Shorts Department in this very space.
Keaton, then as in March 2022 the GOAT, starred in his own series for the Columbia Shorts Department, as did fellow silent comedy aces Charley Chase, Harry Langdon and Andy Clyde, the Mack Sennett studio's most ubiquitous stock company stalwart. All created bits and entire films at the Columbia Shorts Department featuring inspired comedy, alternating with ill-fated but sometimes surprisingly successful efforts within the slapstick formula that worked like a charm for Moe, Larry and Curly (note: Chase directed Three Stooges comedies, with felicitous results).
While Buster, not surprisingly, absolutely loathed the 2-reelers he starred in for both Columbia and Educational, dismissed them (accurately) as cheap shorts, IMHO, both these and the 1934-1937 Educational Pictures 2-reelers offer more unadulterated Buster than the MGM talkie features.
The Columbia shorts were Buster's least favorite films from his entire career - no shock here, considering that the same guy made The General, arguably still among the handful of greatest and most beautifully realized feature films ever produced.
Always happy to defend films nobody likes, Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog will give the Jules White and Del Lord “Buster Goes Stooge” films, often featuring ace comedy supporting players Bud Jamison, Vernon Dent and Monty Collins, a little love. Whatever the scenario is, Buster makes the very best of it.
3 comments:
Hooray, looking forward to it!! I always enjoy reading your contributions!
Thanks, Lea! Interestingly enough, the only Buster Keaton sound films I have seen in a theatre with an audience are the very funny 1936 Educational short GRAND SLAM OPERA and his appearances in TV shows and commercials in the 1950s and 1960's. Buster's silents, whether seen with an SRO crowd in a spectacular movie palace or at a revival house or museum, always kill with an audience.
I enjoy the Columbia shorts too! I cannot wait to hear your take on them!
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