by Cláudio Alves
This week, one of the best comedies ever made and a silent film masterpiece celebrates its centennial. It's none other than Sherlock Jr., Buster Keaton's 45-minute miracle of stunt work and cinematic considerations about cinema as materialized dream and broken escapism. A meta-movie for the ages, I consider it the old Stone Face's crowning achievement. Sure, The General is much more complex and Steamboat Bill, Jr. trumps it in sheer iconography. As for technical innovation, something like The Play House is probably Keaton's peak. However, there's something special about the 1924 lark, a simplicity that bolsters perfection, an ingenuity that rekindles my love for cinema whenever I set my eyes on it…...
This week, one of the best comedies ever made and a silent film masterpiece celebrates its centennial. It's none other than Sherlock Jr., Buster Keaton's 45-minute miracle of stunt work and cinematic considerations about cinema as materialized dream and broken escapism. A meta-movie for the ages, I consider it the old Stone Face's crowning achievement. Sure, The General is much more complex and Steamboat Bill, Jr. trumps it in sheer iconography. As for technical innovation, something like The Play House is probably Keaton's peak. However, there's something special about the 1924 lark, a simplicity that bolsters perfection, an ingenuity that rekindles my love for cinema whenever I set my eyes on it…...
- 4/18/2024
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
Buster Keaton was one of the biggest names in early cinema, famous for his physical comedy. He thrived on an ability to improvise these gags; Keaton grew up as a vaudeville performer, and spent his childhood improvising slapstick routines with his father onstage. As a Hollywood filmmaker, Keaton continued to rely on improvisation for his comedy — but this required him to follow one simple rule.
Keaton got his start as an entertainer traveling in a company alongside Harry Houdini. It was here that he learned to improvise fluidly and hilariously. His first time in front of a camera was in Fatty Arbuckle's "The Butcher Boy." "[Arbuckle] only had to turn me loose in the set and I'd have material in two minutes, because I'd been doing it all my life," Keaton explained (via A Hard Act to Follow).
When it came to his own films, Keaton made sure there was...
Keaton got his start as an entertainer traveling in a company alongside Harry Houdini. It was here that he learned to improvise fluidly and hilariously. His first time in front of a camera was in Fatty Arbuckle's "The Butcher Boy." "[Arbuckle] only had to turn me loose in the set and I'd have material in two minutes, because I'd been doing it all my life," Keaton explained (via A Hard Act to Follow).
When it came to his own films, Keaton made sure there was...
- 9/4/2022
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
One of the biggest comedians in silent cinema, Buster Keaton, was offered a weekly television series at a low point in his career — but, to everyone's surprise, he turned it down.
Keaton was a legend of the silver screen and a master of physical comedy, but things took a turn for the worse when silent film went the way of the dodo. Guest spots on television shows like "The Donna Reed Show" and "The Twilight Zone" presented new opportunities for Keaton to showcase his talents. He was resistant to doing a regular weekly show, but it wasn't because he was reclusive. In fact, the star had one very specific reason for turning down his own series.
Transitioning Into Movies
Keaton is best known for the silent films he made in the 1920s like "The General" and "Sherlock, Jr.," but he actually started out in vaudeville theater. After being featured in...
Keaton was a legend of the silver screen and a master of physical comedy, but things took a turn for the worse when silent film went the way of the dodo. Guest spots on television shows like "The Donna Reed Show" and "The Twilight Zone" presented new opportunities for Keaton to showcase his talents. He was resistant to doing a regular weekly show, but it wasn't because he was reclusive. In fact, the star had one very specific reason for turning down his own series.
Transitioning Into Movies
Keaton is best known for the silent films he made in the 1920s like "The General" and "Sherlock, Jr.," but he actually started out in vaudeville theater. After being featured in...
- 8/29/2022
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
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