I must start this blog entry with a correction. In my earlier blog which I posted yesterday, I discussed Keaton's short film "Hard Luck" had a missing scene with him jumping off a diving board and through pavement only to appear years later with his Chinese family. I stated this scene had been lost forever, however I just discovered yesterday by coincidence that the lost footage was indeed found and put on a newly restored version of "Hard Luck". To my astonishment I had this version of the film all the time in my "Art of Buster Keaton" box set. The definitive version of the film doesn't appear on the regualar DVDs but on the special features DVD which has other lost or alternative scenes from other Buster shorts. That's what I get for not watching my special features.Anyway I hope you enjoyed my month long tribute to Buster Keaton. I hope I made Keaton watchers out of all of you. He is still considered by many to be one of the greatest film makers who ever lived not to mention one of the greatest comedians ever as well. Many people fall under the impression that Keaton's career ended with the advent of sound. This is a false statement, while many silent actors found it difficult to make the transition to sound, Keaton remained popular, unfortunately for us film lovers, Keaton lost creative control of his films after he signed on to MGM. Keaton would remain a steady working actor for the rest of his life and sometimes he was a gag writer for the likes of W.C. Fields and The Marx Brothers, but his work would never equal his innovative days in the silent era.
Keaton was known as the Great Stone Face, never cracking a smile even when he was photographed publicly, but I would hope if he were alive today seeing all of us cinephiles admiring his films he might be smiling on the inside.
Stay tuned tomorrow for what I'm planning in February, I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.
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