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If you’re a fan of slapstick comedy or physics-defying action sequences, you might be surprised to learn that both trace back to the silent era. Long before there was Jim Carrey or Jackie Chan, there were early pioneers of slapstick and action, the most significant and influential arguably being Buster Keaton. While most people associate comedy in the silent era with Charlie Chaplin, it was Keaton who truly paved the way for physical comedy and stunt work.
Looking back on some of his more famous scenes today, it’s downright jaw-dropping that he performed the majority of his own stunts with minimal technical support and zero CGI. But what’s even more astounding is the grace and agility he exhibited while diving headfirst into even the most precarious situations. Whether he was sprinting down a hill, hanging onto the back of a street car going at full speed, or Tarzan-swinging into a waterfall, Keaton turns the physical into pure art.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Keaton’s iconic 1925 film Seven Chances. In celebration of the milestone, Kino Film Collection is making the film available to stream, along with two other Buster Keaton classics, Sherlock Jr. (1924) and The General (1926). To truly appreciate these silent-era gems, get to know the man who risked his life countless times for the art of film. To honor the anniversary of Seven Chances, here are seven facts about the unstoppable, incomparable, and seemingly invincible Buster Keaton.
He’s Been Performing Since He Was in Diapers
Born to Vaudevillian parents, Keaton started performing at the age of 3 when he was incorporated into their act. Frequently thrown around by his father, Keaton quickly became accustomed to being roughhoused for the sake of the act. Together, the family was known as The Three Keatons.
He Got His Name From Harry Houdini
Buster Keaton was born Joseph Frank Keaton IV, and it wasn’t until he was around 6 months old and fell down a flight of stairs in front of legendary magician Harry Houdini that he got his stage name. As Houdini picked the baby up, he allegedly exclaimed, “That was a buster!” Keaton’s parents decided on the spot to bestow the moniker onto their budding star.
He Got His Start in Film With Fatty Arbuckle
In 1917, Keaton appeared in his first film, a two-reeler short called The Butcher Boy, starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. From there, he would go on to work with Arbuckle for the next two years and even become his assistant director and writer. Under Arbuckle’s mentorship, Keaton learned everything there was to know about filmmaking, and in 1920 he began to make his own two-reelers, starting with One Week, before moving on to feature-length films in 1923.
He’s Known For His Deadpan Expression
Keaton was known as “The Great Stone Face,” because he never smiled, laughed, or winced during any of his scenes. In fact, Keaton’s signature brand of comedic genius is partly due to the juxtaposition of his outlandish physical hijinks with his stone-cold expression.
He Did Most of His Own Stunts
While stunt performers did exist in Keaton’s time, he chose to do his own stunts. Though this did result in injuries, from a broken ankle to a broken neck, it’s quite miraculous he didn’t suffer anything more serious. Here’s a list of some of his riskiest scenes:
- Leaping from one roof to another with the help of a wooden plank and tumbling down the side of the building.
- Running down a hill with an avalanche of boulders at his heels.
- The entire facade of a house falls on him.
- Straddling two cars and then getting scooped up by a motorcycle.
If it’s starting to sound like we’re describing Tom Cruise scenes from Mission Impossible, then that should give you some perspective on just how influential Keaton has been for film and how awe-inspiring it must have been to watch him in his prime.
His Films Did Not Use Scripts and Very Few Title Cards
Instead of scripts, Keaton’s film crews would work off of his ideas and guidance. In an interview, Keaton once said, “As a rule, about 50 percent you have in your mind when you start the picture and the rest you develop as you’re making it.”
As for title cards, the average silent film used around 240. The most Keaton ever used was 56. He believed that the story and the characters’ emotions were better expressed through physical actions, pantomime, and gestures.
His Career Tanked With Talkies, But Ended on a High Note
In 1928, after the introduction of talkies, Keaton signed with MGM to make a series of talking comedies. But without full creative control and his signature brand of silent slapstick, the films were viewed as disappointments in Keaton’s eyes. This triggered a snowball effect that led to Keaton’s alcoholism, failed marriage, and bankruptcy. In 1933, Keaton was dismissed from MGM.
But this was not the end of the road. In the 1950s, Keaton found his way back to the screen and into audiences’ hearts with appearances in Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard and Charlie Chaplin’s Limelight. Over the next decade, new audiences were discovering Keaton’s seminal works, and in 1962, Keaton rereleased The General and was heartened to see the overwhelmingly positive reception by both the public and critics. In 1965, Keaton screened one of his last works, a silent film called Film, at the Venice Film Festival, and received a 10-minute standing ovation. The next year, Keaton died of lung cancer at the age of 70.
You can now stream three of Keaton’s most iconic silent films—Sherlock Jr., Seven Chances, and The General—on Kino Film Collection.
Sherlock Jr. (1924)
Sherlock Jr. is a brilliant deconstruction of the filmmaking process. Keaton stars as a movie theatre projectionist who dreams of becoming a super-sleuth, and, in one breathtaking sequence, literally steps into the screen to bring his fantasies to life.
Seven Chances (1925)
Seven Chances tells the story of an eligible young bachelor who must marry by 7:00 p.m. in order to receive a $7 million inheritance. A newspaper announcement provides him with more fiancées than he can handle, setting in motion the most epic and surreal chase sequence of Keaton’s career.
The General (1926)
Rejected by the Confederate army and taken for a coward by his beloved Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), young Johnny Gray (Keaton) is given a chance to redeem himself when Yankee spies steal his cherished locomotive. Johnny wages a one-man war against hijackers, an errant cannon and the unpredictable hand of fate while roaring along the iron rails.