8 Book Review V I D E O A G E June/July 2022 When you think of actor and comedian Buster Keaton, the first thing you probably picture is his face. That face, deadpan yet chiseled like a sculpture, earned him the nickname “The Great Stone Face.” A thin head, a sharp jawline, a pale demeanor whitened further by stage powder and glassy eyes — Keaton’s singular look is among the most recognizable in films of the 20th century. The second thing you might picture is him performing one of his many stunts. Throughout his career as a silent film star, he was always in flight. He jumped out of windows, dove off of buildings, and stumbled down mountain ledges. He was blown over by gusts of wind, flapped in the air like a flag, and swung through waterfalls to save a plummeting damsel. Automobiles and trains were also essential elements of the Buster Keaton repertoire. He was an incredibly skilled stuntman, nailing his landings like an acrobat, and the speed and movement of motors added an extra layer of humor to his tricks. While his stunts were bafflingly funny, they were nearly backbreaking, too, considering that they took place in an era without many special effect tools. Sherlock Jr., the 1924 silent comedy classic in whichKeaton played amovie theater projectionist dreaming of becoming a detective, showed how Keaton’s daring came with real danger. In one of his most notorious antics from the film, he ran along a moving train, hopping from boxcar to boxcar, until he had to jump off — and the only thing he was able to hold on to was a waterspout. But once he latched onto said spout, it released a stream of water so strong that it knocked Keaton down and his neck struck the train tracks, leaving him with a broken neck that he wouldn’t realize was broken until a decade later. This death-defying accident is among the many anecdotes and episodes retold in Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker’s Life (832 pgs., Knopf, 2022, U.S. $40), a new biography from cultural and film historian James Curtis. Buster Keaton is the latest biography on the acclaimed comedian in more than two decades. With this sweeping book, Curtis has offered a substantial addition to the growing body of literature on one of the most irresistible artists of physical comedy and storytelling. Curtis previously wrote six books and edited two others. His work includes several biographies, the subjects of which span 20thcentury luminaries across arts and culture in the United States, including Hollywood production designer William Camron Menzies, Hollywood Golden Age actor Spencer Tracy, playwright and director Preston Sturges, and CanadianAmerican comedian and social satirist Mort Sahl, among others. With his latest book, Curtis continues to show his ability and thoroughness as an accomplished biographer. Buster Keaton was born in 1895 in Piqua, Kansas, a rather random town that his parents, Joseph Keaton and Myra Keaton, were passing through as part of a travelling medical show. The child of performers, he was born as Joseph Frank Keaton, and the origins of his stage name of Buster are at first slightly mysterious. Later in life, Keaton would self-mythologize and say that the escape artist and stunt performer Harry Houdini gave him the name. The role of the biographer is to present a portrait of his subject, not only to record the truthfulness of events but also to point out where his subject might be embellishing. Curtis informs the reader that the name “Buster” came about through family friend George A. Pardey, a former comedian and manager of a travelling group. “Born in London, Pardey was a repository of colorful slang,” notes Curtis. It was Pardey who, having seen how the toddler Keaton fell down stairs with playful joy, called out: “He’s a regular buster!” At over 800 pages, Buster Keaton is a wealth of information and detail. The book covers Keaton’s early life on the stage and his travels with his family, the three of whom participated in a vaudeville act. Curtis comprehensively chronicles all of Buster’s life, from his time as a child performer to his start in silent shorts up to his heyday as a silent film star, following the ups and downs of a man who worked in one of the most transformative moments in cinema. Included are episodes from Keaton’s depression, alcoholism, and divorce following his employment in the late 1920s at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which he was notoriously unhappy with. There’s also plenty of scenes from Keaton’s three marriages, as well as the revival of the public’s interest in his silent films later in his career. Curtis offers an in-depth chronology of every significant event in Keaton’s life, project to project. The author made use of extensive researchmaterials, and the book features reviews of Buster’s performances in the trades of the time. Readers will find plenty of stories to enjoy and deepen their understanding of Keaton’s life. Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker’s Life provides an exhaustive account of the life and career of the celebrated performer. Curtis has produced a hefty compendium for 20th-century film buffs and Keaton admirers. With his face so stoic yet capable of expressing authentic emotions, Keaton drew in swaths of viewers. As Curtis remarks, “On-screen, he was a tabula rasa of emotionless energy onto which audiences could project their aspirations, triumphs, and misfortunes.” Author and biographer James Curtis tells the compelling and carefully researched life story of The Great Stone Face, Buster Keaton. “He’s a Regular Buster” The Life of an Iconic U.S. Silent Star By Luis Polanco Curtis has offered a substantial addition to the growing body of literature on one of the most irresistible artists of physical comedy and storytelling.
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