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4K AI Colorized | Some of Buster Keaton's most amazing stunts - DeOldify

Science & Technology


4K AI Colorized | Some of Buster Keaton's most amazing stunts - DeOldify

When I was six months old, I found myself in a small town, staying at a small hotel. One day, I tumbled down an entire flight of stairs, from top to bottom. People rushed to my aid, but I simply shook my head and shrugged it off without shedding a tear, indicating that I wasn't hurt. Houdini referred to it as a 'buster,' a term used for falls, as the phrase “bronco buster” or “oral fall” had never been coined as a name until then. My father commented that it would make a good name, and it sounded agreeable. I was born into the Keaton Houdini Medicine Show Company during a one-night stand in Kansas—a fact that might surprise those in the motion picture industry today.

Motion pictures, especially in the past 25 years or so, have changed drastically. During my time, neither Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, nor I ever worked with a script. This might seem unbelievable today, but back then, we didn't even consider writing one. We simply began with a funny start and aimed to find an appropriate finish. If we couldn't finalize it satisfactorily, we'd abandon it and move on to another project.

I learned much from my time on stage. My comedic style was such that if I laughed at my own antics, the audience wouldn't find it amusing. Thus, I took my work more seriously, which in turn heightened the humor for the audience.

My father was quite the character, an eccentric acrobat who quickly got me started in the business. Once I could stand on my own, he put slap shoes and baggy pants on me, involving me in gags and stunts. He'd throw me across the stage or grab me by the neck, integrating me into his act. By the time I was around seven or eight, we were known for having one of the roughest acts in stage history.

In making pictures, the middle part took care of itself once we had finalized the beginning and end. Subtitles were eliminated wherever possible to focus on the action. My entrance into the movie industry came when I was 21 years old in the spring of 1917, working with Roscoe Arbuckle. He advised me that the average mindset of a film audience was akin to that of a 12-year-old. Despite this, I believed that those who continued to cater primarily to 12-year-old minds wouldn't last long in the industry.

Keywords

  • Buster Keaton
  • Houdini
  • Chaplin
  • Harold Lloyd
  • Silent Films
  • Comedy
  • Stunts
  • Slapstick
  • Roscoe Arbuckle
  • Early Cinema
  • Motion Pictures
  • 12-year-old mind
  • Humor

FAQ

Q: How did Buster Keaton get into show business? A: Buster Keaton was introduced to show business by his father, who put slap shoes and baggy pants on him, integrating him into stage gags and stunts from a young age.

Q: What was unique about Keaton's approach to making motion pictures? A: Keaton, along with contemporaries like Chaplin and Lloyd, never worked with a script. They focused on crafting a funny start and a satisfactory finish, letting the middle develop naturally during filming.

Q: What did Roscoe Arbuckle advise Buster Keaton about film audiences? A: Roscoe Arbuckle advised Keaton that the average mindset of a motion picture audience was that of a 12-year-old.

Q: Why did Buster Keaton take his comedic work seriously? A: Keaton observed that if he laughed at his own antics, the audience wouldn't find it amusing. Hence, taking his work seriously increased the comedic effect for the audience.

Q: What was the nature of the comedy act Keaton performed with his father? A: Keaton and his father had one of the roughest acts in stage history, involving physical humor that included being thrown across the stage and other intense physical gags.

Q: When did Buster Keaton start his film career? A: Buster Keaton began his film career in the spring of 1917 when he was 21 years old, initially working with Roscoe Arbuckle.