Customer Reviews

Buster Keaton Remembered

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Weighing in at a hefty 4 pounds (I accidentally dropped it more than once, followed by expletives), this extraordinary analysis of Buster's life and career is one of the best books written about the man with the blank pan.

With an emphasis on the 225 photos selected for the book, the first chapter explains that of the 1000's of photos brought forth for potential publication, some of the rare images that were selected were recently discovered lying forgotten for more than 40 years in an MGM warehouse in New Jersey, and then carefully restored. For instance, one of these never-before-seen shots is of Buster between takes on the set of "Speak Easily" playing cards with Jimmy Durante and another of an intense Buster and Jimmy taking orders from director Ed Sedgwick.

Moving on, we get an intimate essay by his widow, Eleanor, on life with Buster during their 28 years together.

The next chapter is a compressed early bio, starting at his birth and meandering through his vaudeville years, which ended in 1917. Following that, it continues with a chapter on Buster's filmmaking learning curve under the tutorial of Fatty Arbuckle.

The majority of its content is a summary of each film from his successful years of 1920 to 1933. The text includes the synopsis and some background information during each film's development. Never-before-heard-of revelations send you running to the VCR, like Eleanor telling us that in a shot from "The Navigator", you can see the look of panic on Buster's face when he thinks he's suffocating in his deep-sea diving suit as a result of a flexible rope ladder hanging off the side of the ship. Also revealed is a backward flip out the door of the second story of his house in "One Week" that landed Buster with a swelled back and arms.

There are also chapters of his post-stardom film work (the Educationals) and later TV career (both of which deserved more space in the book).

The quality of the photos is remarkable. For instance, one from Eleanor's collection of Buster at age 16 standing on a giant rock, grinning from ear-to-ear, shows up much clearer in this book than in a previously published account. Another previously published photo of Buster smiling, on the beach during the filming of "Coney Island", is also fine-tuned in this collective.

At the end, we are treated to instructions and photos on "How to Make a Porkpie Hat", a process whereby Buster scrunches a burly-man's Stetson fedora into a dainty 1890's ladies hat.

I, too, have every book written in English about Buster. I've been a fan for 25 years, and worked in Marketing in the 80's for the 16mm distributor of all Buster's films, even chatting a few times with Raymond Rohauer. I've met Buster's grandson and grandaughter, and attended many events in Los Angeles surrounding Buster's 100th birthday. Got all his classic films on tape. And visited his grave at Forest Lawn. So imagine how surprised I was to read so many new personal anecdotes, as well as fresh details about his working methods that shed new light on his creative genius. Not to mention the photos -- dozens I'd never seen before, beautifully reproduced -- including those elusive shots of Buster smiling! Eleanor even demystifies just how Buster made his own porkpie hats. This is truly a love letter from Eleanor to Buster, a tribute by the person who knew him best. Now I've got just as much respect for the woman who brought him lasting happiness as I do for the artist himself.

This is a very satisfying book, and an absolute must-have for any Keaton fan.

Just when you thought you had read everything about the Great Stone Face, along comes this remarkable book. "Buster Keaton Remembered" is a revelation - featuring a treasure trove of never-before-seen photographs and a thoughtful text by Jeffrey Vance and Eleanor Keaton (who, sadly, died before the book's publication). The closing comments by film historian Kevin Brownlow are a nice touch. In all, an affectionate and fitting tribute to a serio-comic genius.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Being a fan of Buster, I've read numerous bios, ranging from mediocre to all out hatchet jobs. Students of the "Great Stone Face" will learn a lot, I certainly did. The photographs alone are worth the price of the book, epsecially the "stills" from THE GENERAL, STEAMBOAT BILL JR. and ONE WEEK. Keaton always seems to take the proverbial "back-seat" to Chaplin, but Buster was the better comic, by FAR!!! And, as an added bonus, you can see how Buster and Eleanor made the "pork-pie hats" worn in so many of Keaton's films.

I can't believe I've reached my 50th review.And it is happily on a topic near and dear to my heart.....Buster Keaton.
Buster was not as appreciated as he might have been in his 1920s heydays.And when his downfall at the hands of MGM came in the early 30s,as far as the public was concerned he was just considered just another fatality
like so many of his peers that occured in the late 20s and early 30s with the conversion to sound.He was soon forgotten.
But it didn't keep Buster down the least bit.He eventually battled back from depression and acute alcoholism.He was rarely out of work for very long and whether behind or in front of the camera he continued on like a trouper for the rest of his days.
The man lived and breathed comedy and never lost his ability in the development and creation of gags.And of course his masterful directing abilities and knowledge of the camera were unquestionable.
Buster fortunately lived long enough to see a steady resurgence in his popularity and homages from many in the film industry.And his public persona also reached new heights as new generations rediscovered his older films and/or relished his appearances in newer films and on TV.
This book then is a fitting tribute to a legend and one of the GREAT(and I don't use this word lightly) purveyors of screen comedy in the 20th century.
It is first and foremost a pictorial tribute.It is absollutely filled with wonderful photographs,some I have seen but others I have not.
It even has a photo montage of a Buster how-to on creating his trademark pork pie hat.
All this is nicely rounded out with text from the author and most especially his late widow Eleanor.
All in all I recommend this book highly to those who are just discovering this great screen comedy genius.There's no better way to acclimate yourself to his life and career.And to those like myself who have known and adored this mans' work for years,this book should be an essential piece in the Buster Keaton section of your library.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced copy of this stunning pictorial tribute to Buster Keaton written by his widow Eleanor Keaton and film historian Jeffrey Vance. Page after page of photos I've never seen before (one of the highlights being a series of pictures of Chaplin and Keaton rehearsing their routine in LIMELIGHT!). I have nearly all the books published in English on Keaton and I've found at least 50 great photos in this book I've never seen before. Rudi Blesh's KEATON used to be my favorite Buster book, now it's Eleanor Keaton's BUSTER KEATON REMEMBERED. I was expecting more text -- I thought it was going to be a biography -- but it is actually an illustrated survey of his life and films. However, the text that the book has is beautifully written. Some of Jeffrey Vance's introduction is worthy of James Agee or Walter Kerr.

The book has a substantial Afterword by silent film historian Kevin Brownlow but why it was placed in the back of the book and not as a Foreword baffles me.

Although I never got to meet Eleanor Keaton in person I'm very glad she was able to write this book before she passed away. Who better to sum up Buster best in book form than his wife Eleanor Keaton?

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced copy of this stunning pictorial tribute to Buster Keaton written by his widow Eleanor Keaton and film historian Jeffrey Vance. Page after page of photos I've never seen before (one of the highlights being a series of pictures of Chaplin and Keaton rehearsing their routine in LIMELIGHT!). I have nearly all the books published in English on Keaton and I've found at least 50 great photos in this book I've never seen before. Rudi Blesh's KEATON used to be my favorite Buster book, now it's Eleanor Keaton's BUSTER KEATON REMEMBERED. I was expecting more text -- I thought it was going to be a biography -- but it is actually an illustrated survey of his life and films. However, the text that the book has is beautifully written. Some of Jeffrey Vance's introduction is worthy of James Agee or Walter Kerr.

The book has a substantial Afterword by silent film historian Kevin Brownlow but why it was placed in the back of the book and not as a Foreword baffles me.

Although I never got to meet Eleanor Keaton in person I'm very glad she was able to write this book before she passed away. Who better to sum up Buster best in book form than his wife Eleanor Keaton?

I've always been a little disappointed that Buster Keaton gets overshadowed by stars like Chaplin, mainly because he was more than just a silent comedian. In many ways, he was a daredevil of his time, always doing his own stunts and risking his life on several occasions. In today's Hollywood, what star would've dared let a whole house fall on him and miss by mere inches as Buster does in Steamboat Bill Jr.?? Not even Jackie Chan would've tried that one!

With that in mind, Buster Keaton Remembered is superb at illustrating a lot of the stunts and tricks he used in making his best movies, not to mention the man himself, with some glorious candid and studio photography.

The only real disappointment I found with this book is the text's general lack of depth. Sure, the classic shorts and features are all here. But his later work (post-1940) is generally glossed over. Many intriguing elements are also introduced like the death of one of his gag writers, his unreleased film "Ten Girls Ago", his family becoming part of Buster's films, etc. But in most cases, these are only mentioned in passing and get little analysis or explanation.

But then, Buster Keaton Remembered isn't really meant to be a biography - this is more of a coffee table book. So if you're looking for a stunning pictorial of his life, this is the one to pick up. If you're looking for more detailed insights into the man and his movies, it's time to head for the library.

This was a real joy to read, and there were a lot of great photos that I'd never seen before. The book is divided into sections devoted to each Keaton film with plot summaries and interesting stories. Also several chapters that deal with his life from vaudeville until his last years. A must have! Especially for Keaton fans.

This is a beautiful book both in the outstanding physical quality of the product and in its narrative. For Buster Keaton fans, photographs are paramount, and this book will not disappoint you. It is well worth twice the list price!