The Buster Keaton Myths
millionmovieproject:
This is a pretty decent article. I like how she pointed out that people with the sound of authority would just make stuff up, and other people, believing it would perpetuate the myths. I think she could have referred to his autobio more though, especially when talking about the Houdini connection. She clearly knew her stuff, but that bit was a little thin. There were a couple of other small points I disagreed with, but overall, I liked where she was going with it.
Really though all of the mythology is obviously that. To assume he was abused by his father, and never smiled on film because he was unhappy, pigeonholes him as if to say there was only one facet to his personality, and he was entirely driven by it. Does that sound like any person? It’s not a matter of reading between the lines, so much as instinctually looking at facts and alleged facts, and drawing the logical conclusions. He was a person, not a cardboard caricature in a porkpie and a pair of slap shoes.
Ultimately, I like that even though it’s an old article, that people were still trying to set the record strait, and cut through all the bullshit. Some of these rumors and distorted half-truths still exist, some have even evolved into other inconsistencies, so I think with the Damfinos and those of us who don’t believe being part of an organization and paying dues makes us any less of fans, we still have the responsibility to dismiss the rumors, and stick to the truth.
Being that the man was born 117 years ago, and checked out 46 years ago (which is mind-blowing amount of time passed in this day and age), we have to remind ourselves that we’re what’s left when it comes to perpetuating his legacy. Who he was and what he did. He’s irresistible as an actor and a person, fans know this already, which is why I don’t have any doubt that the odd film-lover, or kid too smart for the rest of the class of the future generations looking for something more interesting than what pop culture ever has to offer us, will discover his movies and life again, and again. But as we fans all want to play a part in the aura of his legacy, we can’t let the mythology get in the way of their discovery, can we?
I love where this discussion is going! A wonderful thing about Keaton is the fact that we can strip away the BS and fiction, and still find that the 100% factual/verifiable facets of his existence are the stuff of legend and impressive enough to stand on their own in the measure of his greatness.
I’m still amazed at the fact that we have *almost* all of Buster’s films to enjoy. In a world where appx. 80% of all silent films are gone - it’s a miracle that we can just pop over to Youtube and enjoy/analyze his life’s work, and that new restorations and discoveries are refining them for us. Studying Keaton, the man, is a little more difficult with the passage of time, as we’ve lost so many of those who knew him and can provide first-hand, verifiable truth. Even Eleanor, as close as she was to Buster, could only relate what she heard from him about certain periods of his personal history - she wasn’t there, and we all know that Buster wasn’t beyond perpetuating certain myths, himself! That’s showbiz!
No matter which Buster you love (the film-maker, the actor, the man, the hottie, the surrealist, existentialist, cinematic genius, gag-man, television pioneer or just the Old Stoneface), there’s still “truth” out there to find and disseminate.
Keep digging, keep thinking, keep posting, and keep enjoying the hell out of the whole shebang for the Love of Mike! I think Buster would appreciate that most of all.
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