Best of Buster Keaton [3 Discs]

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: All
• Number of Discs: 3
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Screen: Black and White
• Features:
  • Buster Keaton gallery (3 min)
  • Buster Keaton posters (2 min)
  • Trivia Quiz

AWARDS

• Library of Congress

•     Won U.S. National Film Registry - 1997
•     Won U.S. National Film Registry - 1988

• Telluride Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2003
•     Film Presented - 1997

• Toronto International Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2004

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Buster Keaton
       Buster Keaton - Willie Canfield
       Buster Keaton - The Young Man
       Buster Keaton - The Husband
       Buster Keaton - Blacksmith's assistant
       Buster Keaton - Reginald Irving
       Buster Keaton - Johnnie Gray
       Buster Keaton - Man
       Anita Louise - Mary Wilson
       Granville Owen - Li'l Abner
       Virginia Fox - Chief's daughter
       Charlotte Greenwood - Polly Hathaway
       Phyllis Haver
       Marion Mack - Annabelle Lee
       Alan Mowbray - Cribbs the Villain
       Sybil Seely - His Wife
       Sybil Seely
       Ernest Torrence - "Steamboat Bill" Canfield
       Glen Cavender - Capt. Anderson
       Reginald Denny - Jeffery Haywood
       Buster Keaton - William Dalton
       Tom Lewis - Tom Carter
       Dorothy Christy - Angelica Embrey
       Joyce Compton - Hazel Dalton
       Jim Farley - Gen, Thatcher
       Tom McGuire - John James King
       Marion Byron - Mary King
       Richard Cromwell - Edward Middleton
       Fred Vroom - Southern General
       Cliff Edwards - Bellhop

• Director:

  Clyde Bruckman, Edward F. Cline, Buster Keaton, Charles "Chuck" Riesner, Albert Rogell, Edward Sedgwick, Malcolm St. Clair

• Producer:

  Harold B. Franklin, Buster Keaton, Lou L. Ostrow, Joseph M. Schenck, Herman Schlom

• Book Author:

  William Pittinger

• Play Author:

  Charles W. Bell, Mark Swan

• Screenwriter:

  Al Boasberg, Clyde Bruckman, Edward F. Cline, Elbert Franklin, Carl Harbaugh, Robert Hopkins, Tyler Johnson, Buster Keaton, Charles Kerr, Richard Schayer, Charles Smith, Malcolm St. Clair

• Cinematographer:

  Lucien Ballard, Bert Haines, Harry Jackson, Devereaux Jennings, Elgin Lessley, Leonard Smith

• Composer (Music Score):

  Frank Tours

• Editor:

  Donn W. Hayes, Arthur D. Hilton, Buster Keaton, J. Sherman Kell, William Le Vanway, Otto Ludwig

• Art Director:

  Cedric Gibbons, Lewis Rachmil

REVIEWS:

• The first screen adaptation of LI'L ABNER is fairly disappointing, but it does do one thing very well: capture the bizarre physical look of Al Capp's outlandish cartoon world. It's not just Granville Owen (a.k.a. Jeff York)'s muscle-bound, lantern-jawed, curlicue banged Abner either ; even the unrealistically squat, potato-nosed Mammy Yokum and outlandishly-bodied Daisy Mae look as if they stepped right out of the newspaper and onto the screen, and the settings are equally faithful. The cast's "rightness" goes beyond the physical; while the characters are, by design, lacking in depth, the cast captures their personalities very well. Unfortunately, they're working in the service of a trite screenplay that is successful at replicating Capp's dialect but not the flavor that informs it. Worse, it totally dispenses with the social and political satire that Capp brought to the strip and which gave it a great deal of punch. What is left is a standard issue, uninspired story that never comes to life. Albert Rogell's plodding direction doesn't help, although he is to be commended for casting the immortal Buster Keaton, even if it's in a part that doesn't allow him to shine very much. Abner has the right look; it's too bad its charms are too much on the surface. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
• Buster Keaton's first solo two-reel short revealed the technical precision and near-surreal flair with large props that would distinguish Keaton's greatest features. Deriving physically precarious slapstick comedy from the mis-numbered construction of a do-it-yourself house, Keaton created a dwelling worthy of Salvador Dali, with a second floor front door and walls and roof akimbo. A house-spinning storm seems a worthy denouement, but the climactic train crash tops it as a technical sight gag. After editing makes it seem as if Keaton's beloved house is stuck in the path of an oncoming train, he cuts back to reveal the train passing on a harmless parallel track -- only to have another train appear from the opposite direction. Deemed a "sensation" on its release, One Week heralded the arrival of a new comic master, mining the logical yet outrageous comedy of extreme everyday circumstances. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
• The Paleface was one of the transitional films in Buster Keaton's career, made just before he switched from two-reel comedies to features. It displays Keaton's trademark intricate physical comedy -- for example, Keaton's hopping around while tied to a stake. From a cultural standpoint, it's notable among films of the early 1920s for presenting its Indian characters with some sympathy; the white oil barons are clearly the bad guys. Everyone, however, gets treated as a comic foil, sometimes in ways that might not appeal to current-day audiences. This is one of several highly regarded comedy collaborations between Keaton and writer/director Eddie Cline. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, when Keaton's career was in decline, Cline would go on to direct W. C. Fields in some of his best films, including The Bank Dick. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide
• Buster Keaton perfectly balanced romance, action and comedy in his most admired film and personal favorite, a Civil War story about an engineer and his eponymous locomotive. Based on a true incident involving a hijacked Confederate train, Keaton strove to make the film as authentic as possible, shooting on location in Oregon to get the proper track gauge and sinking an actual locomotive engine at the film's climax (in reportedly the most expensive single take for a silent film). The lighting and composition recall Matthew Brady's Civil War photographs, while tracking shots following Keaton's locomotive adventures further displayed his technical expertise. The train became Keaton's supreme comic prop in the two intricately devised, and narratively mirrored, chase sequences involving his efforts to elude Union pursuers; the humorous business accompanying Keaton's retrieval of the General, and girlfriend, sent up romantic fantasies and war heroics. The effort seemed to be for naught when The General received negative reviews in 1927 and failed to make a profit. The General's reputation, along with Keaton's, however, was resuscitated in the 1950s; The General became Keaton's masterpiece, joining Charles Chaplin's The Gold Rush (1925) as one of the greatest silent comedies ever made. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
• Buster Keaton produced dozens of silent shorts, but Cops (1922) stands above most of them, for its masterfully developed narrative flow, wide range of visual jokes, incessantly manic energy, and bitterly funny conclusion. Keaton was distinguised from his peers Charles Chaplin and Harold Lloyd by his unblinking refusal to indulge in exaggerated reaction shots (he wasn't called The Great Stone Face for nothing), as well as an unparalleled choreography of comic action. Keaton's athleticism is put to work early and often in Cops, resulting in some of the era's most inspired sight gags. From point-of-view and identity-confusion tricks that result in Keaton's character's unwittingly hijacking a horse and buggy full of a policeman's entire household possessions, to physically demanding stunts pulled while trying to evade an entire police force, Keaton displays the mastery of silent film form that he would later develop with more sophistication in such full-length features as Sherlock Jr. and The General. In Cops, Keaton employs a familiar hook on which to hang the action (one he would return to in The General): the young man who will go to almost any lengths to win the love of his lady. However, unlike Chaplin, whose socially conscious films often displayed a Dickensian marshmallow heart, Keaton resolutely refused to stoop to overly sentimental gestures. Constantly subverting the predominant romanticism of the age, Keaton was careful to disarm potentially sappy images with slapstick gestures or melancholy plot twists, as he does in the ending of this frantically energetic film. ~ Dan Jardine, All Movie Guide
• {$Buster Keaton} perfectly balanced romance, action and comedy in his most admired film and personal favorite, a Civil War story about an engineer and his eponymous locomotive. Based on a true incident involving a hijacked Confederate train, {$Keaton} strove to make the film as authentic as possible, shooting on location in Oregon to get the proper track gauge and sinking an actual locomotive engine at the film's climax (in reportedly the most expensive single take for a silent film). The lighting and composition recall {%Matthew Brady}'s Civil War photographs, while tracking shots following {$Keaton}'s locomotive adventures further displayed his technical expertise. The train became {$Keaton}'s supreme comic prop in the two intricately devised, and narratively mirrored, chase sequences involving his efforts to elude Union pursuers; the humorous business accompanying {$Keaton}'s retrieval of the General, and girlfriend, sent up romantic fantasies and war heroics. The effort seemed to be for naught when {#The General} received negative reviews in 1927 and failed to make a profit. {#The General}'s reputation, along with {$Keaton}'s, however, was resuscitated in the 1950s; {#The General} became {$Keaton}'s masterpiece, joining {$Charles Chaplin}'s {#The Gold Rush} (1925) as one of the greatest silent comedies ever made. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
• {$Buster Keaton} produced dozens of silent shorts, but {#Cops} (1922) stands above most of them, for its masterfully developed narrative flow, wide range of visual jokes, incessantly manic energy, and bitterly funny conclusion. {$Keaton} was distinguised from his peers {$Charles Chaplin} and {$Harold Lloyd} by his unblinking refusal to indulge in exaggerated reaction shots (he wasn't called The Great Stone Face for nothing), as well as an unparalleled choreography of comic action. {$Keaton}'s athleticism is put to work early and often in {#Cops}, resulting in some of the era's most inspired sight gags. From point-of-view and identity-confusion tricks that result in {$Keaton}'s character's unwittingly hijacking a horse and buggy full of a policeman's entire household possessions, to physically demanding stunts pulled while trying to evade an entire police force, {$Keaton} displays the mastery of silent film form that he would later develop with more sophistication in such full-length features as {#Sherlock Jr.} and {#The General}. In {#Cops}, {$Keaton} employs a familiar hook on which to hang the action (one he would return to in {#The General}): the young man who will go to almost any lengths to win the love of his lady. However, unlike {$Chaplin}, whose socially conscious films often displayed a Dickensian marshmallow heart, {$Keaton} resolutely refused to stoop to overly sentimental gestures. Constantly subverting the predominant romanticism of the age, {$Keaton} was careful to disarm potentially sappy images with slapstick gestures or melancholy plot twists, as he does in the ending of this frantically energetic film. ~ Dan Jardine, All Movie Guide
• {#The Paleface} was one of the transitional films in {$Buster Keaton}'s career, made just before he switched from two-reel comedies to features. It displays {$Keaton}'s trademark intricate physical comedy -- for example, {$Keaton}'s hopping around while tied to a stake. From a cultural standpoint, it's notable among films of the early 1920s for presenting its Indian characters with some sympathy; the white oil barons are clearly the bad guys. Everyone, however, gets treated as a comic foil, sometimes in ways that might not appeal to current-day audiences. This is one of several highly regarded comedy collaborations between {$Keaton} and writer/director {$Eddie Cline}. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, when {$Keaton}'s career was in decline, {$Cline} would go on to direct {$W. C. Fields} in some of his best films, including {#The Bank Dick}. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide
• {$Buster Keaton}'s first solo two-reel short revealed the technical precision and near-surreal flair with large props that would distinguish {$Keaton}'s greatest features. Deriving physically precarious slapstick comedy from the mis-numbered construction of a do-it-yourself house, {$Keaton} created a dwelling worthy of {$Salvador Dali}, with a second floor front door and walls and roof akimbo. A house-spinning storm seems a worthy denouement, but the climactic train crash tops it as a technical sight gag. After editing makes it seem as if {$Keaton}'s beloved house is stuck in the path of an oncoming train, he cuts back to reveal the train passing on a harmless parallel track -- only to have another train appear from the opposite direction. Deemed a "sensation" on its release, {#One Week} heralded the arrival of a new comic master, mining the logical yet outrageous comedy of extreme everyday circumstances. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
• The first screen adaptation of {#LI'L ABNER} is fairly disappointing, but it does do one thing very well: capture the bizarre physical look of {$Al Capp}'s outlandish cartoon world. It's not just {$Granville Owen} (a.k.a. {$Jeff York})'s muscle-bound, lantern-jawed, curlicue banged {%Abner} either ; even the unrealistically squat, potato-nosed {%Mammy Yokum} and outlandishly-bodied {%Daisy Mae} look as if they stepped right out of the newspaper and onto the screen, and the settings are equally faithful. The cast's "rightness" goes beyond the physical; while the characters are, by design, lacking in depth, the cast captures their personalities very well. Unfortunately, they're working in the service of a trite screenplay that is successful at replicating {$Capp}'s dialect but not the flavor that informs it. Worse, it totally dispenses with the social and political satire that {$Capp} brought to the strip and which gave it a great deal of punch. What is left is a standard issue, uninspired story that never comes to life. {$Albert Rogell}'s plodding direction doesn't help, although he is to be commended for casting the immortal {$Buster Keaton}, even if it's in a part that doesn't allow him to shine very much. {#Abner} has the right look; it's too bad its charms are too much on the surface. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

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