Joseph Frank Keaton was born to a vaudeville family. They
were actually on the road when his mother went into labor. At eighteen months,
he tumbled down a long flight of stairs without hurting himself, earning the name
“Buster.” He began performing with his parents at three. Most of his early skits
had him misbehaving so his frustrated dad would toss him into the wings or the
orchestra pit. Years later, Buster claimed, “I started so young, landing right
is second nature with me. Several times I'd have been killed if I hadn't been
able to land like a cat.” If you want to see Buster Keaton at his best, I
recommend Steamboat Bill Jr., Sherlock Jr., and The General. My personal
favorite is In the Good Old Summertime. Buster was in his mid50’s, working as a
scene advisor for the movie. No one could manage the violin-smashing pratfall at
the end, so Buster Keaton showed us how it’s done.
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