Early Buster Keaton: From the Vaudeville Stage to Comique Films, 1899-1920

Since nearly every aspect of Keatons story and work has been written about in some form, it is the goal of this book to present a new perspective on Keatons early life in the entertainment business, beginning before vaudeville and moving through the Comique films, Keatons first foray into the industry. A microscopic approach to this early period has the goal of illuminating in great detail the formative years of Keatons career, in order to better understand the brilliance of his independence and the tragedy of his years at MGM, bringing him to a place in entertainment history that celebrates the little gems and sparks of brilliance in his later creative life and career. This study will utilize the minute detail provided by industry rags, such as The New York Clipper and The Moving Picture World and the publication of rare archival photos to differentiate itself from other works by delving deeper into each moment during the specified twenty-four early years of Keatons life and career, up to and including the transition to his independent productions with Joseph Schenk, beginning with The High Sign (1920), The Saphead (1920) and One Week (1920), his first efforts in the new era. See more