Followinng an approximately 3 year 'apprenticeship' working as a supporting player for Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Buster Keaton got his own deal with Joseph M.Schenck Productions. Arbuckle having moved on to Feature Films, Mr. Schenck needed someone to fill the void (Nature and Hollywood both abhor a vacuum!). Buster was elevated to the Starring role in the 2 reel comedy shorts.
His time as Second Banana was surely well spent. His own starring vehicles proved to be up to those of any other and could only serve as a little glimpse into what future Keaton projects would be like.
His first film(to be released, though not necessarily the earliest to be produced) was ONE WEEK (1920). In it is perhaps the Genisis of the Keaton Film, all of his own, to come. His collaborative effort with Director Edward F. Cline worked very well, as the film moves through the calendar week in brief, episodic installments. The scenes build slowly, deliberately until a peak is reached. Like a finely made jeweled watch, there is no part of the film is out of place.
For this production, a basic formula is followed. The Protagonist, Keaton, is pitted against the insurmountable and unchanging natural laws of physics and our world. And before long, we come to understand that Mr. Keaton's little man hero may well be the first known exponent of Murphy's Law. Remember it? "If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong." Just being lucky enough to be able to view Buster's battles with the Laws of Physics and the complications that are certainly and progressively to be thrown into his path.
Mr. Keaton's trials and tribulations on his path to success always seem to involve both the Art and the Science. And they always seem to work counter productively to our Hero.
Sort of like his Life Experiences.
His time as Second Banana was surely well spent. His own starring vehicles proved to be up to those of any other and could only serve as a little glimpse into what future Keaton projects would be like.
His first film(to be released, though not necessarily the earliest to be produced) was ONE WEEK (1920). In it is perhaps the Genisis of the Keaton Film, all of his own, to come. His collaborative effort with Director Edward F. Cline worked very well, as the film moves through the calendar week in brief, episodic installments. The scenes build slowly, deliberately until a peak is reached. Like a finely made jeweled watch, there is no part of the film is out of place.
For this production, a basic formula is followed. The Protagonist, Keaton, is pitted against the insurmountable and unchanging natural laws of physics and our world. And before long, we come to understand that Mr. Keaton's little man hero may well be the first known exponent of Murphy's Law. Remember it? "If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong." Just being lucky enough to be able to view Buster's battles with the Laws of Physics and the complications that are certainly and progressively to be thrown into his path.
Mr. Keaton's trials and tribulations on his path to success always seem to involve both the Art and the Science. And they always seem to work counter productively to our Hero.
Sort of like his Life Experiences.