Eleventh Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon -- May 27, 2024

Washington Evening Star, 25-November-1923

Lea at Silent-ology is hosting the Eleventh Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon. A blogathon that has lived for eleven years is a rare and wonderful creature.

• For the first annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time in vaudeville: The 3-4-5 Keatons.
• For the second annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton and the Passing Show of 1917, the show he signed for after leaving vaudeville.
• For the third annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster's transition from vaudeville to the movies, Buster Keaton: From Stage to Screen.
• For the fourth annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time in the US Army: Buster Keaton Goes to War.
• For the fifth annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time making short comedies with Roscoe Arbuckle, Comique: Roscoe, Buster, Al and Luke.
• For the sixth annual blogathon I wrote about Buster Keaton's First Feature: The Saphead
• For the seventh annual blogathon I wrote about Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts -- Reel One, a series of films produced during 1920-1921. Buster and his team had a very high batting average.
• For the eighth annual blogathon, I started to write about the Buster Keaton shorts produced for the second season, 1921-1923. Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts -- Reel Two
• For the ninth annual blogathon, I wrote about the rest of the Buster Keaton shorts produced for the second season, 1921-1923. Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts -- Reel Two and a Half
• For the tenth annual blogathon, I wrote about the first feature that Buster Keaton had control over, Buster Keaton -- Three Ages -- What the Well-Dressed Man of the Ages Should Wear 

For the eleventh annual blogathon, I have written about a feature that was a big step forward for Keaton in the art of storytelling, Our Hospitality:

https://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2025/05/buster-keaton-our-hospitality-family.html

Tenth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon -- March 4, 2024

Photoplay, March, 1924

Lea at Silent-ology is hosting the Tenth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon. A blogathon that has lived for ten years is a rare creature. 

For the first annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time in vaudeville: The 3-4-5 Keatons.
For the second annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton and the Passing Show of 1917, the show he signed for after leaving vaudeville.
For the third annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster's transition from vaudeville to the movies, Buster Keaton: From Stage to Screen.
For the fourth annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time in the US Army: Buster Keaton Goes to War.
For the fifth annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time making short comedies with Roscoe Arbuckle, Comique: Roscoe, Buster, Al and Luke.
For the sixth annual blogathon I wrote about Buster Keaton's First Feature: The Saphead
For the seveth annual blogathon I wrote about Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts -- Reel One, a series of films produced during 1920-1921. Buster and his team had a very high batting average.
For the eighth annual blogathon, I started to write about the Buster Keaton shorts produced for the second season, 1921-1923. Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts -- Reel Two

For the ninth annual blogathon, I wrote about the rest of the Buster Keaton shorts produced for the second season, 1921-1923. Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts -- Reel Two and a Half

For the tenth annual blogathon, I have written about the first feature that Buster Keaton had control over, The Three Ages:

https://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2024/03/buster-keaton-three-ages-what-well.html

Ninth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon -- March 13, 2023

Film Daily, 11-June-1922

This post is part of the Ninth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon, hosted by Lea at Silent-ology. It is amazingly impressive to me to see a blogathon go on for nine years. 

For the first annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time in vaudeville: The 3-4-5 Keatons.
For the second annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton and the Passing Show of 1917, the show he signed for after leaving vaudeville.
For the third annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster's transition from vaudeville to the movies, Buster Keaton: From Stage to Screen.
For the fourth annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time in the US Army: Buster Keaton Goes to War.
For the fifth annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time making short comedies with Roscoe Arbuckle, Comique: Roscoe, Buster, Al and Luke.
For the sixth annual blogathon I wrote about Buster Keaton's First Feature: The Saphead
For the seveth annual blogathon I wrote about Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts -- Reel One, a series of films produced during 1920-1921. Buster and his team had a very high batting average.
For the eighth annual blogathon, I started to write about the Buster Keaton shorts produced for the second season, 1921-1923. Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts -- Reel Two

For the ninth annual blogathon, I have written about the rest of the Buster Keaton shorts produced for the second season, 1921-1923. Last year I was interrupted by appendicitis:

https://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2023/03/buster-keatons-silent-shorts-reel-two.html

Eighth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon -- March 14, 2021

Moving Picture World, 10-September-1921

This post is part of the Eighth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon, hosted by Lea at Silent-ology. 

For the first annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time in vaudeville: The 3-4-5 Keatons.

For the second annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton and the Passing Show of 1917, the show he signed for after leaving vaudeville. 

For the third annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster's transition from vaudeville to the movies, Buster Keaton: From Stage to Screen. 

For the fourth annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time in the US Army: Buster Keaton Goes to War. 

For the fifth annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time making short comedies with Roscoe Arbuckle, Comique: Roscoe, Buster, Al and Luke. 

For the sixth annual blogathon I wrote about Buster Keaton's First Feature: The Saphead 

For the seveth annual blogathon I wrote about Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts -- Reel One, a series of films produced during 1920-1921. Buster and his team had a very high batting average.

For the Eighth Annual Blogathon, I am writing about the Buster Keaton shorts produced for the second season, 1921-1923:

https://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2022/03/buster-keatons-silent-shorts-reel-two.html

Seventh Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon -- March 22, 2021

Motion Picture News, 25-December-1920

This post is part of the Seventh Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon, hosted by Lea at Silent-ology. For the first annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time in vaudeville: The 3-4-5 Keatons. For the second annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton and the Passing Show of 1917, the show he signed for after leaving vaudeville. For the third annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster's transition from vaudeville to the movies, Buster Keaton: From Stage to Screen.   For the fourth annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time in the US Army: Buster Keaton Goes to War. For the fifth annual blogathon, I wrote about Buster Keaton's time making short comedies with Roscoe Arbuckle, Comique: Roscoe, Buster, Al and Luke. For the sixth annual blogathon I wrote about Buster Keaton's First Feature: The Saphead.

My entry for the seventh annual blogathon is on my movies-mostly blog, The Big V Riot Squad:

Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts -- Reel One -- March 22, 2021

https://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2021/03/buster-keatons-silent-shorts-reel-one.html

I wrote about Buster Keaton's starring series of silent two reelers. No one ever asks me, but I tell people that this series of comedies and Charlie Chaplin's series for Mutual are the two best series of silent comedy shorts ever made.

The Year of the Ox -- February 12, 2021

listal.com

In honor of the beginning of Chinese New Year, the Year of the Ox, here is Buster Keaton in Go West, with Brown Eyes, who I think was his best leading lady in a feature film. 

Sixth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon -- March 9, 2020

Indiana Daily Times, November 6, 1920

Lea at Silent-ology is hosting the Sixth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon:
https://silentology.wordpress.com/2020/03/09/the-sixth-annual-buster-keaton-blogathon/

My entry for the blogathon is on my movies-mostly blog, The Big V Riot Squad:
Buster Keaton’s First Feature, The Saphead
https://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2020/03/buster-keatons-first-feature-saphead.html

I wrote about Buster Keaton's first feature film and the play(s) that inspired it.

Fourth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon -- February 12, 2018

www.listal.com

Lea at Silent-ology is hosting the Fourth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon: https://silentology.wordpress.com/2018/02/12/the-fourth-annual-buster-keaton-blogathon/

My entry for the blogathon is on my movies-mostly blog, The Big V Riot Squad:
Buster Keaton Goes to War:
https://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2018/02/buster-keaton-goes-to-war-february-12.html

I write about Buster Keaton's time in the US Army and its effect on his films.

Third Annnual Buster Keaton Blogathon -- February 19, 2017

Lea at Silent-ology is hosting the Third Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon:
https://silentology.wordpress.com/2017/02/19/the-third-annual-buster-keaton-blogathon-celebrating-100-years-of-buster/

My entry for the blogathon is on my movies-mostly blog, The Big V Riot Squad:
Buster Keaton: From Stage to Screen
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2017/02/buster-keaton-from-stage-to-screen.html

 I write about Buster Keaton and his transition from the family act in vaudeville to making movies with Roscoe Arbuckle.

Gung Hay Fat Choy, 2016 -- February 8, 2016

www.listal.com

Today is the beginning of Chinese New Year, the Year of the Monkey.  Here is Buster Keaton with his co-star in The Cameraman, Josephine.  Josephine was a remarkably talented little monkey. 

First Annnual Buster Keaton Blogathon -- February 8, 2015

Lea at Silent-ology is hosting the First Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon:
https://silentology.wordpress.com/2015/02/08/the-first-annual-buster-keaton-blogathon/

My entry for the blogathon is on my new movies-mostly blog, The Big V Riot Squad:
The 3-4-5 Keatons
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-3-4-5-keatons-february-8-2015.html

I write about Buster Keaton and his family in vaudeville. 

Red Skelton 100 -- July 18, 2013

Red Skelton played in medicine shows, showboats, stock theater, circuses, vaudeville, movies, radio, television and night clubs.  I remember his television show and his pantomime routines. Buster Keaton contributed gags to many of his MGM features.  The poster for Bathing Beauty shows him with swimmer Esther Williams. 

Keystone 100 -- September 23, 2012

This year we mark the 100th anniversary of the Keystone company.  Here is an ad from the 1916 edition of the Motion Picture Studio Directory and Trade Annual.  It depicts director Eddie Cline and his team.  Cline later directed most of Buster Keaton's early short films and later directed many of WC Fields' best features, including The Bank Dick. Slim Summerville's family name is spelled "Somerville."  I think Bobby Dunn lost an eye doing a stunt at Keystone, but carried on using a glass eye.  I could swear the guy in the lower left is identified as "Clarry Lydon," but I assume it is Larry Lyndon.  I wonder if assistant director RB Kerr is the man listed in the IMDB as Robert P Kerr.  Peggy Pearce appeared in movies with both Charley and Syd Chaplin.  Vivian Edwards appeared with Charley.  Cameraman Kenneth MacLean has a few items listed in the IMDB.  What do you suppose the "MS" in the border between the Keystones means? The "MS" in the border between the Keystones stands for "Mack Sennett." 

Hitchcock -- Club: Royal Auto -- May 17, 2012

This post is part of For the Love of Hitchcock, The Film Preservation Blogathon, hosted again this year by Ferdy on Films (http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/ -- Sunday, Monday) and The Self-Styled Siren (http://selfstyledsiren.blogspot.com/ -- Tuesday, Wednesday), along with Rod of This Island Rod (http://thisislandrod.blogspot.com/ Thursday, Friday). 

I hope to contribute these articles this week:
Monday -- Dial HOllywood 9-2411 for Hitchcock
Tuesday -- Hitchcock -- Berdarold, Piccy, London
Wednesday -- Alfred Hitchcock, SRO, RKO, UA, Univ
Thursday -- Hitchcock -- Club: Royal Auto
Friday -- Hitchcock -- He Has Had a Non-Stop Career


Click on images to see larger versions.  The image at the top of the page is a full-page ad from The 1963 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures.


Alfred Hitchcock was a rare creative artist in the movie business, but he had to function within the studio system for most of his career.  I wanted to document the way he fit in.   For this installment of the blogathon, I went through several yearbooks from the 1920s and 1930s and dug up some interesting references to Hitchcock. 



Many industries publish annual books which describe the people who work in them and what they have accomplished.  In the film industry, this was a useful way to determine whether someone who said he had worked for DW Griffth or CB DeMille really had.   Some of these yearbooks and many other valuable resources are available in the Media History Digital Library (http://mediahistoryproject.org/).

 
The Film Daily, "The Daily Newspaper of Motion Pictures,"  a major source of news for the film industry, also published a yearbook starting around 1918. 

The 1927 edition of the Film Daily Yearbook lists Hitchcock's first two directorial credits, The Pleasure Garden and the Mountain Eagle. 

The 1927 edition also lists Hitchcock's writing credit on the Graham Cutts movie Woman to Woman.

I felt compelled to include this wonderful full-page ad for Buster Keaton.

The 1929 Motion Picture Almanac was published by The Exhibitors Herald-World.

Hitchcock's Easy Virtue is listed right after C B De Mille's Dynamite.  

Hitchcock's The Ring is listed with a couple of movies I have never heard of. 

Motion Picture News was a trade paper that merged with The Exhibitors Herald-World to form The Motion Picture Herald in 1930.  As described above in the 1929 edition, the Motion Picture News Blue Book was a collection of biographical information about people in the industry.  This edition also included some interesting ads.

Hitchcock's entry leaves out his earliest movies.
-

John Ford, the smiling Irishman.

Harold Lloyd looks as if he is singing in this ad for his second talkie, Feet First.

Jean Hersholt's ad has the most interesting portrait.  I cannot make out the artist's signature.  "Appointed by His Majesty King of Denmark to head Danish constellation of athletes competing in Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles in 1932."

The ad for Mickey Mouse Sound Cartoons mentions that Disney was still using the Powers Cinephone system.  Someone should write a book about Pat Powers. 

Lloyd Hamilton was appearing in sound comedies for Educational.

Howard Hughes was promoting Hell's Angels.

Harry Langdon was working for Hal Roach.

The Film Daily Product Guide and Directors' Annual was a mid-year supplement to the Film Daily Yearbook.   

Hitchcock's biographical entry has his year of birth wrong.  It should be 1899.

The only Hitchcock production listed is The Woman Alone.  This was based on Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent and released in Britain as Sabotage.  The Woman Alone was the title for it's initial release in the US.  It was reissued in the US as I Married a Murderer.  Hitchcock complicated matters further by releasing a movie called The Secret Agent, which was based on a story by W Somerset Maugham.

As a railfan, I had to include this ad for the Fitzpatrick Traveltalks, which turn up frequently on TCM.  It features a Southern Pacific GS (Golden State) 4-8-4, in Coast Daylight colors, which is posting next to Central Pacific locomotive 1, the C P Huntington, a unique 1863 4-2-0T which is preserved at the California State Railroad Museum (http://www.csrmf.org/).

 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was stolen from Walt Disney.  The Disney corporation recently got him back.

Sphinx Films Corporation produced Yiddish-language movies, including the famous "Yiddle With His Fiddle," starring Molly Picon.

The 1937-1938 edition of the International Motion Picture Almanac was edited by Terry Ramsaye, who had published A Million And One Nights: A History of the Motion Picture Through 1925, a pioneering book about cinema.

Cameraman John Cox had worked on five Hitchcock movies, including The Ring and Blackmail.

 Edgar Clarence was "(i)n charge of architectural decor" for Blackmail.

 Graham Cutts is listed as an "independent director."  The entry mentions The White Shadow. 

 Hitchcock's entry has the wrong birth year.  Waltzes from Vienna and Strauss' Great Waltz are UK and US release titles for the same movie. 

F P Tennyson was assistant director on several Hitchcock movies at Gaumont-British.

A list og Gaumont-British releases includes The Woman Alone and "Alfred Hitchcock Production (Untitled)."  The latter could have been The Girl Was Young/Young and Innocent or The Lady Vanishes.  King Solomon's Mines with Paul Robeson and Dr Syn with George Arliss are the only other ones I have heard of.

 Hitchcock had a small ad in this edition.  I like the design.

I guess Hidden Power was yet another potential title for Sabotage/The Woman Alone/I Married a Murderer. 

A list of literary properties give the film's release title in the UK, Sabotage. 

Another item on the list is that "Untitled Original."

Several big studios had multi-page ads that ran on every odd-numbered page over a large span.  I was happy to see entertainer Bill Robinson featured in 20 Century-Fox's ad.

Laurel and Hardy fans will recognize Boris Morros as producer of The Flying Deuces. 

Actor Paul Muni shared a page of the Warner Brothers ad with Porky Pig.

The Disney ad features the boss along with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

I like the picture of western star Buck Jones.

Edward Everett Horton's ad is elegant.

An ad for Alliance Films mentions two directed by Graham Cutts, Aren't Men Beasts?  and Radio Review of  1937. 

Thank you to Ferdy on Films (http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/), The Self-Styled Siren (http://selfstyledsiren.blogspot.com/) and This Island Rod (http://thisislandrod.blogspot.com/) for organizing this blogathon. I'm having fun and learning. 

Please consider donating to the National Film Preservation Foundation. For the Love of Film III is raising money to place The White Shadow, a 1923 Graham Cutts movie on which Alfred Hitchcock served as assistant director, on the internet for free viewing.