Buster Keaton performing a baseball pantomime which seems to be heavily inspired by Frank "Slivers" Oakley's "One Man Baseball Game" in his first feature film for MGM, which was his last true silent (SPITE MARRIAGE was without dialogue, but was a "sound" film). The scene is one of the last that Buster was allowed to completely improvise in front of the cameras before MGM forced him to completely change his method of filmmaking and strictly adhere to tightly written scripts.
THE CAMERAMAN was feared lost until a print was discovered in Paris in 1968 and finally made available on video in 1991 when an incomplete master positive was found and merged with the inferior 1968 print. The master positive used as the basis for the VHS release was missing the entire first reel, plus eleven "gags" ranging from the entire "One Man Baseball Game" sequence to simple three second reaction shots. When the stock suddenly changes from crystal sharp and clear to washed out and grainy, it makes a very strong statement for the importance of film preservation and in classic Buster Keaton fashion, makes it absolutely silently.
The film was recently re-mastered and is now on DVD as part of "TCM Archives: The Buster Keaton Collection" featuring a new score by former Frank Zappa band member Arthur Barrow.
And as for Buster's respect for Slivers? I re-post the following article (written in 1946 when Buster was 51) sent to me by Gene Wolande...
Does there exist an account of Oakley's baseball act? I've read the obituary where it is described in the thumbnail, but was wondering if there is available a fuller accounting.
ReplyDeleteI thank you in advance.
Sazerac
bakeliteradio@gmail.com
John Towsen's book CLOWNS has a few panels from a comic strip description, which when added to the description from the obituaries that Gene Wolande recently provided here, comprise the best account I've found of the business that the act was comprised of.
ReplyDeleteHope this helps,
Pat