Buster Keaton in "Hard Luck" (1921 short film), part 2

    1. Buster Keaton in "Hard Luck" (1921 short film), part 2   Time 2008-05-29 18:42
  • Hard Luck is a 1921 short comedy film starring comedian Buster Keaton. It was written and directed by Keaton and Edward F. Cline. The runtime is 22 minutes. For sixty years it was Keaton's only major lost film until it was partially reconstructed in 1987, with the critical final scene (which Keaton called the greatest laugh-getting scene of his career) still missing. This scene was later discovered in a foreign archive print, and now the full film is available.from imdb.com:Directed by Edward F. ClineBuster KeatonProduced by Joseph M. SchenckWritten by Edward F. ClineBuster KeatonStarring:Buster KeatonVirginia FoxJoe RobertsBull MontanaCinematography Elgin LessleyEditing by Buster KeatonDistributed by Metro PicturesRelease date(s) March 16, 1921Running time 22 min.from an interview with Buster by Malcolm H. Oettinger in Picture-Play Magazine, December 1920:It was an easy step from the rough-and-tumble work of the vaudeville to screen comedies, and Buster is quite satisfied with the career for which he began in his infancy, for his first public appearance as a member of "The Three Keatons" was when, at the age of six weeks, he was carried onto the stage on a tray by his father! And Pa Keaton didn't wait any longer than necessary to begin making more vigorous use of his young son and heir as comedy material."I've simply been brought up being knocked down," said the scion of the Keaton family, when I recently met him at the studio. "Pop's idea of comedy was to throw me through every backdrop on the Keith circuit, and I'll bet I've taken more punishment in the way of being used as a human mop than Bat Nelson, Ad Wolgast, and Jim Jeffries combined. The funny part of it is that I like it. Las month I did my first--and only--straight part in 'The Henrietta'--the Bertie part--and between you and me, it was a bore. There weren't any falls, and for me a picture without falls is as bad as Niagara in the same fix."Keaton really prefers slapstick to straight comedy."It's harder work than the 'dressed-up drama,' but I get a much bigger kick out of it. I don't act, anyway. The stuff is all injected as we go along. My pictures are made without script or written directions of any kind. We simply figure out enough story to build sets around, then we pull our gags and 'quick stuff' in the set as we happen on the ideas. After we feel that we've shot enough to make about six pictures, we assemble it, rip out whatever is left of the 'story'--and make one picture out of what's left. That means an enormous lot of work. This picture with the trick scaffold in it that I'm working on now is called, 'It's a Cinch!' But take it from me, the title-writer is a liar. It ISN'T!"
  • Tag: »1921 »BusterKeaton »comedy »gags »silentmovie »slapstick »stunts
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