TCF112/Silent Film Comedy
From Screenpedia
Revision as of 06:01, 17 April 2013 by Screenpedia>TCFadmin (Created page with "==Silent Film Comedy Kings== *Charlie Chaplin *Harold Lloyd *Buster Keaton ==Keaton Chronology== *Born 1895 as Joseph Keaton *Vaudeville **Joe & Myra Keaton--"The 3 Keatons...")
Silent Film Comedy Kings
- Charlie Chaplin
- Harold Lloyd
- Buster Keaton
Keaton Chronology
- Born 1895 as Joseph Keaton
- Vaudeville
- Joe & Myra Keaton--"The 3 Keatons"
- Nicknamed "Buster" by Harry Houdini, the magician and escape artist
- 1917-20 Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
- Began making films--shorts, 2 reelers
- 20 mins. each
- Began making films--shorts, 2 reelers
- 1920 Keaton Film Co. founded
- 2-reelers
- Screen persona established
- 1923-29 Feature films
- 1-2 films per year
- Comprise the "mature" Keaton work
- 1930's Career declines sharply
- Not due to his voice
- Signed control over to MGM
- They put him in bad films
- Alcoholism
- Signed control over to MGM
- Not due to his voice
Characteristics of the Mature Keaton Films
- The Keaton Persona: Great StoneFace
- Frozen facial expression, but body is active/mobile
- Outsider, doesn't fit in
- Appear weak or ineffectual
- Narrative structure
- Symmetrical
- Equilibrium, stasis
- Then, weaknesses cause trouble/problem
- Adapts, learns skills
- Applying new skills
- Equilibrium, stasis
- Symmetrical
- Theme
- Basic instability of the world
- Duplicity
- Transformation
- The Machine
- Basic instability of the world
- Keaton's Humor
- Mise-en-scene
- I.e., sets, lighting, costume design, props, blocking
- Mise-en-scene
Click image for a RealVideo clip.
- Slapstick, from Vaudeville
- Physical stunts
- Duplicities
- Transformations
- Cinematography
- Called "most filmic" silent comic
- Composition/framing
- Special effects
- Called "most filmic" silent comic