The Buster Keaton Story (1957)

An inaccurate retelling of the life of silent filmmaker and comedian Buster Keaton.

Director:

Sidney Sheldon

Writers:

Sidney Sheldon, Robert Smith

Stars:

Donald O'Connor, Ann Blyth, Rhonda Fleming

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Donald O'Connor	...	Buster Keaton
Ann Blyth	...	Gloria Brent
Rhonda Fleming	...	Peggy Courtney
Peter Lorre	...	Kurt Bergner
Larry Keating	...	Larry Winters
Jackie Coogan	...	Elmer Case
Richard Anderson	...	Tom McAffee
Dave Willock	...	Joe Keaton
Claire Carleton	...	Myra Keaton
Larry White	...	Buster - Age 7
Dan Seymour	...	Indian Chief
Michael Ross	...	Assistant Chief
Nan Martin	...	Edna
Robert Christopher	...	Nick
Richard Aherne	...	Franklin

Storyline

Buster Keaton leaves his family vaudeville act for the movies. He starts out as a bit player but quickly becomes famous as he acts in and directs his own films. Casting director Gloria Brent is in love with him, but he favors a starlet. When she rejects him, he starts drinking, a problem which only worsens when sound destroys silent cinema and his career. Will Gloria's love and his desire to make people laugh win out?

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Plot Keywords:

vaudeville comedian | silent film star | silent movie actor | movie comedian | character name in title

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Taglines:

It's a blues - BUSTER!

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Mann, der niemals lachte

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,400,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Forum Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Despite what the film portrays, neither Keaton nor his family ever performed in a circus, his father died when Keaton was an adult and his father did not die while performing. One day, the real Buster Keaton visited the set while they were filming a circus scene and Keaton told all of this to a surprised Donald O'Connor.

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Goofs

Keaton's wife, a stylish studio employee, continues to wear WWI-era fashions well into the late Twenties-early Thirties.

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Connections

References The Frozen North (1922)

User Reviews

Buster Keaton and Sidney Sheldon--not a good mix

The weird thing about this film is it's NOT the Buster Keaton story at all. The main character is a fictional studio executive named Gloria who falls in love with Buster (inexplicably, as he's portrayed as a graceless, unattractive slob) and puts her happiness and career on the line in order to nurture and protect him as he chases another woman, blows all his money and drinks himself silly. The surprisingly faithful recreations of classic Keaton routines dropped in awkwardly here and there do nothing to relieve the tedium of this glum, sour women's picture masquerading as a biopic.