Buster Keaton (1895-1966) was a brilliant comedian and filmmaker who conceived, wrote, directed, acted, and even edited most of his ten feature films and nineteen short comedies, which are perhaps the finest silent pictures ever made. With a face of stone and a mind that engineered breathtakingly intricate moments of slapstick, Keaton has become an icon of the American cinema. Marion Meade's definitive biography explores his often brutal childhood acting experiences, the making of his masterpieces, his shame at his own lack of education, his life-threatening alcoholism, and his turbulent marriages. Based on four years of research and more than 200 interviews with notables such as Billy Wilder, Leni Riefenstahl, Gene Kelly, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Irene Mayer Selznik, as well as members of Keaton's family who had previously refused to discuss him, Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase is a startling and moving account of the troubled life of a cinematic genius.

Author: Marion Meade
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Published: 08/22/1997
Pages: 464
Weight: 1.4lbs
Size: 9.29h x 5.99w x 1.23d
ISBN: 9780306808029


Review Citation(s):
New York Times 11/30/1997 pg. 32

About the Author
Marion Meade is the author of several biographies, including Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This? She lives in New York City.