The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #133788   Message #3039144
Posted By: josepp
23-Nov-10 - 09:32 PM
Thread Name: BS: Silent movies
Subject: RE: BS: Silent movies
I've seen the Railroader. Another good short of his is "One Week". Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd were good friends of his and told him not to sign with MGM because he'd get lost in their movie factory and big corral of stars. Keaton thought it over but his last couple of movies hadn't done well, he was independent and taking it on the chin and MGM was dangling big money and lots of roles and he figured he'd better take it. But Chaplin and Lloyd were right. Keaton got lost in the MGM star factory and got smaller and smaller roles and further and further down in the credits. But he did still make a few silent shorts like the Railroader as in the good ol' days but his good ol' days were far behind him. By the time movies really became a part of the American landscape, Keaton was sort lost in the shuffle. I'm amazed at how few people have seen his Mack Sennett and independent stuff. He was in the form then and really top-notch. One of the greats who deserved better.