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In conversation with The Reveal, Stevens discusses four Keaton appearances from various points in his career.
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From its early chapters, which set the Three Keatons’ act within the context of the early 20th century child welfare movement, to its detailed look at Keaton’s successful late-life career as a live performer and in-demand TV star, Camera Man challenges simplified readings of Keaton, whether by offering a detailed account of the restaurant in which Keaton contemplated making the move to film - itself a symbol of a 20th century coming into its own - or using Keaton and Chaplin’s one film appearance together to draw a compelling contrast between the two greats’ lives and art. Slate film critic Dana Stevens’ new book Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century puts Keaton’s life and career in a cultural and historical frame of Cinemascope dimensions. The popular conception is that for Keaton ahead lay disappointment and drink, but as we’ll see below, it wasn’t that simple. From 1920 to 1928, he found great success as an independent filmmaker, then signed with MGM, a deal that coincided with the coming of sound. He transitioned from stage to screen just in time to become one of the great comic actors of the silent era, combining a stone-faced expression with an unusual gift for crafting elaborate (and often dangerous) comedic set pieces. Born in 1895, Keaton became a vaudeville star as a child as part of the family vaudeville act the Three Keatons. It’s easy to learn a few facts about Buster Keaton and think you know the whole story.