Buster Keaton's Crew: The Team Behind His Silent Films

by Lisle Foote

Buster Keaton told an interviewer in 1965, "When I'm working alone, the cameraman, the prop man, the electrician, these are my eyes out there.... They knew what they were talking about." Drawn from film trade magazines, newspapers, interviews and public records, this book tells the previously unpublished stories of the behind-the-scenes crew who worked on Keaton's silent films--like Elgin Lessley, who went from department store clerk to chief cameraman, and Fred Gabourie, who served as an army private in the Spanish American War before he became Keaton's technical director. "I'd ask, 'Did that work the way I wanted it to?' and they'd say yes or no," Keaton said of his crew. He couldn't have made his films without them.

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2014

Reviews

[Matthew Walls · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read that will also be a very good reference book. I plan to pull it off the shelf after watching a Keaton movie to read about the people in the credits.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silent comedian Buster Keaton produced his films by working repeatedly with a favored and talented team of craftsmen. Foote's "Buster Keaton's Crew" examines the lives and careers of these craftsmen, the silent comedy milieu in which they flourished, and their later career trajectories. The research is impeccable and the writing concise and unfussy. The book is a must for anyone interested in Buster Keaton, silent comedy, and silent film production history. Even cinematic geniuses do not work in a vacuum.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when you thought the final word on Buster Keaton had been written, you come across this richly detailed and meticulously researched book. It highlights and shines the spotlight on the unsung heroes who worked, played baseball, created, supported, and filmed Buster Keaton. This is one of those books, a must for the silent film fan, and, the Keaton aficionado in particular. Scrupulously researched, there are a thousand stories hidden here. A must have for any Keaton Damfino.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful homage to the crew of men that helped make the great silent film clown one of the best. He knew and appreciated the men that helped him and this gives brief descriptions of each of them - where they came from, what happened to them and what they did with Keaton. A lot of detail and I took it slowly. If you're a silent film buff and especially a fan of Keaton's this will interest you.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hats off to Ms. Foote for her exhaustive research! This lady clearly knows her way around a microfilm machine.