Silent movies were something that I had never taken very much notice of until recently. Apart from some Chaplin, Harold LLoyd, Metropolis and Battleship Potemkin, my exposure to a wealth of cinema was very limited indeed. Fortunately there are some out there who champion this significant era in film history. Two such gents, Paul Merton and Neil Brand, held an event during the 2015 Glasgow Film Festival that highlighted the comedy genius that was Buster Keaton.
Paul Merton has a well documented love of Silent film and it’s stars. He has presented several well received television shows on aspects of the era and has written an excellent book, Silent Comedy. Neil Brand is a pianist and broadcaster who is well known for his live accompaniments to many silent film nights.
The pair hosted the Buster Keaton night at Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket which is great pop up venue for film shows. Unsurprisingly the night was a sell out and the 500 people in attendance were all in for a treat. Buster Keaton was considered as one of the greats of the silent era with his deadpan expression and unique blend of physical comedy and slapstick.
The first half of the program featured Paul Merton discussing the early life of Keaton and his journey to appear in the early comedy shorts of the nineteen tens. Sections from his debut, which wasn’t released at the time, and the film One Week, which showcases his raw talent and imagination. The discussion is informative and light in tone. Merton has a fine eye and points out small but significant details from each excerpt including an insight into why Keaton wanted to scrap his debut due to sight gag that didn’t work for him.
Shorts from Keaton’s contemporaries Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy end the first half. Chaplin’s short, The Pawnbroker displays his own brand of physical comedy and madcap humour. Angora Love from Laurel and Hardy is the final silent film the duo made. It is a tale of how they end up looking after a goat after a series of mishaps. It features many of the familiar elements that make up one of their films and in one case a sequence that was used again in the classic Sons of the Desert.
After a quick break The second half begins. Merton does a brief introduction to The Cameraman. A Buster Keaton feature length film. It sees Keaton at the height of his powers and in almost total control of the entire film making process. The story deals with a young man’s efforts to become a cameraman for MGM news and win the girl of his dreams at the same time. Over the course of the film, we are treated to scene after scene of funny and inventive cinema. The audience loved every minute of it, laughing along and reacting to the action on screen.
Neil Brand provided the musical accompaniment to all of the films on show. His playing was the perfect addition to the films and he played with a lot of energy for the entirety of the 70 minute main feature. It is such an impressive performance from a top pianist.
These types of special events add an extra dimension to the Glasgow Film Festival and encourage people to get out there and see something they wouldn’t normally see.
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