10/10
Essential
14 April 2005
This has to be one of the best documentary/biography's around. Narrated by distinguished British director Lindsay Anderson, this is an incredibly detailed portrait of one of the silent screen's, nay, movies greatest and most talented legends. It details his life from cradle to grave in an unflinching manner, from his childhood in vaudeville to his debut in the Arbuckle shorts to the dizzy heights of the 20's to the tragic lows of the 30's and 40's then on to the rediscovery of the master film maker's work in the later years of his life, something we are all grateful that he lived to see. Full of wonderful interviews with the man himself and his wonderful wife, the late Eleanor Keaton, to those who knew him as a young man and the friends he had in his later life, with many examples of the work he did in television after his rediscovery in the 50's and 60's which show that he still had genius. I am fortunate to own it on a single video having seen it many years ago when it was shown on British TV, but, when oh when will it be on DVD? It's shocking that this and many other glorious movies particularly of the silent era are unavailable and some of the most turgid drivel, that is a waste of fresh air, is out there to buy, as if you'd really want to. It took them long enough to bring out "The Cameraman" on DVD, a perfect example of his genius. 10/10
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