Buster: A Legend in Laughter

Library Journal

In this very entertaining and insightful work on one of the true film greats, Edwards manages to tell Buster Keaton's life story without the flab. In a few hundred pages, the reader will learn of the actor's childhood in a vaudevillian family, his start in films, his early successes and later failures, and, along the way, his encounters with other film legends, such as actor Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and studio mogul Irving Thalberg. Writing with the cooperation of the Keaton estate, film historian Edwards provides particular insights into Keaton's highly influential silent films. Along with the analysis, the author entertains with tales of the dangers Keaton endured while performing his own stunts. Perhaps because this is an authorized biography, the only area that is a bit too trim is the treatment of Keaton's personal life. Still, as film festivals gear up for the centennial of Keaton's birth, this book will be a good addition to film and movie biography collections.Judy Hauser, Oakland Schs. Lib. Svcs., Waterford, Mich.