Buster Keaton’s Ghost

Keaton on stage with his parents.

Joseph Frank Keaton earned the name “Buster” after a family friend watched the 6-month-old child tumble down a flight of stairs in a boardinghouse and escape unscathed.

Joining his parents on stage at the age of 3, Buster spent the next 15 years performing—he attended school just once for one day—during these years.

In 1917 he joined his mentor Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle in making two-reelers—these films are classics today. More information about Arbuckle is located here.

Arbuckle and Keaton

Starting in 1921 Buster produced his own films. He had become one of the greatest comedic actors of the silent film era. His comedy and wild stunts are still watched today with appreciation.

In his film Sherlock Jr. in 1924 when he walks up to a projected image in a movie house and walks into the image on the screen it became one of Hollywood's memorable film moments.

He was a genius when it came to creating gags that involved mechanics. He always did his own stunts.

His most famous stunt—was standing deadpan as a hinged 3-story house front fell around him as he stood in a window gap –there was only an inch and half clearance between this frame and his unprotected body.

In another stunt, he broke his leg during the filming of The Electric House in 1922.

In a stunt, he did for Sherlock Jr. as he dropped from a rope he was blown off train tracks by water rushing out of a railroad refill tank. It wasn’t until later he learned his neck was broken.

Both these stunts are highlighted in the video below.

Like many comedians, Keaton also had a darker side. He was known to drink too much, like his father before him.

It was supposedly a “drunken incident” with Louis B. Mayer in the early 1930s that led to Keaton’s dismissal from a contract, he had with MGM.

This sent him on a downward spiral that ended his film career —another factor was the invention of talkies.

In the 1960s he returned to film appearing in a series of “beach party” movies. Even though this was thought to highlight how far he had fallen Keaton himself stated he enjoyed this work.

In 1960 the Academy Awards gave Buster Keaton an honorary Oscar for his film achievements.

Buster Keaton's villa.

At the height of his career in 1925, Keaton had a 30-room Italian villa built on Pamela Drive in Beverly Hills. This home was surrounded by ten acres.

His gardens had remote-controlled streams stocked with trout. The front of the house had a sixty step marble staircase lined with statues that led to a 50-foot Romanesque marble pool.

To make grand entrances for his friends Keaton rigged his living room drapes so he could swing down from a second-floor balcony.

Keaton had this home built for his wife Natalie Talmadge and two sons who moved into the house with Natalie’s mother.

Buster with Natalie

After the birth of her second son, Natalie decided she didn’t want any more children, so she moved into a separate bedroom. The marriage ended in 1932 in a bitter divorce. Partly became of Keaton’s drinking and party because of his extramarital affairs.

Natalie changed their son’s last names to “Talmadge” and didn’t let them have any further contact with their father. She never remarried and died an alcoholic.

Keaton also lost his beloved home in 1933 after their divorce.

After Keaton’s death in 1966, the subsequent owners of the villa felt Keaton’s ghost haunted this property. His ghost became a “slightly annoying presence” for these owners—for his spirit is playful.

Pamela Mason divorced the English actor James Mason in the mid-1960s. She was one of the first high profile clients of Marvin Mitchelson, the divorce lawyer who pioneered the right to palimony.

Pamela before and after divorce.

Pamela like her husband was an actor. She starred with her husband in a television series called The James Mason Show.

Mason lived in Keaton’s former house for 25 years. During this time she was plagued by the lights mysteriously turning off and on and the telephone wires malfunctioning.

Buster’s ghost also fiddled with the water faucets, doors, wall hangings and any other object he could move to gain her attention.

Pamela Mason had a fatal heart attack in this house in 1996. Some believe her ghost has joined Keaton’s in haunting the property.

This villa has ironically been used in recent years as a “Haunted House” attraction during the Halloween season.

The following short video is a compilation of Keaton’s best film stunts.

Arbuckle: Hollywood’s First Scandal, Part l

“The day the laughter stopped was September 5, 1921.”

                                                                       --Buster Keaton

Roscoe Arbuckle with Buster Keaton

From 1914 until 1921 Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was the silent screen eras most famous comedian. His popularity with the public made him one of Hollywood’s highest paid actors.

He was responsible for assisting the careers of future stars Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Bob Hope.

But one fateful Labor Day Weekend at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco ruined his career and his finances. Arbuckle a gentle giant who was loved for his kindness and good nature was about to be embroiled in Hollywood’s first major scandal.

Early Years

Roscoe Arbuckle’s life started like it ended with suffering. It is said he was 14 pounds at birth. His mother had a long recovery after the delivery. His father, William Arbuckle, a man of slight build immediately questioned Roscoe’s parentage and blamed the baby for his wife’s ill health.

He named the baby boy after a politician he disliked. Convinced the infant was illegitimate. William disowned Roscoe and beat him regularly. Roscoe’s mom died when he was twelve, and his hard-drinking father abandoned him.

To his credit Roscoe from then on supported himself. He first made a living by singing in local theatres—he had a beautiful singing voice. He found the audience appreciation helped him forget the cruel teasing he endured growing up because of his weight.

He moved into vaudeville where he was remarkably limber for his size. He worked as a clown, singer, and in acrobatic acts. He then climbed his way through the ranks in the film industry.

In 1909 Roscoe married a singer Minta “Minty” Durfee. Unfortunately, his drinking would end this marriage when the two separated in 1917.

Many who knew Roscoe personally stated that he never was unfaithful to Minty even after they separated. He gained a reputation after this as being “the most chaste man in Hollywood.”

Film Career

In many of the hundreds of one-reel comedies Roscoe first appeared at the Mack Sennett studio he portrayed a Keystone Cop. In 1914 Arbuckle started to direct some of the films he acted in. In 1915 he proved he could sustain his comedy in two-reelers.

As a Keystone Cop

By 1917 Arbuckle had formed his own film company with Joseph Schenck called Comique. Roscoe now had creative control over his work.

Comique turned out some of the greatest film classics of the silent era. Arbuckle left Comique when Paramount offered him one million a year.

Roscoe literary ruled Hollywood at this point—he was one of the best physical comedians of all time. Despite his size, he floated across the screen with grace. He didn’t go for cheap fat jokes—like getting stuck in doorways or chairs—his talent surpassed this.

At the time Roscoe started in the film industry studios purposely played down leading actors in their films. They would not even release their names to the public. The reason for this was the studios knew if their actors gained too much recognition, it would give them more power—then they would demand more money.

Roscoe’s immense popularity with the public broke this barrier—he literally was the first actor to gain “star power.”  

Professionally, he was known as “Fatty” Arbuckle, but in all other aspects of his life, he preferred to be called Roscoe. The studios ever after blamed him for breaking down the barrier they had so carefully put in place.

Working hard at Paramount Arbuckle went to San Francisco to rest and relax over the Labor Day weekend in 1921.

Virginia Rappe

One actress present at the party was Virginia Rappe. She was raised without a father, and at a young age, she started seeking love. Back then contraceptives were not reliable, and Rappe had five abortions by the age of 16. She also had several bouts of venereal disease. At age 17 she gave birth to a baby out of wedlock and placed it in foster care. *

Rappe attractive started modeling in her teens. She moved to San Francisco where she occasionally did nude modeling. She became engaged, but tragically her fiancé died in a trolley-car accident.

Henry Lehrman with Charlie Chaplin

Devastated she moved to Los Angeles. In 1917 she started to date a Hollywood director, Henry Lehrman. She was offered several small, unaccredited roles in pictures but her acting career didn’t take off.  It was rumored she randomly worked as a prostitute to pay her bills.

One rumor was Rappe had a reputation for bizarre behavior when she drank. Her neighbors reported that when she was drunk, she would tear off her clothes and run around claiming a man had assaulted her.

One absurd legend states she and Lehrman were kicked off the Sennett lot for being infested with lice. Sennett after this supposedly had his studio fumigated.

By September of 1921 Rappe and Lehrman had broken off their relationship.

After the Labor Day party Roscoe was amazed when he was arrested for the rape and murder of Virginia Rappe. The last time he had seen her she was drunk, acting crazy and ill but very much alive.

There have been numerous accounts written about what happened that weekend but all are based upon speculation. So I will share here what is known and why many feel Arbuckle was accused of these two heinous crimes.

* In recent years, female writers have tried to whitewash Rappe's life. I don't list her actions to criticize her--she led a hard life--I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

In Part ll of Roscoe Arbuckle: Hollywood’s First Scandal I share information about the party, Virginia Rappe's death, and the woman who set the scandal in motion.