From Sherlock Jr. to The General, the current decade will mark the 100th anniversary of several of Buster Keaton's movies. However, unlike other yesteryear stars, Keaton's filmography is somehow not dated. It has instead been influential to the history of cinema as a whole, particularly in the action and comedy genres. His collective work definitely makes him as significant as other silent comedy stars like Charlie Chaplin — with whom he finally shared the screen in the 1952 drama Limelight. Known for his deadpan facial expressions and exaggerated body language, Keaton and his work are worth revisiting for enthusiasts of silent cinema, physical comedy, and even stunt choreography.
To view Buster Keaton's movies in chronological order, cinephiles can start off with his features from the 1920s, a period considered to be the high point of his career. This was the era of silent film classics like Sherlock Jr., Three Ages, College, and many more. Most of the movies of this time were co-written and co-directed by Keaton as well. The second period in his feature film career can be marked by his late '20s and early '30s productions for MGM, a studio that limited his creative liberty. Excluding his short films and cameo roles, Buster Keaton has appeared in a total of 23 movies.
23 The Invader (1936)
A British movie acquired by MGM, The Invader found Buster Keaton playing Leander Proudfoot, a millionaire who aims to win the heart of a local woman in the South of Spain. The romantic comedy is wholesome but too simplistic and eventually got overshadowed by its much better remake, a 1939 short film also starring Keaton titled Pest from the West. The low production value doesn't let Keaton do much with the flimsy script either. With both Keaton and director Adrian Brunel at a creative low, The Invader has faded into obscurity compared to the rest of Keaton's MGM roster.
22 Doughboys (1930)
Director Edward Sedgwick oversaw most of Buster Keaton's MGM movies, Doughboys being one of them. As is common with Keaton's gags, he takes a shot at the idle class as he plays a rich man accidentally recruited into the military. Beyond a standard love triangle, Doughboys doesn't do more than deliver a few laughs. Even though it's set in the final years of World War I, the talkie's satirical look at wartime was not as fleshed out as what Charlie Chaplin set out to achieve a decade later with The Great Dictator. Regardless, Doughboys deserves a watch if viewers want a glimpse of Keaton in a relatively serious role.
21 Boom In The Moon (1946)
It's difficult to sum up the premise of Buster Keaton’s only Mexican production. Boom in the Moon starts off with Keaton's World War II survivor relocating to Mexico. After he is mistaken for a killer, he's blasted off to the Moon where more cases of mistaken identity, this time involving aliens, occur. The plot attempts to mix genre tropes of war drama and sci-fi while Keaton slightly tones down his humor. The sheer ambition is what makes it a slightly muddled-up watch. At the same time, Boom in the Moon is worth revisiting for viewers who need a slightly darker and unconventional entry in Keaton’s filmography.
20 The ionate Plumber (1932)
A comedy of errors with a great ensemble, The ionate Plumber stars Buster Keaton alongside fellow comedy icon Jimmy Durante and vaudeville legend Polly Moran. Keaton plays a Parisian plumber who is seeking financial aid for his new invention: a pistol with a range-finding light. When he somehow gets involved in an assassination attempt on a military leader, the pistol becomes a curse. However, for the 1930s movie audience, this provides one comic complication after another. The central trio's over-the-top theatrics wouldn't disappoint but with an undercooked story and unresolved plot holes, The ionate Plumber still lags behind as an overall product.
19 Free And Easy (1930)
Buster Keaton's first leading role in a talkie found him in a meta-narrative as the MGM production revolved around Anita Page playing aspiring actress Elvira, who goes for a screen test at the very same movie studio. Posing as her manager and secretly falling for her, Keaton's Elmer perfectly evokes the shyness that his character requires. Given that this was his non-silent debut, however, the actor still had to polish his dialogue delivery before breaking out further in future talkies. Free and Easy also involved a familiar love triangle with Robert Montgomery appearing as a sleazy MGM studio executive, which by this time, felt cliché.
18 Sidewalks Of New York (1931)
The boxing movie genre provides ample space to explore comedic routines, especially for action-driven funny men like Buster Keaton. But with Keaton having made one of the best boxing comedies ever with Battling Butler in 1926, Sidewalks of New York proved to be another MGM production lacking the energy of his earlier self-produced features. Keaton plays a socialite who has a change of heart and trains street kids to become boxers instead of hoodlums. A boxing school opens, and hilarious duels ensue. Keaton is athletic as ever, but his frequent on-screen partner Anita Page outshines the rest of the cast playing an overprotective sister to one of the kids.
17 What-No Beer? (1933)
Regardless of the dwindling quality of some of the MGM features, the duo of Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante were as dynamic as ever. What-No Beer? is a case in point with the two comedians playing men who cash in on the end of the Prohibition era. As Keaton and Durante implement their "million-dollar idea" of selling watered-down beer to a thirsty public, What-No Beer? not only makes for a delightfully entertaining watch but also doubles as a time capsule of the chaotic Prohibition years. Keaton's acting might not be top-notch here, but his acrobatic skills are marvelous in scenes where he's chased by the police.
16 Speak Easily (1932)
In Speak Easily, Buster Keaton plays a timid professor who falls so deeply in love with a dancer that he decides to finance her poorly written musical and take it all the way to Broadway. Thelma Todd is dashing as the performer while Jimmy Durante (now known for the Joker trailer song) delivers his usual wit as the manager of the dancing troupe. Exploring desperate attempts to produce a musical, Speak Easily succeeds at parodying showbiz and the eccentric people behind it. Relying on the same physical gags he'd incorporate in the Marx Brothers' A Night At The Opera, Keaton's performance is also as awkwardly brilliant as ever.
15 Parlor Bedroom And Bath (1931)
The third talkie of Buster Keaton's career found him playing the best of both worlds. While he's introduced as one of his typically socially awkward characters, he becomes a Casanova as he undergoes a My Fair Lady-like transformation. The duality of his character is hilariously exemplified by Keaton, who despite his straight-face expressions manages to put the speaking parts to good use in this lesser-known but unforgettable screwball classic. Before Parlor, Bedroom and Bath, filmgoers knew Keaton as an eccentric simpleton. Now, he stunned audiences by being a ladies' man. But just because he becomes charming and delivers heroic dialogues doesn't mean the movie has any shortage of goofiness either.
14 The Saphead (1920)
Buster Keaton got his first starring role in a feature with The Saphead. While it shows the deadpan comedy maestro in a nascent stage, his performance was singled out by critics upon its release. Keaton's stillness and hollow-eyed expressions made him an unconventional leading man, going in tandem with his character, a rich brat indulging in gambling and debauchery. The Saphead can be credited for building major interest in Keaton's subsequent work, leading to his more iconic silent movies. Interestingly, it was an adaptation of the stage play Henrietta, which starred silent-film legend Douglas Fairbanks. When it came to the screen version, Fairbanks suggested a young Keaton instead of himself.
