"What, No Beer?!" Durante and Keaton in their heyday, 1933

[DrSho]

Buster Keaton didn't like working with Durante. Durante was all about talking and Keaton was a master of the visual humor

[nateandsophie]

One thing clear. Buster was not cheating on Natalie behind her back. After they had 2 children her mother stepped in and told Natalie to stop sleeping with Buster. So Natalie had Buster move to another bedroom and from that day on she never had relations with him again. He told her and mother-dear he was not going to stop having relations with women and never tried to hide his "affairs". AND up to that time he NEVER once cheated. What wifey and mother-dear did was cruel and unfair. ELEANOR 4EVA

[zarganoth87]

they both also have cameos in "It's a mad, mad, mad, mad, world." Hilarious movie, although buster should have gotten a way bigger cameo than jimmy.

[WaxFlowers]

I love his voice! I can't believe he didn't do well!

[bettydaw1970]

most historians dont realize they were a team for awhile? wtf? ahh yes they do, and this was not keatons heyday....1917-1929 was..

[mslovests]

im sorry talkies ruined his carrer not this

[Sweeneycansing]

BUSTER <3

[blacsouljah]

You can also hear and watch Buster Keaton in the 1964 comedy "The Thrill of it All" (which is now on DVD). I have a copy.

[fromthesidelines]

Unfortunately for Buster, MGM controlled his films. Yes, he WAS nothing more than a "hired hand" when it came to planning, casting and executing his features for the studio. He was under contract, and had to do EXACTLY what they expected of him...which wasn't much. After this, he never starred in another American feature- he was forced to make "two-reelers" for Educational after Metro fired him.

[maelstrom143]

Wonderful piece. Thanks so much for sharing this bit of Americana. I absolutely love Durante!

[Muttenmunch69]

ha cha cha cha cha

[Rowdy4324]

You have no idea how to gauge the cinema. Keaton, Chaplin, and Harold Lloyd were the three kings of the silent comedies. Keaton-Durante was a horrible idea by MGM because they didn't know what to do with Keaton's character, and once they took creative control away from him he was doomed. You can try convincing yourself all you want, but Keaton-Durante was a horrible idea and it led to Keaton's demise. If you actually want to enjoy a Keaton go see Sherlock Jr.

[TheBethoc]

The pairing was a horrible idea and MGM ruined Buster's career!

Buster himself said that he was paired with Durante by MGM in an effort to 're-define' his character. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Buster's character it was MGM that tried to break his spirit. Buster himself said Durante just never would stop talking long enough to let him get much of a word in edgewise and working with him just made Buster miserable!

[Zylstra555]

He has a voice!

I've never heard him speak before. It is so very different!

[xMrSandman09]

@Zylstra555 me too! i've never heard his voice since the general! in fact, i always wanted to hear someone's voice like Garu, Charlie Chaplin, or someone with great silent films and shows.

[OldNoir]

It weird listening to him speak.This isn't all that bad,but I think the silent films suit him better.

[msfattytroll]

maybe I just have a dirty mind but... whats up with the "IM WET" stickers?

[SarahsAwesomeAccount]

I always hoped that Keaton's voice was as hot as his looks. It is. :)

[convict13]

Have to agree whole heartily with Ubermom. This is not Buster at his best, his personnel problems were starting to encircle him, his two best friends had recently died, his wife was taking the children and everything he had, and to round things off MGM didnt let him have the creative freedom he needed, he was just another paid comedian to them. And sadly in this movie it shows. Watch The General, Steamboat Bill Jnr or Sherlock Jnr to see his genius.

[MrStrangeSensation]

This is the first time I've ever heard Keaton talk!! He kicked just as much ass in talkies as he did in the silent era! Great voice! It's such a shame the his career was going downhill at this point, I would have loved to see him prosper as much in talkies as he did in the silent films.

[spagandtuna]

We will always love Jimmy, but he never shuts up in this flick and it gets old.

[cammoflage96]

i've never heard buster talk

[JimHolland8]

I wanted to post a silent comment so read it to yourself.

[calvinnme2]

In spite of the fact that this film broke box office records when it opened, Louis Mayer fired Keaton for being unreliable and drunken, and within a year Keaton was relegated to making shorts for poverty row Educational Pictures. He didn't really recover until the beginning of TV 15 years later. How odd - the fact that pictures started talking killed Keaton's career. The fact that in-home entertainment became sound with pictures (TV) versus just sound (radio) is what revived it.

[CelticMudkip]

@calvinnme2

It wasn't the talking that killed his career. Of course, I don't think it helped, despite him having a very articulate and well toned voice, which is great for acting. He was having an affair behind his wife's back and she took all of his fortune and his kids away and left and he became an alcoholic, hence why he was booted from MGM even though this movie was a success. Poor guy.

[gorban]

What a crime this is not on DVD!

[ubermom]

This may have been Durante's heyday, but it was the bottom for Buster. Go watch "The General" or "The Cameraman" and then compare it to what MGM had him doing. What MGM did to Buster when they made talkies is like what Oscar Meyer does to meat when they make bologna.

[putzilla1286]

@ubermom

Oh my gosh, I could not have said it better! So true, so true.

[Sweeneycansing]

@ubermom "The General" is an AWESOME movie

[easlesonavon]

@ubermom I agree with you 100%, ubermom. Keaton went from this dreck to the Educational pictures, then remained in limbo until he was "rediscovered" years later. This is so sad.

[SavvySilvi]

Haha! "What's that?" "A Kangaroo, it's a native of Australia" "Oh, my sister married one of those!"

*confused look*. ROFL, good stuff.

[crazyjosiah]

Jim Durante speaks exactly like 

Herry Monster from Sesame Street

[SummerCena]

Wow, I know what you mean. There is something just sweet and suductive about Keaton. His air, his suave! He is just brilliant. Love this man.

[ftcrodis]

if it is possible to love a man you've never met, i am totally in love with buster keaton. even when he was at his worst.

[chowderhead7]

Buster had a great voice!

[maraskywalker]

Great clip but 1933 was NOT Buster's heyday at all. He was fired from MGM, his marriage to Natalie Talmadge ended (she took their children and changed their names to Talmadge) and he was an alcohalic because he was so depressed about his move to MGM. He said he was often drunk while making this film. MGM took all his creative control away, including his acrobatic stunts, leaving him as nothing more than a puppet on strings. His hey days were in the 1920's.

[Erisa14]

yes, true.. so sad he wrote that damn contract!

[aj5650]

@maraskywalker This is absolutely true. Buster's time at MGM was a downward spiral.

[prettyparisian]

lol, he's so funny & handsome as heck!