In any case, it's an incredible scene in a film which is filled with impressive ones; Keaton, having spent his childhood in Vaudeville doing prat falls, has a physical expertise which makes the stunts look easy, though they're obviously not. It's incredible what they were able to accomplish in these very early days of cinema, mostly because they were willing to do risky things which would never be allowed today.
I felt in need of something light and humorous, so watched Buster Keaton's 1928 film, Steamboat Bill, Jr. last night. It's an amusing movie and contains what is probably his most famous stunt: the falling house during a tornado. In this scene, as Buster stands dazed in the street, the house front behind him collapses on top of him but he remains standing as the open attic window passes over him. Incredibly, this stunt involves no trickery- Keaton, having figured out where he had to stand and marking that spot with a nail, let a 4000 lb house front fall on him. It must have required nerves of steel to stand still while it came down, especially since the window had only 2 inches of clearance on every side of him. It was such a dangerous shot that some of the crew members walked off the set, refusing to participate and it led to rumours that Keaton was suicidal. This was given credence by some because Buster had just found out the day before that his production company was being dissolved. Keaton later said that the scene was a great thrill to do but admitted, "I was mad at the time, or I never would have done the thing." In any case, it's an incredible scene in a film which is filled with impressive ones; Keaton, having spent his childhood in Vaudeville doing prat falls, has a physical expertise which makes the stunts look easy, though they're obviously not. It's incredible what they were able to accomplish in these very early days of cinema, mostly because they were willing to do risky things which would never be allowed today.
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