We took in a triple feature the other night at NYC’s Film Forum—Broadway (1929), The Goose Woman (1925) and The Man Who Laughs (1928)—with each picture proving worthy in its own way.
But there was another special treat in store: a videotaped episode of This Is Your Life from 1957, featuring Cladrite favorite Buster Keaton. Why was this bonus included that night? Because Louise Dresser, who starred in The Goose Woman, was a longtime friend of Buster’s (she’d known him when he was a child who was featured in his parents’ vaudeville act).
It was the management’s intention to show only the part of the program that included Dresser being brought out to surprise Buster, but the audience reacted so positively that they showed the entire episode, which we’re sharing below with you.
We wish we had a better-quality video for you (the closed captions in this version are a bit distracting), but it’s still worth watching. Anyone with a fondness for Buster Keaton will find their affection for the man heightened by viewing this program. He’s clearly such a gentle soul, and he retained his sense of humor until the end. He’s hilarious on this program, and clearly so warm-hearted and humble.
It’s a delight to experience, even in this fuzzy, captioned form. Enjoy.