"Hey, I'd like to bust-her keaton!"

October 4th was Buster Keaton's birthday. Growing up, I always thought Buster Keaton was a euphemism -- even when I wasn't sure what it would be a euphemism for. But then, I also didn't know what a "Buster Keaton" was, so it only added to my confusion.

(Of course, Buster didn't come up in conversation too often. Diane Keaton did, however. And, combined with the attitudes & jokes about Mr. Goodbar, such namedropping conjured the weirdly reminiscent, "Hey, I'd like to bust-her keaton!" ideas.)

In any case, I eventually came to know just what a Buster Keaton was -- and became rather smitten with him. Sure, most of his films are rather formulaic, and they don't exactly feature strong women, but they are charming for what they are. And the absence of strong females in Keaton films doesn't appear to be (nor even feel) misogynistic. From The Keaton Heroine:

It was totally intentional on Keaton's part to make his heroines distant and dramatically underdeveloped. They were there purely as an impetus for his journey through the picture. His silents were love stories of some description, all with the same formula -- Buster wants girl; girl or her family doesn't want Buster: Buster proves himself through some heroic fete: girl (generally) wants Buster or her family finally approves of him -- End. Keaton said of his leading ladies,

"There are usually but three principles - the villain, myself and the girl and she was never important…. The leading lady had to be fairly good looking, and it helped some if she had a little acting ability. As far as I was concerned I didn't insist that she have a sense of humor. There was always the danger that such a girl would laugh at a gag in the middle of a scene, which meant ruining it and having to remake it."

What was Keaton's reasoning behind the lack of development in his female co-stars? To push them into the background so he could egotistically be the center of attraction? Doubtful, he was considered to be a generous performer by his peers. The public were paying to see a Buster Keaton film staring Buster Keaton. That in itself dictated a high priority for Keaton screen time. There is also little room in comedy for extended passionate and involved love scenes between the hero and heroin… it just isn't funny. Once a love scene becomes funny it is no longer believably passionate. A quirk of the times seemed to dictate that comedy films had the morals of Victorian culture rather than that of the Jazz Age (the exception being Clara Bow). Sex were not the territory of the young, it was an adult privilege to be earned, not an instant proof of adulthood to be embarked on as soon as the hormones kicked in. A respectable young man of the middle classes was expected to prove his love and maturity through non sexual displays of valor, and show he had the means to support a wife before being allowed the joys, or otherwise, of marriage.

There are three exceptions in Buster Keaton films; and you can read about them The Keaton Heroine.