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For those who don't know, Keaton was amazingly dedicated as a comedic stuntman - a silent era Jackie Chan (he was less popular after the silent era, but kept wo
by wisty 2y ago
For those who don't know, Keaton was amazingly dedicated as a comedic stuntman - a silent era Jackie Chan (he was less popular after the silent era, but kept working until his death in the 60s).
From Wikipedia: Garry Moore recalled, "I asked (Keaton) how he did all those falls, and he said, 'I'll show you.' He opened his jacket and he was all bruised. So that's how he did it—it hurt—but you had to care enough not to care." This would have been in about 1955, when Keaton (born 1899) was an old man and well past his heyday of really dangerous stunts (he once broke his neck during an early stunt).
And he usually had an amazing commitment to film in a lot of other ways. The first time he was shot in a film he took a camera apart to figure out how it worked, because he really cared about every detail (though in the middle of his career this really hurt him, as execs wanted to just trot him up in front of the camera as a high paid celebrity - they didn't want him wasting his valuable time fussing over details, or risk their investment letting him do stunts).
- ErigmolCt 2y agoHis dedication was truly next-level
- keiferski 2y agoVideo of some of his better stunts: https://youtu.be/yOo_ZUVU_O8?si=1OEwZTk-d88ma2Zs https://youtu.be/yOo_ZUVU_O8?si=1OEwZTk-d88ma2Zs And a great Every Frame a Painting film essay on his work: https://youtu.be/UWEjxkkB8Xs?si=n-4ZNr_cMnYVKijs https://youtu.be/UWEjxkkB8Xs?si=n-4ZNr_cMnYVKijs He was truly an innovator that makes today’s “films of people talking to each other” look amateurish. A few months ago the local theatre was playing Sherlock Jr. with a live band, and it was awesome. Try to see it in similar circumstances if possible.
- acuozzo 2y ago> A few months ago the local theatre was playing Sherlock Jr. with a live band AFI in Silver Spring?
- keiferski 2y agoNope, other side of the world
- exhilaration 2y agoWow, those stunts are incredible - it's hard to believe he died of old age and not of these super risky stunts.
- smusamashah 2y agoAll those falls, my toddler is going to love his films I guess.
- PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago> He was truly an innovator that makes today’s “films of people talking to each other” look amateurish. I feel you could have said the first part without attempting to critique films with a different aesthetic aspiration. I just watched Eisenberg's "A Real Pain" last night, and there is no way that any of the things Keaton was good at would have improved that film at all. Which is not to say that Keaton was not an innovator .. just that there is more than one aesthetic goal for films, and room for all of them.
- keiferski 2y agoI was comparing Keaton to a modern film that has people talking back and forth without any interesting use of space on film. This video explains it well: https://youtu.be/jGc-K7giqKM?si=0sOBkBrsYa4IBo5N https://youtu.be/jGc-K7giqKM?si=0sOBkBrsYa4IBo5N A lot of Keaton’s gags and shots are similar.
- vodou 2y agoHere is the stunt where he broke his neck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOo_ZUVU_O8&t=187s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOo_ZUVU_O8&t=187s
- exitb 2y ago> He opened his jacket and he was all bruised. So that's how he did it—it hurt—but you had to care enough not to care." It reminds me of the glass eating trick by David Blaine, where the trick is to… just eat glass. It makes it quite bittersweet, as after all, those men are trading some of their wellbeing for some of their fame. Not sure how to feel about it.
- thih9 2y agoI am also trading my short term wellbeing, if only for money - by working in an unappreciative startup; I suppose many others do the same, and even more would like to. My hope is that my long term wellbeing improves as a result.
- exitb 2y agoThat's true, although society generally does not applaud sustaining permanent injuries at work as dedication.
- scarface_74 2y agohttps://www.sportico.com/business/media/2025/nfl-owns-73-of-top-100-broadcasts-election-undermine-sports-tv-dominance-1234822548/ https://www.sportico.com/business/media/2025/nfl-owns-73-of-... Usually 90 of the top 100 shows on American TV are football games. It was 72 out of 100 in 2024 because it was an election year.
- thih9 2y agoI can’t imagine staring at a screen for 8h+ hours a day[1] is not causing some permanent injuries. [1]: Not to mention daily zoom calls with a micromanaging boss and a mandatory video on rule.
- db48x 2y agoMen sell their bodies all the time. Miners, fishermen, football players, etc. 97% of all workplace fatalities are men.
- deleted 2y ago
- draven 2y agoI saw a Jackie Chan interview years ago (20 or so) in which he said Keaton was an inspiration.
- krisoft 2y ago> He opened his jacket and he was all bruised. So that's how he did it—it hurt—but you had to care enough not to care. I don't want performers to risk their safety, health and life for my entertainment. Obviously I cannot stop it, but I can stop watching those who engage in things like this. (And I don't just mean the stunt performer, but the director, the producers, the studio and the franchise.) I have unsubscribed from youtube channels when I felt that they were pushing themselves in dangerous directions. It is not like that alone will stop them, but if I would keep watching I would be complicit in the harm which might befall them. There is the principle attributed to Houdini by Penn Jillette that a performance/trick should not be more dangerous than sitting in one's living room. Especially when it appears dangerous. I don't know about the exact line though. Strictly interpreting the "not be more dangerous than sitting in one's living room" definition would disqualify any performance where the performer had to drive (or be chauffeured) to the location of their performance. And that would be a bit ridiculous.
- BiteCode_dev 2y ago[flagged]
- krisoft 2y ago> Then you have to stop watching any competition of anything Done. Easy. > stop reading about start up on HN as well I don’t think there the motivation is to create entertainment though. But i don’t care much about that kind of content either. > forget about any extra ordinnary human achivement I disagree with that. Plenty of extraordinary human achievements were created under circumstances I find acceptable to celebrate and watch.
- daseiner1 2y agoLet's not scale mountains, explore the oceans, cross the poles, or go to space. Why be heroic when we can all hold hands and be safe. """They have left the regions where it is hard to live; for they need warmth. One still loveth one's neighbour and rubbeth against him; for one needeth warmth."""
- adamc 2y agoYou can see some classic Keaton in "A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". He remained great, even as an old man.
- throw4847285 2y agoWow, I completely forgot that he played Erronius. Every time I think about the way he says "stolen in infancy by pirates" in that gravelly voices of his I have to stifle a laugh.