Buster Keaton at MGM - 3 Feature Films

0:00:00 - The Cameraman (1928) - Directed by Edward Sedgwick and Buster Keaton - 76 mins - Silent
1:09:30 - Parlor, Bedroom, and Bath (1931) - Directed by Edward Sedgewick - 73 mins - Sound
2:22:06 - Speak Easily (1932) - Directed by Edward Sedgewick - 80 mins - Sound
After the financial failures of his last three self-produced films, The General (1926), College (1927), and Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928), independent writer, director, and movie star Buster Keaton was in need of sound income. In 1928 he was approached by studio executive Nicholas Schneck with an offer to sign a contract with MGM who, despite Keaton’s now failing box office returns, saw him as a profitable star. Despite protests from fellow independents Charlie Chaplin and Harold Llyod, Keaton made what he would consider to be the worst business decision he had made in his life and signed a contract with MGM. Keaton and fellow silent star Lon Chaney were excluded from early transition to sound films by the studio with Chaney’s first and only spoken role coming in 1930 and Keaton's sound debut the same year (after making a silent appearance in 1929’s sound film The Hollywood Revue).
Keaton’s first film for the studio was 1928s The Cameraman directed by himself and studio director Edward Sedgewick. The script was heavily overhauled by Keaton before production: "It was as long as War and Peace [ …] I took out 40 useless characters and a couple of subplots. These guys didn't realize-they still don't realize-that the best comedies are simple. I said, 'I'd like to do something with a drunk and a fat lady and a kid. Get 'em for me.' At my studio they would have the characters I wanted in 10 minutes. But not MGM. You had to requisition a toothpick in triplicate. I just stood there, and everybody is hassling”. However, MGM hadn’t hired Keaton as a filmmaker, but rather as a star, wanting him to appear in films, not be a creative force on them. As he worked at MGM he was given less and less power over them. The film did end up being a financial success despite the behind-the-scenes drama and was a good start to Keaton’s career at the studio.
Keaton had wanted his next film, Spite Marriage (1929) to be his first sound film, but MGM refused as they believed it would be more valuable as a silent film and that they should save Keaton’s debut for a larger film. Marriage would unfortunately be the final film directed by Keaton at MGM. Keaton’s actual sound debut came in Edward Sedgewick’s Free and Easy in 1930, a studio-based showcase of the backlot and soundstages. This film, as well as a few of his other early sound films were recorded in English, Spanish, and either German or French with Keaton re-recording his dialogue for each version live on set during filming. Free and Easy (1930) was followed by the military comedy Doughboys (1930) which would become his most successful sound film, Parlor Bedroom and Bath (1931), and Sidewalks of New York (1931).
In 1932 Keaton began production on the first of three films with Jimmy Durante, his final films for MGM as part of his contract. Keaton and Durante were paired as a comedy duo by the studio and starred together in 1932s The Passionate Plumber and Speak Easily and 1933s What No Beer? These films saw Keaton playing characters named Elmer, a role he hadn’t played since Free and Easy and Doughboys, a usually upper class clumsy educated type, a far cry from his everyman roles he had played most of his career. These three films did well enough, but the writing was on the walls and Keaton soon moved into the world of shorts and gag writing, not having another starring role in a feature film made in North America until 1965s Buster Keaton Rides Again.
While Keaton did have a highly successful career after his time at MGM, the period directly following his time with the studio was a noted low period in his filmography.