MovieChat Forums > The General (1927) Discussion > Keaton the MicroManager???

Keaton the MicroManager???

posted 13 years ago by gmattel
2 replies | jump to latest

On another message board, someone brought up that in the cannon scene, Keaton tells - or directs someone to "die". I'm wondering, do we really see Keaton the Director or is it a bit of self-deprecating humor regarding his perfectionism as in "The Paleface" when he stops the Indian's dance in the office.
While Keaton was generally a very nice and polite person, when you have to manage people sometimes you have to assert yourself somewhat. Also, as stated, Keaton was a perfectionist and therefore (he was too smart not to know this) could be a bit of a pain in the neck.
Just wondering????

[–] cmashieldscapting 13 years ago

He was perfectionistic and his films perfectly coordinated, but I'd have to know more to know if anyone considered him a pain in the neck. Somehow I doubt it--he risked his own neck more than anyone else's.

[–] gmattel 13 years ago

Even someone who is nice, when they have a specific vision and pursue it absolutely, to the outside world, the pursuit can get exasperating. I'm sure Keaton's crew knew his talent, but even friends can quarrel and sometimes lose patience. If they did see him that way, it was in a very gentle way not overbearing.

Think Slow, Act Fast -- Buster Keaton