Around and About in Hollywood

 by Frankie Lynne

Buster Keaton - The iron man of comedy

Did you ever hear of the soldier who went through four years of the World War and returned home unharmed, only to be killed by an automobile?

That's what I thought of when I talked with Buster Keaton, who was injured at the studio a short while ago.

It seems that on that certain day the stunts were more hazardous than usual. The scene was an escalator in a department store. The "gag" was to take several falls on the moving stairway and then be thrown out of a window at the head of the stairs. The scene was done perfectly and all the falls taken without any more than the usual number of bruises and black an blue reminders of the day's work.

Then Buster, with the rest of the company, the director included, marched off the set to the far end of the studio yard and started a baseball game. This is Buster's favorite outdoor sport. He plays baseball every day between scenes and sometimes long after the day's work is done.

The diamond is on a large outdoor stage with scores of posts around it. The game had been in progress fully fifteen minutes when the accident occurred. Buster was sliding for home. He slipped and fell.

The "little iron man of comedy" was taking the count.

He was taken home and a doctor walked in. He said ligaments had been severly torn and the little comedian must remain in bed in a plaster cast for several weeks.

Now the time is most up, and very soon Buster will be around on crutches, and then it won't be long before he'll be his old self again.

In spite of it all, he won't be serious. He spends most of his time writing parodies of the latest popular songs, and singing them to his friends when they call.