Buster Keaton on Blu-ray

[koberulz]

I'm really not sure what the best version of everything is. There are multiple restorations floating around between Kino, Cohen and Eureka, Kino itself has released multiple different versions of some of his films. Some of these are presumably OOP now. What's the best way to get everything, including extras? I'll file answers in this post, and hopefully turn it into a decent resource for Keaton fans. I've tried to order releases of the same film by release date, if I've made any errors let me know.

Silent shorts

The first does not include his shorts working for Roscoe Arbuckle, only the shorts made once he started out on his own. I believe the Eureka edges the Kino for extras, even with the Eureka limited edition being out of print.

There's also this all-inclusive set, which exists in two versions that seem identical:


I'm fairly sure it contains the first-listed Kino for each of his features and the silent shorts, as well as the talkie shorts set mentioned below.

The Saphead

Both contain original and alternate versions, and Bret Wood version comparison. Kino adds a 30-minute audio interview with Keaton, and a one-minute "stunt montage" that is a total waste of your time, nothing more than a handful of pratfalls and absolutely none of his iconic stunts. Eureka goes with three different audio interviews, split across two audio tracks that play over the film: a two-parter with Kevin Brownlow from 1964 and a 1958 Eastman House radio interview. It also includes The Scribe, Keaton's final performance, which is also available on Kino's Blu-ray of The General (with a John Sebert audio commentary the Kino lacks), a 20-minute David Cairns video essay, and a David Kalat audio commentary.

Three Ages

The first three all feature the 1912 Griffith short "Man's Genesis", which inspired the Keaton film. The first Kino shares a location tour with the Eureka, while the second Kino shares a vintage Alka Seltzer commercial with the Eureka. The Cohen is barebones.

Exclusive to the first Kino are separate edits of each "age" presented individually, while exclusive to the second Kino is a 1960 "Candid Camera" clip.

Exclusive to the Eureka are a Kalat commentary, video essays by David Cairns and Fiona Watson, an Ian Lavender interview, featurette "The Six Ages of Comedy" based on a Keaton essay, and Keaton radio appearances from 1936 and 1960 (plus an undated French one that comes in at just under a minute), and a booklet.

Our Hospitality

The first Kino and the Eureka share a 26-minute "Making Comedy Beautiful" featurette and a 50-minute workprint cut of the film titled "Hospitality". The two Kinos share 1925 short "The Iron Mule". No exclusives for the first Kino, while the latter Kino adds a commentary from Farran Smith Nehme and Imogen Sara Smith, 1947 Keaton-starring short "Un duel à mort", 25 minutes on Robert Israel scoring the film, and a five-minute piece by Saul Bromberg. Eureka's only exclusive is a commentary on the workprint by Polly Rose, while the Kino version of it is supplemented by a five-minute introduction. The Cohen is barebones.

Sherlock Jr.

Eureka and Kino share a David Kalat commentary, tour of filming locations, and 22-minute "Movie Magic & Mysteries" featurette. Cohen is entirely exclusive, with a restoration trailer and two ~5 minute featurettes, "The Comedian" and "The Great Stone Face." Eureka's exclusive is a 56-minute documentary "Buster Keaton: The Genius Crushed by Hollywood", and a 60-page book in the limited edition.

The Navigator

Since this shares a disc with the prior film, the Cohen extras are the same. The Kino and Eureka share a commentary by Robert Arkus and Yair Solan as well as "Of Buster, Boats, Other Seacraft, and Working on The Navigator". Eureka's exclusive is a 34-minute David Cairns video essay, and 60-page book in the limited edition.

Seven Chances

Cohen includes nowt but a restoration trailer and four-minute "The Daredevil" featurette. Kino has a Bruce Lawton and Ken Gordon commentary, location tour, six-minute featurette on the two-strip Technicolor sequence at the start of the film, and short films "A Brideless Groom" and "How a French Nobleman Got a Wife Through the New York Herald Personals Columns", perhaps the best-titled film ever to have existed. Eureka has none of these, opting for a different commentary by Joel Goss and Bruce Lawton, a trailer, and comedy short "What! No Spinach?" which riffs on "Seven Chances", with a 60-page book in the limited edition.

Go West

All three include 1923 short "Go West". Kino and Cohen share a one-hour audio interview with Keaton entitled "Screenwriter". Cohen has an exclusive restoration trailer. Eureka adds a commentary by Joel Goss and Bruce Lawton, 28-minute David Cairns video essay, and 16-minute John Bengtson video essay on the film's locations, with a 60-page book in the limited edition.

Battling Butler

Cohen brings nothing new to the table, just the Daredevil featurette mentioned earlier. Kino has a couple of photo galleries. Eureka loads up on audio interviews with Keaton, featuring Irwin Allen, Arthur Friedman, Robert Franklin, Herbert Feinstein, and Studs Terkel, each as separate clips and all but one clocking in at over half an hour. 60-page book in the limited edition, as usual.

The General

This appears to have two different Kino releases and a Cohen release in the US. The solo Kino shares with the Eureka a minute of home movie footage, introductions by Gloria Swanson and Orson Welles, a location tour, and an 18-minute tour of The General. Eureka adds a Peter Kramer interview, while Kino's exclusive is a six-minute featurette "The Buster Express". Book in the LE.

Kino's two-film offering dispenses with all but the introductions, adding "The Return of the General" at 11 minutes and a commentary by Michael Schlesinger and Stan Taffel. Cohen has exclusive featurettes "Reflections on The General" and "Keaton: The Luminary".

College

All three include a tour of filming locations. Both Kinos have "The Scribe", included in Eureka's release of "The Saphead", while the Kino double bill adds introductions by Serge Bromberg and Lillian Gish, a commentary by Rob Farr, and 1928 short "Run, Girl, Run". Eureka adds "The Railrodder" and "Buster Keaton Rides Again", the former with commentary by director Gerald Potterton and cameraman David De Volpi and the latter with an additional audio track featuring a Q&A with the same two men. Book in the limited edition, etc etc.

Steamboat Bill, Jr.

The solo Kino has a video essay comparing the two versions, audio recording of the song "Steamboat Bill", and the stunts montage that's also on "The Saphead". Eureka has a "making of" which may be the same video essay, runtimes are very similar, not sure, and adds an hour-long interview with Keaton. Cohen has the same two featurettes as last time this one came up. The Kino double bill has a commentary by Michael Schlesinger and Stan Taffel, introduction by Serge Bromberg, and an Alka Seltzer commercial, which may be the same one as on Three Ages? Other than the stunts montage and possibly the video essay, no overlap here.

The Cameraman/Spite Marriage

Identical.

Talkie shorts


Sunset Boulevard:

Did the Paramount/WB/Paramount shuffle in the US, but otherwise they're identical. Beware some international editions are barebones.

Limelight:

The UK box set just contains the UK solo release. Different extras, none Keaton-releated.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Alternate version is exclusive to the Criterion, which also loads up on extras while the MGM has only one doco but it is exclusive.

Film/Notfilm

Split across two releases in the US, because screw you that's why. Extras are largely identical, except that Milestone has "Play of the Week" TV episode "Waiting for Godot" while BFI counters with an alternate version of the film from 1979 running an extra four minutes.

The Railrodder/Buster Keaton Rides Again


A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Both barebones.

The Scribe


Other