2005 Buster Keaton Celebration, Iola, Kansas


.Sept. 23 & 24, 2005	Bowlus Fine Arts Center 205 E. Madison, Iola, KS • 620-365-4766

Silent motion pictures and shorts throughout the celebration.

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Special Guests: Harriet Fields & Allen Fields, grandchildren of W.C. Fields
Patricia Eliot Tobias, president of the Damfinos, presented the 2005 Buster Award to the Fields family.

Presenters and Q&A Sessions:

Joe Adamson tells of his journey in making Fields documentary video with W.C.'s grandson, Ron Fields

Frank Scheide introduces the Dr. St. George Medicine Show Players

Hooman Mehran speaks on stage with John Tibbetts

Video of the real steam locamotive, The General

Brian Johnston, doctoral candidate, discusses his video about the actual abduction of The General during the Civil War

Rodney Sauer introduces music to be played Saturday night for Keaton's Our Hospitality

Hooman Mehran discusses silent film with attendee John Kelso

Presenters Martha Jett, from West Virginia, and David Macleod, UK

Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra:
Musical Accompaniment

Dr. St. George's Medicine Show:

Performing Death Can Be Murder, a radio drama with hats

Who's On First? Ken Teutsch and Connie High

Frank Scheide introduces the Saturday afternoon radio drama

The Reticient Youth: or He Held His Tongue, Saturday evening's skit

Facilities, Staff, Celebration Committee:

Celebration co-directors Mary Martin and Frank Scheide, with facilities manager Susan Raines

Jane Bartholomew, all around helper, friend, committee member, and friendly face

Posters from previous Celebrations, all with artwork by John Tibbetts, were also available for sale

Mandy Specht is one of dozens of Iola citizens helping at Bowlus

Iota Nu chapter of Phi Tau Omega served Saturday luncheon to speakers and committee

Mary Martin with committee member and Iola Keaton web site host Keith Goering

The new Mary Martin Art Gallery housed celebrity artwork of John Tibbetts

John Tibbetts poses with his favorite illustration of Boris Karloff as Fu Manchu

Bill Shaffer, committee member, with his lobby cards for Friday & Saturday evening performances

Movie Magic:

Kansan Louise Brooks co-starred in It's the Old Army Game

Keaton on antique bicycle, Our Hospitality

Early locomotive facsimile in Our Hospitality

Natalie Talmadge Keaton is swirled over the falls in Our Hospitality

Keaton gets ready to save the damsel in distress, climax of Our Hospitality

Fans:

Patty, president of Damfinos, is recorded in an audio interivew

Attendees look through advertising materials shared by Martha Jett

Susan Cygan, a Damfino from England, and Herb Miller, a film collector from Mission Hills, Kansas, inspect materials shared by Martha Jett

Herb Miller, from the Kansas City area, with his Fields candle

2005 Schedule:
FRI., Sept. 23, 2005

Beginning 10:00 a.m.
Frank Scheide presented for Fred Krebs: "Pettifogger Fields and Pilgrim Keaton:Two Comic Journeys from the Alien Edge to the Human Heart”
Introducing the Dr. St. George's Medicine Show Players with Ken Teutsch, Mike Prince, and Connie High
Screening of Pool Sharks, W.C. Fields Short
BREAK
Martha Jett: "Selling an Image:The Marketing & Promotion of Vaudeville & Silent Movie Stars” Martha is a Documentary Filmmaker and Keaton Biographer
Panel Discussion summarizing morning events, chaired by Frank Scheide

12:15 p.m. Lunch (on your own)

Resuming 1:15 p.m.
Hooman Mehran: "Eddie Cline:Transforming Keaton and Resuscitating Fields”
Hooman is Co-Editor of the Chaplin Review, film Historian and Author
Eric Grayson: "Unknown Fields” rare film footage
Eric is a Film Historian and Collector
BREAK
Panel discussion summarizing afternoon events, chaired by John Tibbetts
Screening of W.C. Fields Straight Up, Emmy Award winner by Ron Fields and Joe Adamson. Joe Adamson introduced the video. A Q&A session followed.

Friday Evening of Silent Cinema, 7:30 p.m., with Buster Keaton & W.C. Fields .
Death Can Be Murder, a Dr. St. George Medicine Show Radio Drama with Hats, .
with Ken Teutsch & Mike Prince
Short: Convict 13 starring Buster Keaton
Feature: It's the Old Army Game starring W.C. Fields
with live musical accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra

SAT., Sept. 24, 20058:30 a.m. Registration (there are no fees)Beginning 9:00 a.m.
Welcome & Intros by Mistress of Ceremonies Martha Jett
David Macleod: "From Vaudeville to Video: Buster Keaton and W.C. Fields"
Macleod is a Keaton Historian and Founder of the Blinking Buzzards Society (UK)
Brian Johnston: "The Real Johnny Grey: An Historical Perspective"
Johnston is a Documentary Filmmaker and Doctoral Candidate in Communication at Florida State
Who's On First? Dr. St. George's Medicine Show Radio Theatre of the Air
with Connie High and Ken Teutsch
BREAK
Screening of Grand Slam Opera, a Buster Keaton short
Panel discussion summarizing morning events, moderated by Frank Scheide

12:00 Lunch (on your own)Resuming 1:00 p.m. :
Scott Eyman: "A Fatal Misalliance"
Scott is a noted Film Historian, Author, Journalist and Critic
John Tibbetts: "Balancing Act: W.C. Fields and the Human Condition"
John is a Professor of Film, University of Kansas
BREAK
Panel Interview with W.C. Fields' grandchildren:
Dr. Harriet Fields and her brother Allen Fields, both of the W.C. Fields Foundation, discuss memories of their grandfather. Moderated by Frank Scheide
Horror/Hospital/Cowboy Drama, Dr. St. George's Medicine Show Radio Theatre of the Air
with Ken Teutsch, Mike Prince, and Connie High
Screening of The Old Fashioned Way, W.C. Fields sound feature

Saturday Evening of Silent Cinema, 7:30 p.m., with Buster Keaton & W.C. Fields .
The Reticent Youth: or He Held His Tongue,.a Dr. St. George's Medicine Show Radio Theatre of the Air with Ken Teutsch, Mike Prince, and Connie High
Short: The Dentist, a W.C. Fields sound short subject
Feature: Our Hospitality starring Buster Keaton
with live musical accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra

Speakers:

Scott Eyman, Noted author, journalist and critic
Eric Grayson, Film historian and collector
Martha Jett, documentary filmmaker and Keaton biographer
Brian Johnston, Documentary Filmmaker & Doctoral Candidate/Communication at Florida State
Hooman Mehran, Internationally recognized film historian and author
David Macleod, Founder of the Blinking Buzzards, a Buster Keaton Society in the United Kingdom and author of The Sound of Buster Keaton
Frank Scheide presented for Fred Krebs, who had a last-minute emergency and could not attend
John Tibbetts, PhD, Associate Professor of Film, University of Kansas

Celebration Archives:
2006: "Keaton and The Funny Ladies"
2004: "Keaton and Ernie Kovacs"
2003: "Keaton and Vaudeville".
2002: "10th Anniversary Celebration"
2001: "2001, a Keaton Odyssey"
2000: "Keaton and Laurel & Hardy"
1999: "Keaton and Lloyd"
1998: "Keaton and Pickford"
1997: "Keaton and Chaplin"
1996: "Keaton and Arbuckle"
Speakers Lists 1993-95

Keaton was born near Iola, KS at Piqua in 1895
Visit the Buster Keaton Museum, Piqua, Kansas.
Also, visit the International Buster Keaton Society.
.
Funded by the Kansas Humanities Council,
with help from the Iola Tourism Fund
and private donors.

Sponsored by the Keaton Celebration Committee in cooperation with the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.Check the Kansas Silent Film Festival web site. This is a free event held each February in Topeka, KS.