The Iola Register from Iola, Kansas • 6

THE IOLA REGISTER. MONDAY. OCTOBER 1, 2001, PAGE 6 200 1 A Keaton Odyssey Granddaughter gives insight from family side RegisterBruce Symes Alba Francesca and her husband, James and he was surprised with the annual award, Karen, made a return visit to lola this past The Buster, weekend for the Buster Keaton Celebration, lola a nice change from glamorous, hectic lifestyle picture album from my Aunt Norma when she traveled to Europe once. She took the Bentley, the footman and the chauffeur with her. The summer of Coxs 14th year she lived with her Aunt Constance Talmadge in New York City.

I was a teenager in New York who could go wherever I wanted, when I wanted and I was to be chauf-feured by Davies, the driver. Not too shabby! Cox said. Aunt Constance, known as Dutch, was not one for domestic duties, such as cooking. I never knew anyone could live solely on room service and restaurant fare. She passed away when she was 70 and never cooked a day in her life, Cox said.

In 1922 Buster and Natalie had their first child, Joseph Talmadge Keaton, Melissas father. Brother Robert followed in 1924. These were heady years for the Keaton family. Busters career, his wealth and his family were all growing. They built an Italian villa in Beverly Hills.

His movies at the time included The Bal-loonatic Go West and his most famous, The General But, as so often is the case, his familial success did not parallel that of his career, which was not on a firm foundation after all. His move to MGM had proven to be a disaster to his creativity, his financial security was slipping away and alcohol was becoming his escape, Cox said In 1932 Natalie divorced him and moved their sons to a house in Malibu. The young sons, then 8 and 10 years old, rarely saw their father from then until they reached adulthood. For many years Jim and Bob didnt see their dad. Their last name had been changed to Talmadge after the divorce.

Natalie had possession of the kids. Buster was drinking heavily without regular work and was in no condition to have them anyway. They wouldnt see him again until near the end of high school, Cox said. But the relationship between father and sons were re-established. Cox grew up visiting her grandfather Keaton weekly.

She knew him as a man who loved to play cards, work on train sets, and raise chickens on his house in the country. He threw out the first pitch for my brothers little league seasons and every Sunday my family went to his house where my parents played bridge. My parents still remember his Lobster Newberg. And yes, he did smile. By SUSAN LYNN Register Editor Moving a familys entire belongings from coast to coast, tip to tip, without ever staying put is how Buster Keaton grew up.

Buster and his brother and sister and parents were a family performing vaudeville in the early 1900s. They packed their act on board trains and traveled the United States for all of Busters youth. His granddaughter, Melissa Talmadge Cox of California, gave an intimate side of Busters life from the perspective of his first wife, Natalie Talmadges, side of the family. She spoke Saturday as part of the Buster Keaton Celebration. From Keatons vaudeville days came success on the screen, first with Fatty Arbuckle in New York City.

Motion pictures and Keatons physical style of comedy were a perfect match, and he was launched for success with the help of producer Joe Schenck. Before long Keaton was far from the vaudevillian days of living out of a suitcase. Socially he had moved from the small network of vaudeville to the high society of Hollywood. He had a personal tailor, a penthouse, and very famous friends. Producer Schenck was married to Norma Talmadge, an aspiring actress whose success he felt responsible for.

Talmadge came with two sisters, Constance and Natalie. After many years of dating Buster and Natalie married, merging two close-knit acting families. For many years the two families, the Keatons and the Talmadges, did many things together. Contrary to all the negative remarks one hears about the influence of the Talmadges, for many years they were all friends and had tremendous fun together, granddaughter Cox said. The two families are shown together in many pictures, as well as the likes of Rudolph Valentino, Louella Parsons, Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes, Marion Davies, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin.

Unlike the industry today, there was a limited number of movie stars and they became known all over the world, Cox said. His association with the Talmadge family was an asset that opened doors and the negative impact of his eventual divorce was years away. SUCH ASSETS OF I lolly-wood fame included traveling in high style, Cox said. I have a Busters friend honored James Karen couldnt contain his emotions Saturday when he was presented the Buster," named for a dear friend who inspired him as a youngster to pursue a career in entertainment, during the Buster Keaton Celebration. Im very touched, the veteran stage and screen actor said.

Theres been some very distinguished people receive Karen was awarded the bronze statue of an actors trunk, with Keatons birthplace of Piqua, the silent film stars summer home of Muskegon, New York City and Hollywood denoted and a porkpie hat resting on the corner, by the Keaton Celebration Committee and The Damfinos, the International Keaton Appreciation Society, for his professional excellence in the tradition of Keaton. He joined the late Eleanor Keaton, silent film expert Kevin Brownlow, television legend Steve Allen, film restorationist David Shepard, film critic Leonard Maltin and filmmaker and author David Robinson as recipients of the award. I think you must put lola on this award because its the stopping point for anyone who cares about Buster, Karen, a longtime friend of the Keatons, said on his fourth visit to the lola tribute. In his acceptance speech, Karen noted the current events of international tension and the terrorism attacks that rocked the United States just weeks ago. Were very fortunate to have Buster, and think the world is lucky to have Buster at this particular time in our history, he said.

Hes very American in humor, and his growth in popularity today is similar to the growdh of this lola celebration. I think as long as there is a civilized world, there will always be a place in the world 'for Buster. The presentation was followed by a video montage, assembled by Iolan Keith Goering and Bill Shaffer of KTWU-TV in Topeka, both members of the Keaton Celebration Committee, of Karens movies. Clips included the cult classic Return of the Living Dead, the Academy Awardwinning All The Presidents Men" and the recent box office successes Any Given Sunday and Thirteen Days. Karen broke away from filming a new television series to attend this years Keaton Celebration.

First Monday, a CBS show about the U.S. Supreme Court that also stars James Garner, Charles Durning and Joe Montegna, is scheduled to air in January. FOLLOWING THE award presentation and movie retrospective, Karen was called on to introduce Film, a Samuel Beckett movie starring Keaton. Karen had a small role in the project, which he pitched to Keaton in 1964 as something distinguished for Buster late in his life. Few people have understood the 20-minute movie, which was screened for the Bowlus Fine Arts Center audience, but It turned out to be one of those artistic successes, Karen said.

Film introduced from thousands of miles away projects for a leading law firm representing employers wanting to train their workers to avoid legal problems, such as discrimination and harassment. Basically, its training set in an imaginary workplace in a television format, she said. People In the Workplace has been available on the Internet for customers who subscribe to the service for their employees. Clients include American Airlines, the state of Washington and Johnson Johnson, Francesca said. Its very entertaining, while at the same time its very professional and very informative, she said.

Its been very successful and not a lot of people are doing this, so Im kind of on the cutting edge. She now is developing, with a partner, a new company to bring E-learning, as the Web-based entertainmenttraining material is called, to schools. Her passion project, Francesca said, is a film she wrote and plans to direct about an ex-prisoner of war who returns to his home in Italy after World War II. Funding is being secured, and she hopes to begin production soon. ALTHOUGH SHE didnt know Buster Keaton, she, like the others in the Bowlus Center auditorium this past weekend, appreciates his talent as actor, writer and director.

Francesca did know Eleanor Keaton, Busters widow who died in 1998. Their friendship was casual through Karen, she said, until 1994, when the three visited lola for their first Buster Keaton Celebration. It was really lola that deepened our relationship, Francesca said. I really loved her and I really admired her. She was a very strong woman and she was very caring.

She had a great sense of humor, too. Francescas insight into the world of Hollywood, and the close relationship she has with her own husband, helped her appreciate the efforts Mrs. Keaton made to keep Busters name and work before the public. She really carried a torch beautifully for Buster, Francesca said. She always had time for anyone who wanted to talk to her about him and his career.

When she became ill, she was very brave. She never complained. She was just wonderful. REPORT THE NEWS BY CALLING 365-2111 By BRUCE SYMES Register Wire Editor Alba Francesca brings her quilting with her when she comes to lola because to me thats part of the Midwest. Ive always loved to quilt, and theres not a lot of quilting going on in Los Angeles, Francesca said Saturday during the Buster Keaton Celebration at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.

It was the third of Iolas nine tributes to the silent film legend, born 106 years ago in Piqua, that the Hollywood actress, writer, producer and director has attended with her husband, James Karen. What I love about coming back to lola is that its a small community with lovely people, and it gets us back to reality, she said. Francesca and Karen, a television and movie actor who was a longtime Keaton friend, are part of the glamorous entertainment world. But rural Kansas, laid back lifestyles and friendly faces suit both just fine. Both Jimmy and I are from small towns, she said.

Those who know us would probably be surprised to know that our idea of a perfect night is watching the news on television together, and Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, while were eating dinner. The couple arrived Friday for the celebration and enjoyed a day full of Keaton movies and speeches about the comic genius. A special treat was the presentation of the Buster, the annual award given at the event, to Karen. Sunday, however, brought an early wakeup call and trip back to L.A., where Karen is filming a new television series and Francesca is pursuing a number of TV and movie projects. FRANCESCA WAS born in Florence, Italy, where her American parents were artists.

Her father was a painter of nudes; her mother his model. During the first 10 years of her life, the family also lived in Paris and Mexico. We were all running around speaking Spanish, so my parents thought it was time to get back to the United States, Francesca said. They settled in East Hampton, New York, a small town in close proximity to the art and culture laden New York City. An acting career wras Francescas dream from an early age, and at 10 she began work at The John Drew Theatre.

Karen was touring with a theater company that visited the East Hampton venue that year and again when Francesca was in her mid-teens. She attended college in New York City, except for her junior year when she studied in France, England, Italy and Spain, in pursuit of an art history degree, even though I knew I was going to be an actress. Immediately upon graduation, she was cast in a play in New York that also included Karen. That was almost 30 years ago that we first re-met, as it were, she said. Ours is a very long and meaningful relationship, Francesca added, and in a world like ours, with time apart and all the other things that go with it, thats pretty special.

IN THE MID 1970S, Karen and Francesca moved to California without particular plans to stay. We both thought of ourselves as theater actors, but when we got there, we began working a great deal, she said. Francesca was busy as an actress, most often in television and particularly in nighttime soap operas, such as Dallas. She eventually tired of the lesser roles in relatively insignificant projects, she said. I didnt have a complaint about not working enough I was working quite extensively but about the quality of roles, she said.

A friend suggested that she begin writing screenplays of the quality shed like to see and be a part of as an actress. I then began producing in theater, and it was an easy transformation for me given my background on stage, Francesca said. Also, everyone in my family is very business-minded, and thats important as a producer. That work led to film, and her first production company, Freckle Face Productions, was born. The first project she produced was a travel show for children.

Jimmy and I were both in it, Francesca said. I would act cheaper for myself than anyone I knew, and I could always get Jimmy to work for free. ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO, she formed The Hamptons Film which has produced such movies as Mariette in Ecstasy, Cheyenne Warrior for Showtime, the family movie Stepmonster and a thriller, Ultraviolet. Two years ago, Francesca began producing and directing The Keaton Celebration Committee deftly handled a couple of curve balls this weekend. Two featured presenters, filmmaker Gerald Potterton of Quebec, Canada, and author Jeffrey Vance of California were unable to attend because of illnesses.

Both were scheduled to speak Saturday to those visiting the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, and thanks to the committee, co-chaired by Mary Martin and Dr. Frank Scheide, nobody likely felt slighted by days end. Jane Bartholomew, a committee member from Kansas City, suggested Potterton videotape his introduction to The Railrodder, a film he directed in 1964 and that starred Buster Keaton, at his home in Canada and send it to lola. Potterton did just that Thursday morning, gave the video to Federal Express before noon, Quebec time, and it was in lola in time for the Saturday morning time slot. The movie director clearly was disappointed that he couldnt attend.

His wife was ill, he explained. Im sure that this celebration for this wonderful guy, Buster Keaton, will go well, he said. He certainly is one of the nicest people Ive ever worked with. Potterton shared insights and anecdotes about filming of The Railrodder, a travelogue done in silent film style to showcase the beauty of Canada and the talent of Keaton. The National Film Board of Canada funded the project.

I hope you enjoy The Railrodder as much as we did making it, Potterton said. I know Buster and Eleanor (Keatons wife who accompanied him on the project) did. VANCE, WHO co-authored with the late Mrs. Keaton Buster Keaton Remembered, a textual and photographic retrospective of the comic genius career, fell ill last week and was unable to make the trip here. The Keaton Committee asked Dan Kamin, author, lecturer, physical comedian and movement coach who has been a frequent visitor to Iolas celebration, to fill in.

Kamin gave an extended version of his presentation from the LiteratureFilm Association conference on Wednesday, Funny Bones: The Comic Body Language of Chaplin and Keaton. IMPORTANT SUBSCRIBER NOTICE Going on vacation? Want your paper stopped? Please notify the Register office before 10 a.m. the day you wish to stop or restart your paper. Call 365-2111, ask for the circulation department..