Buster Keaton creates effortless comedy with a hat

Such incredible stunts were done by Buster Keaton and it is before any special effects....

Buster Keaton was doing some crazy stunts back in the 1920's.

These gags are timeless. Buster Keaton’s gags have been adapted and referenced extensively in modern cinema and television.

Modern Times (1936), directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, is one of the most iconic films from the silent film era. In this satirical comedy, Chaplin struggles to survive in the industrialized, mechanized world of the 20th century.

Chaplin's influence on cinema

In the history of physical comedy, there is a special place for the use of hats.  Hats are a very convenient costume prop to work with, as they are so available and easily located. During the heyday of silent films, it was common for people, both men and women, to put a much higher value on headwear than we do today.   Hats were an expensive part of the outfit, and having a fashionable hat meant you were a respectable member of society. Because of that value and symbolism, the hat became a target for comedians.  When an character’s hat was lost or damaged, the audience knew he would take it seriously. Wearing the hat wrong, or wearing the wrong hat, can simply make the actor look funny.  To demonstrate their skill, comedians could also perform simple tricks by manipulating their hats in entertaining ways.

Silent film actor Buster Keaton converted fedoras into straw boater-like felt pork pies by stiffening their brims with a dried sugar-water solution. This kind of pork pie had a very flat top and similar short flat brim. The “Great Stone Face” of the silent screen, known for his deadpan expression and his imaginative and often elaborate visual comedy.

Buster Keaton gets rejected by a hatcheck girl without a word being spoken in Seven Chances- 1925

Keaton’s signature look included what was known as a “pork-pie hat.”  He would sometimes throw in a short gag using it as a prop. In comic strips, when a character is surprised, he can have a big reaction that includes his hat popping off his head.  This is known as a “hat take.”   Here, Keaton uses a gimmick to simulate that.  Since he limited his facial expression so much, it did provide a bigger effect. Keaton didn’t always wear a pork pie hat.  If the time period of the story called for it, he could go with a different fashion.  In "Our Hospitality", set before the US Civil War, he wore a very large top hat.

Timeless Buster Keaton gags