Buster Keaton MERTON OF THE MOVIES Reel

[Paul E. Gierucki]

CineMuseum LLC, in conjunction with The International Buster Keaton Society, has secured one of the original film prints used during the 1957 stage production MERTON OF THE MOVIES starring Buster Keaton! This short 16mm silent film features Keaton in a sequence created specifically to be shown during the play, which premiered at the Huntington Hartford Theatre in Hollywood. This is considered to be the final film over which Keaton had total creative control.

The stage manager for MERTON, Dale Duffy, has collaborated with the small consortium to make arrangements for the future of this wonderful artifact. CineMuseum is currently in the process of digitally restoring the film, which is exhibiting the early stages of Vinegar Syndrome, and the complete short will be made available to everyone as part of the upcoming BLUE COLLAR BUSTER collection. The original 16mm film print has been donated by CineMuseum (courtesy of producers Brittany Valente and Lisa Tatge) to The International Buster Keaton Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which shall assume control of the material and place the reel with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for long term preservation.

Thanks to Dale Duffy -- who had the foresight to protect this reel for nearly sixty years, her representatives, producer Brittany Valente, producer Lisa Tatge (who went to extraordinary lengths to help acquire and ensure the safety of the materials) the International Buster Keaton Society, Dean Vanderkolk, David B. Pearson, Beth Pederson, Antonia Guerrero, and the many others who worked behind the scenes to help make this acquisition, restoration, and preservation project possible.

[DaveGlass]

Very exciting news Paul.
Can't wait to see it!