Extra Iddings: A cow steals the show. What's with the swastikas? (column)

By

• Bill Iddings | The Muskegon Chronicle

The program for this year's Buster Keaton movies at Muskegon's historic Frauenthal Theater.

MUSKEGON — Buster Keaton was not a Nazi.

That noted, the Damfinos again have come and gone.

In their wake they’ve left smiles, fascination that a cow could steal a movie from an immortal silent-movie comic, and puzzlement at why a Native American blanket should be adorned with a symbol that most people recognize as signaling the presence of Nazis.

This past Saturday night at the downtown Frauenthal Theater, the first flick on a double bill of Keaton’s silent-film comedies caused invisible question marks to rise above the heads of some of the hundreds in the audience.

One scene in the 20-minute short “The Paleface” found Keaton chasing butterflies and running from Indians on the warpath.

(From the stage of the 1,748-seat Frauenthal, Damfinos honcho David Macleod warned the audience that the movie was not politically correct. He was right.)

Desperate for a disguise that might save his scalp, Keaton wrapped himself in an ornate blanket the design of which bore two white swastikas.

Heil Buster?!

C’mon.

EXTRA IDDINGS

The swastika is a symbol that dates back 6,000 years, long before the Nazis co-opted it. It has been used by Hindus, Buddhists and some Native American tribes. The Nazis adopted the swastika in 1920, coincidentally the same year “The Paleface” was released. Only a bonehead would read anything sinister into that coincidence.

More fun to consider Saturday was Brown Eyes, Keaton’s four-footed costar in “Go West.”

The bond the bovine beauty shared with The Great Stone Face, playing a wandering Hoosier named Friendless, was a thing to behold.

To the musical accompaniment of Chicago theater organist Dennis Scott, Brown Eyes and Friendless ate and adventured together, en route to a happy ending where Friendless saved Brown Eyes from the Los Angeles stockyards.

All this and more came down as the Damfinos: International Buster Keaton Society, for the 17th year, invaded Muskegon for its annual fall convention.

Keatonites gravitate to our little piece of paradise for a reason.

Buster Keaton and Brown Eyes in "Go West."

Back near the beginning of the 1900’s, Keaton’s vaudevillian father, Joe, helped establish a summer enclave of professional entertainers, in the Bluffton neighborhood.

Named the Actors Colony, that nook of the ‘hood was populated with numerous zanies -- show biz folks are not exactly known for their restraint -- none better known that the Keatons.

Even after Buster Keaton left his family’s act to pursue a solo career, his love affair with Muskegon never flagged.

He was young here. He had fun here, and how. He played baseball here, on the rough diamond adjacent Bluffton Elementary School, a ball field where the outfield fences are trees anchored in a sand dune.

The Damfinos took advantage of that. Friday afternoon, a baseball game — pitched underhand, with bases run backwards — pitted the Keaton All-Stars against the Habitat Homers, a squad from Muskegon County Habitat for Humanity.

In warm, sunny weather that has West Michigan holding onto summer past its deadline, the Habitat Homers won, 3-1. They now have bragging rights until next year at this time.

The Damfinos always come to Muskegon ‘round Keaton’s birthday, Oct. 4. To paraphrase a former governor of California is his most ominous film role, they’ll be back.

As will Buster Keaton, prat-falling all the way home.