If you love Keaton you will love this documentary. It is just a must have for any Keaton Fan.

I can only second what the others have said-the whole thing is wonderful. Too bad it looks like we'll have no DVD release of this-I wouldn't part with my LD's of this for anything.

In the same style seen in "Unknown Chaplin", this video set shows the complete life of Buster Keaton using rarely seen footage. A facsinating work!! I would like to see a DVD version made.

About 7 years ago, I saw an one-hour biography TV program on Buster Keaton in my home country, Japan. The approach to the entire life story on Buster that the program organized could be best summarized in some descriptions: "The Great Stone Face formed by his father's abusive training in his childhood", "Acrobatic performance that is one-inch-close to death" or "Happy ending of his life after lifelong loneliness" and so on and on. Until I had a chance to see this "Buster Keaton - A Hard Act to Follow" I used to have no doubt what a sad clown Buster was -- even sadder than Charlie Chaplin.

This 3-hour documentary, however, completely smashed down my biased understanding on Buster and was truely eye-opening in this sense. One of what few know here in Japan is that Buster made several appearances on TV and even hosted his own program -- while Charlie never allowed himself to go into TV business, with his good intentions, of course. In Japan, such words as "classic comedy", "silent movie" or "slapsticks" are practically (and almost automatically) synonymous with Charlie, and as a result, only Charlie gets the majority of attention and the "runner-up" could be Buster, only if you know him, that is. Also, what I never understand is that quite a few Japanese "intelligentsias" publicly rush into a rash comparison "Buster is dry and cool, while Chalie is so easy to resort to pathos". Why don't they just give a closer look at both respectively (and respectfully!) and accept that they are BOTH great?! Isn't that enough? "Buster Keaton - A Hard Act to Follow" -- this is the perfect solution to people with such ideas!

I have watched this video countless times and each time it's as fresh as the time before. The genius of Buster Keaton is told through countless interviews with former friends, actors, and directors. Keaton was a perfectionist up to the day he died. His work shows it.