Bit of luck helped bring along celebration’s success

By

News

September 29, 2012 - 12:00 AM

A discussion about the origins of Iola’s Buster Keaton Celebration proved one thing above all else: you can’t fit 10 years of memories into a paltry 50 minutes.
A founders’ panel discussion, featuring five original Keaton committee organizers, highlighted Friday afternoon’s workshops as part of the 20th annual Keaton celebration.
Their aim was to speak about the celebration’s genesis and add general comments about the first 10 years.
The discussion was so engrossing and wide-ranging, however, they managed only to cover the first three, from 1993 to 1995.
The audience didn’t mind a bit.
Panelists Clyde Toland, whose idea in 1991 led to the inaugural Keaton celebration two years later, was joined on stage by former Bowlus Fine Arts Center Executive Director Mary Martin; Fred Krebs, a humanities scholar at Johnson County Community College; John Tibbetts, an associate professor at the University of Kansas and an author, eductor, broadcaster, artist and pianist; Amy Specht, Piqua resident who helped spearhead fundraisers to erect a monument to Keaton in her hometown; and moderator Frank Scheide, a communications professor at the University of Arkansas.
Krebs, who joked that his greatest claim to fame may be that he was a former classmate at KU with Toland, said the earliest years were a product of synchronicity — committee members working in league to develop a quality event for the community to enjoy — and serendipity.
The serendipitous part played a role, Krebs and Toland explained, after Toland told his cousin, a federal judge living in Los Angeles, about how well the inaugural celebration had been.
His cousin was friends with actor Ken Mars, perhaps best known for his roles in Mel Brooks films “The Producers” and “Young Frankenstein.”
Mars, Krebs noted, was friends with fellow actor James Karen, who happened to be a good friend of Buster Keaton and his wife, Eleanor.
All three attended the second year, which led to Karen’s and Eleanor Keaton’s return appearance in 1995, coinciding with Buster Keaton’s 100th birthday.
The celebration became one in which organizers had no longer had to seek out film scholars and other special guests.
“They began calling us,” Toland said.
Tibbetts’ contributions included painting each of the publicity photos of Keaton for the annual celebrations.
“After all these years, I still haven’t gotten it right,” Tibbetts joked.
Martin also recalled the introduction of the Mont Alto Orchestra, the five-piece ensemble out of Boulder, Colo.
Their audition stemmed from them simply showing up at Martin’s office with instruments and cases in hand.
“I wasn’t sure what to think,” Martin said.
They offered to perform for a Keaton film that night. Martin agreed, and they delighted the audience.
“The reaction from the audience was electric,” Tibbetts said.
The orchestra has since become a regular attraction.
Martin praised the work of the countless volunteers who help ensure each year’s celebration goes off without a hitch.
“There’s no way we could have done this without their help,” Martin said.
A similar founders panel will be a part of this afternoon’s Keaton events at the Bowlus.
The festivities resume today with presentations by Keaton historian David Macleod at 9:40 a.m., Karen at 10:40, a group discussion of Keaton family members at 2 p.m. and historians and film preservationists Kevin Brownlow and David Shepard at 3 o’clock.
Keaton’s classic silent film “The General” highlights tonight’s screenings at 7 o’clock in the Bowlus auditorium.

THE CELEBRATION again is funded from generous donations by the Kansas Humanities Council, Sleeper and Clopton family trusts, the Iola Convention and Tourism Committee and with help from private donations.
That financial assistance means all activities today and tonight are offered free of charge.

Related
September 21, 2021
September 27, 2017
September 19, 2013
September 26, 2012