ABSTRACT
When, in February 1927, the epic Civil War comedy The General had its American premiere, the press declared it to be Buster Keaton’s ‘first independent production’. After seven years, during which his films had been released by First National and Metro/MGM, this was the first production his company, Buster Keaton Productions, made for United Artists. It was part of a six-picture deal which, due to poor box office results, did, however, lead to only two further UA releases: College (1927) and Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928). Afterwards, Joseph Schenck, who ran both United Artists and Buster Keaton Productions, closed down Keaton’s studio and arranged a lucrative employment contract for the comedian, who was his brother-in-law, with MGM, the parent company of which (Loew’s Inc.) was run by Schenck’s brother Nicholas.
With detailed reference to a range of companies and individuals, to financial data and personal relationships, this chapter explores the various meanings of ‘independence’ in American cinema of the 1910s and 1920s. The focus is on the activities of Joseph Schenck, a leading entertainment entrepreneur who, after becoming a partner in, and the chairman of the board of, United Artists in 1924 aimed to transform this small distributor into a vertically integrated company. While he failed to do so (mainly due to Charles Chaplin’s resistance), he did make UA a major player in Hollywood, based on the company’s ability to release a high proportion of big hit movies. It was Keaton’s inability to deliver such hits which sealed the fate of his studio.
