David Shepard made it to a pair of Buster Keaton celebrations, the first in 1995; the other about five years ago.
But Shepard’s impact on Iola’s annual celebration of the silent film star cannot be overstated, film scholar Hooman Mehran said Friday.
“It’s safe to say we would not be here if David had not restored those films,” Mehran said as the 2017 (and final) Keaton celebration began.
Mehran moderated a panel discussion with fellow film scholars Bill Shaffer, Scott Eyman and John Tibbetts.
All four were friends of Shepard, who died from cancer earlier this year at age 76.
IN HIS heyday, Shepard restored hundreds of old movies, including several by Keaton and other silent film icons, such as Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks.
“He was absolutely passionate about film restoration,” noted Tibbetts, a film and media professor at the University of Kansas.
Shepard’s magic, Eyman added, was his meticulous handling of old nitrate film — often one frame at a time.
And, as different processes were developed, Shepard was known to restore the same film, if he thought it could be improved, Eyman said.
But Shepard was more than your typically obsessed silent movie fan.
“People who are obsessed with old movies, often aren’t obsessed with anything else,” Eyman said. “They have a certain blinder vision. David was a 180 from that. He was articulate and informed about anything. He was not a one-trick pony.”
Mehran spoke about how Shepard once was allowed to meet with Chaplin, with one condition. He was not to talk about film.
Many would have found such a task impossible, Mehran said. But not so for Shepard, who was just as comfortable talking about politics or life in general.
“It was a testament to how he enjoyed being around people who loved what he loved,” Tibbetts agreed. “He did not suffer fools. He was a bit of an isolated figure at times. But there was a warmth of people who shared his love of films.”
SHAFFER, meanwhile, noted Shepard’s impact on the world of movies extended beyond silent films.
“He really had a great interest in sound films,” Shaffer said. “He restored just as many of those.”
Tibbetts recalled hosting Shepard at a KU class, and the discussion turned to old aluminum nitrate film, which was used by most movie producers in the early 20th Century, but was highly flammable and dangerous to work with.
“And David always seemed to have a strip of it with him,” Tibbetts joked.
Shepard would show just how flammable the nitrate was, igniting a small strip in a metal trash can, and sending up a large column of flames.
The display was a highly popular one around campus — until college administrators found out.
“I almost got arrested,” Tibbetts said, to roars of laughter from the audience.
A FULL schedule is on tap for today at the Bowlus.
Melissa Talmadge Cox, Keaton’s granddaughter, will speak about “Memories of Grandpa” at 10:45 a.m.
That will be followed by Cox hosting a panel discussion with Barbara Talmadge, Keaton’s daughter-in-law, Harry Keaton, his nephew, and moderator Hooman Mehran, a long-time Keaton Committee member.
Information from film historian Paul Gierucki will be shown at 1:35 p.m. with highlights from “Blue Collar Buster.” A panel discussion about Keaton and the celebration is at 2:40 p.m.
Several films also will be shown.
Their times:
9:20 a.m. — “College”
2:15 p.m. — “The Blacksmith”
3:20 — “The Railrodder”
3:50 — “To Be Funny: 100 Years of Buster Keaton”
7:40 — “Spite Marriage”
9:15 — “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (Keaton’s final film.)
An after-party will follow Saturday’s activities at Miller’s On Madison.
THE KEATON celebration is sponsored by the Clopton Family Trust, the City of Iola Convention and Tourism funding and with help from private donations.
