Buster Keaton Quotes

Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot.

A comedian does funny things. A good comedian does things funny.

Silence is of the gods; only monkeys chatter.

Charlie Chaplin and I would have a friendly contest: Who could do the feature film with the least subtitles?

Like everyone else, I like to be with a happy crowd.

They say pantomime's a lost art. It's never been a lost art and never will be, because it's too natural to do.

No man can be a genius in slapshoes and a flat hat.

All my life I have been happiest when the folks watching me said to each other, 'Look at the poor dope, wilya?

If one more person tells me this is just like old times, I swear I'll jump out the window.

And if there is sweeter music this side of heaven I haven't heard it.

I don't act, anyway. The stuff is all injected as we go along. My pictures are made without script or written directions of any kind

I don't feel qualified to talk about my work.

What really got my goat at MGM were comedians like The Marx Brothers who never wrote their own jokes.

I was mad at the time, or I would never have done the thing.

Laughter is the stubborn reward of grim times.