Clyde Bruckman
Clyde Bruckman was a prominent screenwriter known for his imaginative contributions during the silent film era, particularly in collaboration with the iconic comedian Buster Keaton. Born in 1894 in San Bernardino, California, Bruckman initially worked as a newspaper reporter before moving to Hollywood around 1920 to write for the burgeoning film industry. His partnership with Keaton spanned from 1921 to 1927, during which he crafted numerous successful short and full-length films, many of which featured a signature comedic structure that involved a character overcoming obstacles to win the affection of a woman.
Bruckman's notable works include the film "Seven Chances," which successfully adapted a challenging script into a memorable silent film, and "The General," a Civil War-themed comedy that, although not initially embraced, later gained recognition as a classic. As the film industry transitioned to talkies in the late 1920s and 1930s, Bruckman's style, which relied heavily on pantomime, fell out of favor, leading to a decline in his opportunities. Despite attempts to adapt to the changing landscape, including work on television shows, Bruckman struggled financially, ultimately facing personal hardships. Tragically, he took his own life in 1955, leaving behind a legacy as a talented writer whose work significantly shaped early American cinema.
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Clyde Bruckman
Writer
- Born: September 20, 1894
- Birthplace: San Bernardino, California
- Died: January 4, 1955
- Place of death: Santa Monica, California
Biography
Clyde Bruckman was among the most imaginative screenwriters during the heydey of silent films. He had a long association with the legendary silent film star Buster Keaton and also worked with such film personalities as Mack Sennett, Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, the Three Stooges, Hal Roach, Harry Langdon, and Harold Lloyd.
Bruckman was born in San Bernardino, California, in 1894. Upon completing his secondary school education, he worked as a newspaper reporter. Around 1920, he joined the flood of writers flocking to Hollywood to produce scripts for the rapidly developing film industry.
Bruckman’s friend, Harry Brand, who became the director of publicity for the fledgling Twentieth Century Fox Studios around this time, had served as Keaton’s publicist before taking this new position. In 1921, Brand arranged for Bruckman to write scenarios for Keaton. Bruckman worked almost exclusively for Keaton from 1921 until 1927, first producing short scripts for the comedian but later graduating to full-length screenplays. Although these screenplays were credited to Keaton and Eddie Cline as writers and directors, most of them were Bruckman’s work, which Keaton acknowledged.
Bruckman developed a workable pattern for Keaton’s silent films, many of them comedies based on the Keaton’s pursuit of desirable woman. Bruckman’s technique, referred to as “falling, sleeping, waking, and winning,” set up a daunting situation that discouraged Keaton’s character, who then either slept or napped. Upon awakening refreshed, he would reassess the situation and gain control of it, always winning the girl in the end. In 1925, Joseph Scenic, Keaton’s producer, bought the seemingly hopeless script of a 1916 play and forced Keaton, with major assistance from Bruckman, to adapt it for the screen. The result, Seven Chances, turned out to be one of Keaton’s most successful films whose outstanding pantomime is interlaced with solid social criticism.
Bruckman continued to write during the late 1920’s and through the 1930’s, but silent films were being devalued by the growing popularity of talkies. He produced some films with dialogue, but his métier was silent films with their stories unfolding through skillful, subtle pantomime. His collaboration with Keaton, The General, based on Civil War history as viewed from a Confederate perspective, mocked war. Although the film initially was not a popular success, the British Film Institute, in a poll conducted in 1972, included it as the only American silent film to make the top ten.
In time, those associated with silent films, including both Keaton and Bruckman, were viewed as anachronisms and found it virtually impossible to find work. Bruckman worked in television for The Buster Keaton Show and for comedians Abbott and Costello, but this sporadic work did not generate enough money to sustain him. Finally, he began to sell off his possessions in order to pay his rent. Then, late in 1954, he borrowed a gun from Keaton, saying that he wanted to go hunting. On January 4, 1955, he entered the men’s room of a Santa Monica restaurant and killed himself.