Movie: So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM

Top 5 Billed Cast

James Karen
James Karen

Self - Host / Narrator

Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton

Self (archive footage)

Louis B. Mayer
Louis B. Mayer

Self (archive footage)

Irving Thalberg
Irving Thalberg

Self (archive footage)

Roscoe Arbuckle
Roscoe Arbuckle

Self (archive footage)

  • HomePage

  • Overview

    A Turner Classic Movies (TCM) documentary about Keaton's discontented relationship with MGM and the events that eventually led to his career downfall.

  • Release Date

    2004-12-07

  • Average

    7.6

  • Rating:

    3.8 starts
  • Tagline

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    English
  • Keywords

Recommendations Movies

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
69%

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound(en)

2019-10-25

The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.

Visions of Light
71%

Visions of Light(en)

1992-09-17

Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.

The Director and the Jedi
72%

The Director and the Jedi(en)

2018-03-12

An intimate documentary delving into Rian Johnson's process as he comes in as a director new to the Star Wars universe.

Jodorowsky's Dune
78%

Jodorowsky's Dune(en)

2013-08-30

In 1974, Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on the quixotic project of adapting Frank Herbert's influential novel Dune (1969) for the big screen. After investing two years, and millions of dollars, the gigantic project ended in failure; but the artists Jodorowsky brought together to carry it out continued to work together, and ended up laying the foundations for modern science fiction cinema.

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
71%

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood(en)

2003-03-09

The chronicle of the mind-blowing journey that was Hollywood during the seventies; the true and gripping story of the last golden age of American cinema, an exalted celebration of creativity and experimentation; but also of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll: a turbulent and dark tale of ambition, envy, betrayal, hatred and self-destruction.

Attack of the Hollywood Clichés!
60%

Attack of the Hollywood Clichés!(en)

2021-09-27

One-man armies, meet-cutes, casual strolls away from huge explosions — stars and industry insiders toast and roast these cinematic chestnuts and more.

Side by Side
72%

Side by Side(en)

2012-08-19

Since the invention of cinema, the standard format for recording moving images has been film. Over the past two decades, a new form of digital filmmaking has emerged, creating a groundbreaking evolution in the medium. Keanu Reeves explores the development of cinema and the impact of digital filmmaking via in-depth interviews with Hollywood masters, such as James Cameron, David Fincher, David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Soderbergh, and many more.

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing
70%

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing(en)

2004-10-12

Documentary about the art of film editing. Clips are shown from many groundbreaking films with innovative editing styles.

That's Entertainment!
74%

That's Entertainment!(en)

1974-06-21

Various MGM stars from yesterday present their favorite musical moments from the studio's 50 year history.

Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home
68%

Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home(en)

2022-05-03

JB Smoove and Martin Starr host a celebration of 20 years of "Spider-Man" movies, from the Sam Raimi trilogy to Marc Webb's movies and the trio from Jon Watts.

Hitchcock/Truffaut
72%

Hitchcock/Truffaut(en)

2015-09-05

Filmmakers discuss the legacy of Alfred Hitchcock and the book “Hitchcock/Truffaut” (“Le cinéma selon Hitchcock”), written by François Truffaut and published in 1966.

Cameraperson
67%

Cameraperson(en)

2016-09-09

As a visually radical memoir, CAMERAPERSON draws on the remarkable footage that filmmaker Kirsten Johnson has shot and reframes it in ways that illuminate moments and situations that have personally affected her. What emerges is an elegant meditation on the relationship between truth and the camera frame, as Johnson transforms scenes that have been presented on Festival screens as one kind of truth into another kind of story—one about personal journey, craft, and direct human connection.

Love, Antosha
74%

Love, Antosha(en)

2019-08-02

From a prolific career in film and television, Anton Yelchin left an indelible legacy as an actor. Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, this film looks not just at Anton's impressive career, but at a broader portrait of the man.

Seduced and Abandoned
62%

Seduced and Abandoned(en)

2013-05-20

SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.

De Palma
70%

De Palma(en)

2016-06-10

An intimate conversation between filmmakers, chronicling De Palma’s 55-year career, his life, and his filmmaking process, with revealing anecdotes and, of course, a wealth of film clips.

Back in Time
65%

Back in Time(en)

2015-10-20

Cast, crew and fans explore the 'Back to the Future' time-travel trilogy's resonance throughout our culture—30 years after Marty McFly went back in time.

The Celluloid Closet
72%

The Celluloid Closet(en)

1996-03-15

Exuberant, eye-opening movie that serves up a dazzling hundred-year history of the role of gay men and lesbians have had on the silver screen. Film contains fabulous footage from 120 films showing the changing face of cinema sexuality, from cruel stereotypes to covert love to the activist triumphs of the 1990s.

Room 237
61%

Room 237(en)

2012-10-26

A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments.

The Skywalker Legacy
78%

The Skywalker Legacy(en)

2020-03-18

The story lives forever in this feature-length documentary that charts the making of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction
69%

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction(en)

2013-09-11

An impressionistic portrait of the iconic actor Harry Dean Stanton comprised of intimate moments, film clips from some of his 250 films and his renditions of American folk songs.

Similar Movies

They Bite!: The Making of Critters
0%

They Bite!: The Making of Critters(en)

2018-11-27

Documentary about the original 1986 film Critters. Features interviews with actors Dee Wallace, Don Opper, Terrence Mann, and Lin Shaye; producer Barry Opper; writer Brian Muir; critter designers and voice actors; and many more.

Das Boot Revisited: An Underwater Success Story
72%

Das Boot Revisited: An Underwater Success Story(de)

2021-01-10

In 1981, a film about the misadventures of a German U-boat crew in 1941 becomes a worldwide hit almost four decades after the end of the World War II. Millions of viewers worldwide make Das Boot the most internationally successful German film of all time. But due to disputes over the script, accidents on the set, and voices accusing the makers of glorifying the war, the project was many times on the verge of being cancelled.

Auteur on the Campus: Jack Arnold at Universal!
70%

Auteur on the Campus: Jack Arnold at Universal!(en)

2012-12-04

A documentary about the career of director Jack Arnold at Universal-International Studios. (An early version of this film, only 20 minutes in length, was screened in 2012.)

U-96, The True Story of 'Das Boot'
63%

U-96, The True Story of 'Das Boot'(fr)

2023-08-24

The international success of the film Das Boot by Wolfgang Petersen made U-96 one of the most famous submarines in cinematic history. But the true story of one of Hitler's most fearsome U-boats and its crew goes far beyond fiction. For the first time, this documentary sheds light on the reality behind the fiction through exclusive interviews with the makers and actors of Das Boot, as well as the last survivors of the time. In doing so, this documentary explores how Hitler's propaganda images may have influenced the visual and narrative force of Das Boot.

A Cock and Bull Story
62%

A Cock and Bull Story(en)

2005-07-17

Steve Coogan, an arrogant actor with low self-esteem and a complicated love life, is playing the eponymous role in an adaptation of "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman" being filmed at a stately home. He constantly spars with actor Rob Brydon, who is playing Uncle Toby and believes his role to be of equal importance to Coogan's.

Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet at Work on a Film Based on Franz Kafka’s Amerika
64%

Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet at Work on a Film Based on Franz Kafka’s Amerika(de)

1983-11-13

This film is at once a self-portrait and an homage to Jean-Marie Straub, Farocki's role model and former teacher at the Film Academy.

La La La
72%

La La La(fr)

2018-11-25

When the silent cinema learned to speak, the audience was surprised not only by the voices of the actors and the sound effects, but also by a new element, the music, which, combined with the dance and an unprejudiced imagination, gave rise to a new genre, as important to Hollywood cinema as the western was: the musical. A journey through the history of this genre, from its beginnings to the present day.

Un film (autoportrait)
80%

Un film (autoportrait)(fr)

1984-05-23

The shooting diary of a film shot in France and in the United States. Using photos of Paris and of New York City, excerpts of his former films, statements by friends of his and shooting sequences of the film itself, tormented filmmaker Marcel Hanoun has made a heterogeneous and unclassifiable film about the difficulty of filming.

Remembering Ragtime
0%

Remembering Ragtime(en)

2004-11-16

Memories from the making of the classic Milos Forman film "Ragtime".

Boundless
77%

Boundless(cn)

2013-11-02

As Hong Kong's foremost filmmaker, Johnnie To himself becomes the protagonist of this painstaking documentary exploring him and his Boundless world of film. A film student from Beijing and avid Johnnie To fan, Ferris Lin boldly approached To with a proposal to document the master director for his graduation thesis. To agreed immediately and Lin's camera closely followed him for over two years, capturing the man behind the movies and the myths. The result is Boundless, a candid profile of one of Hong Kong's greatest directors and a heartfelt love letter to Hong Kong cinema.

Another Romance of Celluloid
50%

Another Romance of Celluloid(en)

1938-02-05

This second entry in MGM's "Romance of Film" series documents how celluloid movie film is processed and features behind-the-scenes glimpses of current MGM productions.

Billy Wilder: Nobody's Perfect
76%

Billy Wilder: Nobody's Perfect(en)

2016-12-29

Biography on the famous writer-director, Billy Wilder.

Hellborn
75%

Hellborn(en)

1993-01-01

Conrad Brooks discusses "Hellborn," his unfinished movie with Ed Wood, and other projects

Andrey Zvyagintsev. The Director
70%

Andrey Zvyagintsev. The Director(ru)

2017-12-08

Portrait of director Andrey Zvyagintsev against the background of the filming of his film "Loveless".

Tax Shelter Terrors
50%

Tax Shelter Terrors(en)

2017-12-31

The first feature-length documentary that fully explores how the toxic social and political Canadian context after 1968 created some of the most nihilistic and imaginative Canadian cult films of the 1970s and 80s and beyond.

Alex to the Max: The Making of Max Keeble's Big Move
100%

Alex to the Max: The Making of Max Keeble's Big Move(en)

This documentary treats movie fans to a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Max Keeble's Big Move, about a young boy who uses his imminent move to another town as his big chance for revenge on everyone who's tormented him, only to have his plan backfire. Included are interviews with the cast and crew who talk about the experience of making the film, as well as all of the effort that went into it.

Happy Birthday Mr Bean
78%

Happy Birthday Mr Bean(en)

2021-01-10

A celebratory documentary looking back at the 30 years since comedy legend Mr Bean landed on our screens. This documentary explores the magic behind this unlikely hero.

The Unknown Peter Sellers
82%

The Unknown Peter Sellers(en)

2000-04-25

Documentary about the life and career of a comic genius, Peter Sellers.

Room 999
56%

Room 999(fr)

2023-10-05

In 1982, Wim Wenders asked 16 of his fellow directors to speak on the future of cinema, resulting in the film Room 666. Now, 40 years later, in Cannes, director Lubna Playoust asks Wim Wenders himself and a new generation of filmmakers (James Gray, Rebecca Zlotowski, Claire Denis, Olivier Assayas, Nadav Lapid, Asghar Farhadi, Alice Rohrwacher and more) the same question: “is cinema a language about to get lost, an art about to die?”

Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy
58%

Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy(en)

2023-06-23

This is not a documentary about the making of Midnight Cowboy. It is about a humane and groundbreaking masterpiece and the flawed but gifted people who made it. It is about a troubled era of cultural ferment, social and political change, about broken dreams and strivers, then and now. It is about an era that made a movie and a movie that made an era.