This year's Celebration was preceded on Wed., Sept. 26 and Th urs., Sept. 27
by an academic conference on Film Comedy.
Iola, Kansas is approximately 100 miles south of Kansas City, 110 miles from Wichita, and 120 miles from Tulsa.

2001 Keaton Celebration:

Presenters/Coordinators--

Right:: Dan Kamin, performance artist, filled in for a scheduled presenter. Above: the illusive Frank Scheide (left) and Bill Shaffer (right) Excellent presentations were a part of this year's celebration. At left, a few of the presenters and members of the Keaton Celebration Committee, organizers and producers this year's activities. Clockwise around Dan (center) from lower left are: Sarah, Becky and Bill Shaffer, Martha Jett, and Frank Scheide; Dan Lybarger and presenter Joanna Rapf; Keaton's granddaughter, Melissa Talmadge Cox with pork-pie hat given her by Buster, Patty Eliot Tobias, cofounder of The Damfinos and her husband, Joe Adamson; presenterJohn Bengtson; Tom Leitch and Dan Kamin, both of whom presented at the pre-celebration.

Buster Award 2001--

		James Karen, longtime friend of Buster and Eleanor, received the 2001 "Buster." A TV and movie actor, Jim attended with his wife, Alba. Read text of award.
		James put on a porkpie hat and "became" Buster. The spooky resemblance was, no doubt, due to his acting skills and firsthand observations of Buster!

Accompaniment by Mont Alto--

		A marvelous addition of the festivities for the past several years has been orchestral accompaniment to shows of silent films by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, a quintet of some of the finest musicians in the Midwest. They come to Iola from Louisville, CO.
Members, from top left are: Brooke Palmer (brass), Brian Collins (clarinet), Rodney Sauer (piano), Susan Hall (violin) and Kevin Johnson (cello).

Facilities--
The Bowlus Fine Arts Center is a perfect facility to host the Keaton Celebration.

Bill Nix oversees presentation of media projection (tape, video disk and 16mm film) as needed. Mary Martin, co-chair of the Keaton Committee, also directs operations at the Bowlus. Beautiful yearly posters are by John Tibbetts, University of Kansas. Lobby cards are by Bill Shaffer, public TV producer/director at KTWU, Channel 11. A display of historic postcards were provided by Buster's family in Indiana. Buster's cousins, Ted Keaton and Jean Keaton Holler regularly attend the celebration. For the second year, a Buster Keaton quilt was raffled by Jane Bartholomew to raise money for next year's celebration. The prize quilt was designed and stitched by Kathy Metzenbauer of Wisconsin Dells, WI. David Macloed, founder of the British Keaton fan club, Blinking Buzzards, came again this year from London to Iola..

This program was free. No advance registration was required.