The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra accompanies silent films in authentic period style. Most silent films did not have definitive scores—the music was left up to the musical directors of each theater, who pieced together scores from their music libraries. Mont Alto's repertoire includes several thousand orchestrations photocopied from the surviving collections of four silent film theater music directors. Although a movie palace orchestra could number as many as 100 musicians, small ensembles such as Mont Alto were much more common, and the music was carefully orchestrated to accommodate such smaller groups. Their work is incredible!

Members of The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra are: Kevin Johnson, Rodney Sauer, Susan Hall, Brian Collins and Mark Hyams

The 2003 celebration offered a host of wonderful speakers and topics!
See Schedule and Speakers (below) for details.

Five talented actors comprised the St. George Mohawk Indian Medicine Show Players teamed onstage with professional mime Dan Kamin and local Buster Keaton look-alike Keith Goering to provide vaudeville "snippets" of live theatre throughout the celebration. Mohawk players included Judy Dockrey Young, Richard Alan Young, Connie High, and Mike Prince. On Saturday evening the players presented "Then Came the Storm," PERHAPS the melodrama performed in Piqua by a traveling troop containing Joe and Myra Keaton, on the evening of October 4, 1895. Buster was born there later that evening, and the rest is History!

Iola citizens and out-of-towners alike donate their time to making the Keaton Celebration a success each year. Volunteers plan the program, acquire speakers, promote the event, help with sales, answer questions, and keep the program running smoothly. Many thanks to our volunteers.

Special thanks go to Kathy Metzenbauer of Wisconsin, sister of co-chair Frank Scheide of the Keaton planning committee. She created two unique throw pillows and a glorious quilt. Kathy has made three heirloom quilts, each raffled to raise funds for the next Keaton Celebration. Those who know Kathy missed her at this year's celebration and hope she can attend next year.

Good crowds attended both the daytime symposium and the evening movie performance. Approximately 480 people signed registration books during daytime programing and each evening show was estimated at topping 450. On Saturday evening the upper balcony had to be opened—a sure sign of a good crowd. People attended the festivities from 16 U.S. states, 31 cities in Kansas and three foreign countries. Saturday night, in Steamboat Bill, Jr., Buster battled a fierce Mississippi cyclone and The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra received another standing ovation at the end of the evening's performance!

The Buster Keaton fans keep coming back. Martha came from West Virginia. Rochelle came from New Jersey ("This year I got time off from work."). Steve came from New York City in 2001. In 2002 he brought his wife, Maggie, and friend Karl. In 2003 they are all back and have Maggie's parents in tow. Lisa came from California with a new model-slim body. Darren, an optometry student from Berkley, CA, (whose first love is filmmaking) came to see this public showing of his homage film to Buster, The Scapegoat. He brought along his brother, Derrick, and friend, Mark. Here their film received a standing ovation. Dan and Doug came from the Kansas City, MO metropolitan area. Marion came from Topeka, and Ron came from Muskegon, MI. Keith is a hometown Iola fan. Other fans came from many states and cities. They are not pictured here, but all love Buster!

2003 Schedule: Visit Iola Keaton Celebration web site See also The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra FRI., Sept. 26, 2003 Beginning 10:00 a.m. Registration (there are no fees) Frank Scheide, Ph.D.: "The Social Commentary of Buster Keaton" C. Patrick Tyndall, Ph.D.: "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen:Blacks in Minstrelsy" L. Terry Brusstar, Ph.D.: "From the Plantation to the Stage:The Cake Walk" Panel discussion and Q&A Lunch (on your own) Bill Shaffer: "The Magic Lantern Show" Fred Krebs: "The Democracy of Buster Keaton" Martha Jett: "Ladies of the Marquee:Retrospective of Woman Vaudeville Entertainers" Dan Kamin: "Jumping into Film:How Keaton Made the Esthetic Leap from Stage to Screen" Stretch Break Andrew Horton, Ph.D.: "Buster Scratches His Head:Why the Ending of Sherlock Jr. Is One of the Greatest Comic Endings Ever" Brief Q&A with scholars A Visit to Vaudeville (live on-stage sketch) SAT., Sept. 27, 2003 Beginning 8:30 a.m.  Registration (there are no fees) Welcome, Introductions & Remarks David Macleod: "Buster Keaton:The Unbearable Lightness of Being Funny!" A Visit to Vaudeville (live on-stage sketch) Ron Pesch: "How I Spent My Vaudeville Summer Vacation" Michael Hansen: "Silence and Comedy:Why Keaton Matters More Today Than Ever" Younger Generation Videos: Buster and Jackie Chan by Cesar Romero The Scapegoat by Darren Ng Good Luck by Tom Santiago Lunch (on your own) A Visit to Vaudeville (live on-stage sketch) Greg Black, Ph.D. : " Buster in the Age of McCarthyism" Stanford P. Singer, Ph.D.: "Buster Keaton and Television in the 1950s:The New Vaudeville" Stretch Break John Tibbetts, Ph.D.: "Buster Keaton:Citizen of the Gobal Village" A Visit to Vaudeville (live on-stage sketch) Robert Arkus, Getty Images: "Rare Keaton Video" Wrap-up panel with humanities scholars and Q&A Evening Movies FRIDAY, 7:30 p.m.: Shorts Backstage, w/ Arbuckle/Keaton piano by Rodney Sauer The Playhouse, starring Buster Keaton Feature: Sherlock, Jr., starring Buster Keaton music by Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra SATURDAY, 7:30 p.m.: Special Theatrical Presentation: St. George Mohawk Indian Medicine Show Players: Then Came the Storm Short: A Reckless Romeo, starring Roscoe Arbuckle piano by Rodney Sauer Feature: Steamboat Bill, Jr., starring Buster Keaton music by Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra Speakers C. Patrick Tyndall, PhD, theatre historian, University of Arkansas L. Terry Brusstar, PhD, dance historian, University of Arkansas Dan Kamin, physical comedian & movement artist, author of Charlie Chaplin's One Man Show Andrew Horton, PhD, Jeanne H. Smith professor of film & video and director of film and video studies, University of Oklahoma Ron Pesch, author of Buster Keaton and the Muskegon Connection Michael Hansen, Salisburg State University Stanford P. Singer, PhD, humanities speaker & film/theater scholar & author Gregory Black, PhD, University of Missouri-Kansas City and expert on the McCarthy Era Frank Scheide, PhD, film historian, department of communication, University of Arkansas John Tibbetts, PhD, Associate Professor of Film, University of Kansas and author of The Encyclopedia of Novels into Film and His Majesty, The American:The Films of Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. (with James Welsh) David Macleod, U.K., author of The Sound of Buster Keaton Bill Shaffer, producer/director, KTWU public television Martha Jett, documentary filmmaker and Keaton biographer Fred Krebs, humanities scholar and instructor, Johnson Co. Community College Special Guests: Jeanne Keaton Holler, first cousin of Buster Keaton Darren Ng, student filmmaker of Keaton homage, The Scapegoat Celebration Web Archives: 2002: "2002, 10th Annual Celebration" 2001: "2001, a Keaton Odyssey" 2000: "Keaton and Laurel & Hardy" 1999: "Keaton and Lloyd" 1998: "Keaton and Pickford" 1997: "Keaton and Chaplin" 1996: "Keaton and Arbuckle" Keaton was born near Iola, KS at Piqua in 1895 Visit Iola's official Keaton Celebration site. Visit the Buster Keaton Museum, Piqua, Kansas, site by John Kemp. Also, visit the site of the International Buster Keaton Society. Funded by the Kansas Humanities Council, with help from the Iola Tourism Fund and private donors. Sponsored by the Keaton Celebration Committee in cooperation with the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. Photos & graphics ©2003 by Carol Yoho Acme e-media Acme Archives Send comments about this site Check the Kansas Silent Film Festival web site. This is a free event held each February in Topeka, KS

I attended my eleventh Keaton Celebration in 2004, wearing eleven years of the celebration buttons I've made, plus some "extras." Iola is a wonderful community, with wide Kansas sunsets and friendly people. Join us in 2004. —Carol