Silent films revived In 1954, Buster and Eleanor met movie-theater manager Raymond Rohauer, with whom they developed a business partnership to re-release his films. Actor James Mason had bought the Keatons' house and found numerous cans of films, among which was Keaton's long-lost classic The Boat. Keaton had prints of the features Three Ages, Sherlock Jr., Steamboat Bill, Jr., and College (missing one reel), and the shorts "The Boat" and "My Wife's Relations". Rohauer instructed Keaton to approach Mason for the films, but Mason decided to donate them to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Rohauer then formed a new legal entity, Buster Keaton Productions, which gave Rohauer legal access to the old films at the Academy.
Silent films revived In 1954, Buster and Eleanor met movie-theater manager Raymond Rohauer, with whom they developed a business partnership to re-release his films. Actor James Mason had bought the Keatons' house and found numerous cans of films, among which was Keaton's long-lost classic The Boat. Keaton had prints of the features Three Ages, Sherlock Jr., Steamboat Bill, Jr., and College (missing one reel), and the shorts "The Boat" and "My Wife's Relations". Rohauer instructed Keaton to approach Mason for the films, but Mason decided to donate them to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Rohauer then formed a new legal entity, Buster Keaton Productions, which gave Rohauer legal access to the old films at the Academy.