The Scribe
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[edit] The Scribe (1966)
The Scribe is an industrial film produced by The Construction Safety Association of Ontario Canada. It is a simple film that demonstrates the do's and dont's of construction site saftey.
The film is notable for being the last professionally filmmed footage of film legend Buster Keaton. Shot mere months before his death from Lung Cancer on Feb 1st 1966, Keaton, in the film, was still amazingly spry. He recreates several routines from his youth, as well as some new material for the film. Most notable was his recreation of a gag from his 1918 film "The Bell Boy" in which he mops the floor using only the tip of the mop, little by little while sitting on the floor.
Keaton's phyisical stamina in the film is of particular note. By this time his cancer had progressed and Keaton was very weak. He reportedly was taken to the set in a wheelchair, using an oxegen tank to breath. Yet there he is, on the screen, doing exactly what he always could do.