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clce t1_j6jtgwk wrote

Reply to comment by Axolotlist in Buster Keaton, Roscoe Arbuckle, and Al St. John, 1918. Once his deadpan persona became established, Keaton avoided smiling in front of a camera. by L0st_in_the_Stars

That makes sense. Of course, also just good weather, cheap land, and as I've heard, not too far from the Mexican border just in case they had to avoid lawsuit process service. That last might be a bit fanciful, but I kind of like it

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turdferguson3891 t1_j6kwu0c wrote

As far as I've heard the proximity to Mexico thing is mostly a myth. In a 1910s car on 1910s roads I think it would have taken half a day to get to the border, if that were the motivation you'd just put the studio in San Diego.

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clce t1_j6kxphs wrote

Yeah, that's probably true. Besides that, I don't think you can just avoid a whole lawsuit by slipping over the border. It's maybe a bit of a romance fantasy, maybe echoing the western trope of someone being pursued by the police and making it across the county line or more significantly across the Rio grande. I find it hard to imagine that back in the wild West, at sheriff posse or military contingent would simply let you go because you crossed the border. Much more likely they would hunt you down, string you up, and return your body and say they caught you just shy of the border. But it makes for a good movie scene

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