 During the hurricane sequence, there is a scene that pays homage to  Buster Keaton (qv)s childhood on the vaudeville stage. One brief  moment has a table move in the wind, apparently animating the dummy  and turning its head to face Keaton. Keaton is startled and runs.  This is based on a real experience from when he was a kid and became  fascinated with a dummy named Red Top, who belonged to ventriloquist  Trovollo. The young Keaton had a "conversation" with the dummy and  conspired to kidnap his new friend one night when the theater was  empty. Trovollo, anticipating Keaton, slipped to his props offstage  and when Keaton approached, brought Red Top to life, scaring Keaton  out of the theater.