Keaton, Buster (Joseph Francis Keaton), 1895–1966, American movie actor, b. Piqua, Kans. Considered one of the greatest comic actors in film history, Keaton used his considerable acrobatic skills, which he had developed as a child in vaudeville, in many silent comedies in which he portrayed a deadpan hero who survived against incredible odds. Among these movies are The Navigator (1924), The General (1926), and Steamboat Bill Junior (1927). He made a comeback as a supporting actor in such films as Sunset Boulevard (1959), Limelight (1952), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966).

Bibliography

See biographies by R. Blesh (1960), M. Meade (1995), and E. McPherson (2005); J. E. Rapf, Buster Keaton: A Bio-Bibliography (1995); J. Kline, The Complete Films of Buster Keaton (2003); studies by G. Wead and G. Lellis (1977), G. Oldham (1996), and R. Knopf (1999).

Keaton, Buster

orig. Joseph Francis Keaton IV

(born Oct. 4, 1895, Piqua, Kan., U.S.—died Feb. 1, 1966, Woodland Hills, Calif.) U.S. film actor and director. He acted with his parents in vaudeville (1899–1917), where he developed his mastery of comic falls and subtle timing and his trademark deadpan expression. His film debut in Fatty Arbuckle's The Butcher Boy (1917) was followed by several short films (1917–19). As head of his own production company (1920–28) he directed and starred in classic silent movies such as The Navigator (1924), Sherlock, Jr. (1924), The General (1927), and Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928). For MGM he made The Cameraman (1928), but he was denied artistic control over his films, and his career declined. He later appeared in Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Limelight (1952). From the late 1940s his comedies were gradually revived, and he is now regarded as one of the greatest silent comedy stars.

Keaton, (Joseph Francis) Buster (1895–1966) film actor, screenwriter, producer; born in Piqua, Kans. The son of medicine show performers, he joined their acrobatic comedy act at age three; they moved on to vaudeville when he was six and already an accomplished acrobat. He entered films in 1917 with The Butcher Boy, and after brief service in World War I, he made a series of short movies, along with his first feature, The Saphead (1920). By 1923 he was exercising complete artistic control over his films and he had established his persona as a deadpan and agile Everyman undaunted by the most extreme situations. Some of his productions were almost surreal, such as Sherlock, Jr. (1924), in which he played a film projectionist who became involved in the action on the screen; other masterworks include The Boat (1921), The Navigator (1924), and The General (1927). After Keaton signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. in 1928 he lost some control over his films, and not only did his marriage to Natalie Talmadge break up, but he was also troubled by alcoholism and mental illness. He hung on at the margins of the Hollywood film world, but it was his appearances at the circus in Paris in 1947 and then in Chaplin's Limelight (1952) that led to the reappreciation of his comic artistry. His last decade saw him all but overwhelmed by the constant demands on his time and tributes to his genius.