• One of the most popular comedic actors of the silent film era, Buster Keaton appeared in dozens of short and feature-length films. His comedies Our Hospitality and The General are considered landmark achievements in early cinema.

• Fast Facts

  1. Birth name: Joseph Frank Keaton
  2. Born: October 4, 1895
  3. Died: February 1, 1966
  4. Place of birth: Piqua, Kansas
  5. Keaton starred or co-starred in more than 130 short films and movies
  6. Has a cameo appearance in Sunset Blvd.

• Landmark Films

  Buster Keaton was a popular vaudeville performer in the 1910s when Fatty Arbuckle encouraged him to experiment in cinema. The two became friends and Arbuckle helped Keaton make his first short films. Only a few years later, Keaton released a string of enduring silent comedies, including The Navigator and the short film Sherlock Jr.

  Though The General was a box office disappointment and critical failure upon its release, it has since become one of the most critically acclaimed of all silent comedies. Film critic Roger Ebert and filmmaker Richard Lester each list it among their ten favorite films of all time.

• After Sound

  Many silent film stars were affected by the addition of sound to motion pictures. After the failure of The General, studios were not as willing to give Keaton creative control. In 1928, Keaton signed with MGM, a decision he later regretted due to their restrictive control over his productions. Keaton's films in the early 1930s had limited success, and he stopped consistently producing movies for Hollywood studios later in the decade.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Charlie Chaplin | Greta Garbo

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