Keaton, Buster (Joseph Francis) (1896-1966)

US comedian, actor, and film director. After being a star in vaudeville, he became one of the great comedians of the silent film era, with an inimitable deadpan expression masking a sophisticated acting ability. At his height he rivalled fellow comic actor Charlie Chaplin in popularity. He starred in and co-directed The General (1927) which, although not a success on its initial release, is widely considered one of the best and most influential US films.

Keaton appeared in several shorts with silent film star Fatty Arbuckle including The Butcher Boy (1917), His Wedding Night (1917), and The Bell Boy (1918). His other films include One Week (1920), The Navigator (1924), Sherlock, Jr (1924), The Cameraman (1928), and Steamboat Bill, Jr (1928). After conflicts with studio executives in the 1930s effectively ended his creative career, Keaton then made only shorts and guest appearances, as in Chaplin's Limelight (1952), Samuel Beckett's Film (1965), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966).

He received an honorary Academy Award in 1960.