Buster Keaton

Who Was Buster Keaton?

Buster Keaton, born to vaudeville performers, was a legendary actor, director, and comedian known for his groundbreaking work in silent films. He began his performing career at the age of 3 and later transitioned to film at 21, rising to fame in the 1920s for his innovative and physically demanding comedic style. Though his career waned with the advent of “talkies,” Keaton made a remarkable comeback in the 1940s and ’50s, notably appearing as himself in films like Sunset Boulevard.

Early Years

Joseph Frank Keaton IV, better known as Buster Keaton, was born on October 4, 1895, in Piqua, Kansas. His parents, Joe and Myra Keaton, were seasoned vaudeville actors, and young Buster was incorporated into their act at just 3 years old. According to legend, he earned his nickname at 18 months when he tumbled down a flight of stairs. Magician Harry Houdini, who witnessed the fall, exclaimed, “That was a real buster!”—a term meaning a fall, and the name stuck.

Keaton’s early vaudeville performances with his parents were notably rough, with his father frequently tossing him around on stage. Keaton quickly learned to maintain a deadpan expression, a signature trait that would become central to his comedic style. Reflecting on this time, Keaton later remarked, “It was the roughest knockout act that was ever in the history of the theater.”

From 1907 onward, Keaton spent many childhood summers in Muskegon, Michigan, where his father co-founded The Actors Colony, a summer retreat for vaudeville performers. This community of entertainers profoundly influenced Keaton’s development as a performer.

The Filmmaker

Buster Keaton’s journey in filmmaking began with his first project, a 1917 two-reeler titled The Butcher Boy, featuring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. Even at this early stage, Keaton displayed an affinity for extreme slapstick, enduring a range of comedic mishaps, from being submerged in molasses to being bitten by a dog. This formative experience solidified his passion for cinema. For the next two years, Keaton collaborated closely with Arbuckle, earning a modest $40 per week. This period served as an invaluable apprenticeship, granting him comprehensive insight into the filmmaking process.

In 1920, Keaton embarked on a solo career as a filmmaker, producing a series of two-reelers that included the classics One Week (1920), The Playhouse (1921), and Cops (1922). By 1923, he transitioned to full-length features, releasing works such as The Three Ages (1923) and Sherlock, Jr. (1924). Among his most celebrated creations is The General (1927), in which he starred as a train engineer during the Civil War. Keaton played a pivotal role in the film, serving as both writer and director. Although it initially underperformed at the box office, The General has since been recognized as a groundbreaking piece of cinema.

Keaton’s films were characterized by his distinctive comedic style, impeccable timing, and signature facial expressions. His early two-reelers showcased a mastery of slapstick humor, including his clever use of pie gags. Renowned for performing his own stunts, Keaton became a Hollywood legend not only for his daring falls but also for his remarkable ability to avoid serious injuries.

At the height of his career in the mid-1920s, Keaton enjoyed celebrity status comparable to that of fellow silent-film star Charlie Chaplin. His salary soared to $3,500 a week, and he eventually constructed an extravagant $300,000 home in Beverly Hills.

Career Undone

In 1928, Keaton made a decision he would later regret, referring to it as the “mistake of his life.” With the rise of sound films, he signed a contract with MGM, where he produced a series of sound comedies that achieved moderate box office success but lacked the creative punch that had defined his earlier work. This decline was primarily due to the loss of creative control over his films, which he relinquished to studio executives as part of his contract.

As a result, Keaton’s personal life began to unravel. His marriage to actress Natalie Talmadge, with whom he had two sons, deteriorated, and he struggled with alcoholism and depression. By 1934, following the termination of his MGM contract, Keaton filed for bankruptcy, reporting assets of merely $12,000. The following year, he divorced his second wife, Mae Scriven, further marking a tumultuous period in his life.

Career Rebound

In 1940, Buster Keaton’s life began to take a positive turn. He entered into his third marriage with Eleanor Morris, a 21-year-old dancer who many credited with providing him the stability he had long sought. Their partnership would endure until Keaton’s passing in 1966.

A resurgence in Keaton’s fame emerged in the 1950s, largely fueled by British television, where the veteran comedian appeared on a series of programs. In the United States, American audiences reconnected with Keaton through notable roles in Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Charlie Chaplin’s Limelight (1952). His visibility increased further as he participated in various American programs and commercials. In 1956, Paramount Pictures paid him $50,000 for the film rights to The Buster Keaton Story, a film that, while not entirely accurate, chronicled his life from his vaudeville beginnings to his Hollywood career.

During this period, film enthusiasts also rediscovered Keaton’s silent film classics. In 1962, he leveraged his ownership of these earlier works to reissue The General, which received widespread acclaim from fans and critics across Europe.

The pinnacle of Keaton’s comeback occurred in October 1965 when he was invited to the Venice Film Festival to present his latest project, Film, a 22-minute silent movie based on a screenplay by Samuel Beckett. Following the screening, Keaton was met with a five-minute standing ovation from the audience. Overcome with emotion, he remarked, “This is the first time I’ve been invited to a film festival. But I hope it won’t be the last.”

A testament to his resilience, Keaton continued to thrive professionally in the final years of his life, earning over $100,000 annually from commercials alone. By the time of his death, he stated that he had more work than he could manage. In recognition of his contributions to cinema, he received a special Academy Award in 1959.

Death

Buster Keaton passed away in his sleep on February 1, 1966, from complications related to lung cancer at his home in Woodland Hills, California. He was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.