Buster Keaton: The Man Who Couldn’t Stop Moving

Buster Keaton, born Joseph Frank Keaton, was an American actor, comedian, and director in the early days of silent film. Known for his deadpan expression and amazing athletic abilities, he was one of the greatest slapstick comedians of all time.

Keaton grew up in a family of vaudevillians, and he was performing on stage from a young age. He earned his nickname ‘Buster’ as a toddler when he fell down a flight of stairs and didn’t cry - a friend remarked that he “was a real buster!”.

As an adult, Buster made his start in film as part of the comedy duo ‘Keaton and Arbuckle’. This was back in a time when Hollywood didn’t have the technology to add sound to movies, so everything had to be conveyed through visuals - and Buster was a master at physical comedy.

His most famous films include the likes of “The General” and “Steamboat Bill, Jr.”, where he would perform crazy stunts like jumping on a moving train or dodging a falling house. It’s been said that Keaton had no fear, which explains how he managed to pull off some of the most dangerous stunts in cinema history.

Of course, not everything went according to plan. In one scene where he was supposed to jump onto a car, the driver mistimed his approach and Keaton ended up slamming onto the windshield. But he didn’t let a little thing like a broken ankle stop him - he just worked it into the scene and kept on going.

Despite his physical talents, Keaton was also a master of visual storytelling. He could convey multiple layers of meaning with just a raised eyebrow or a subtle movement. His deadpan expression was his trademark, and it worked perfectly with the absurd scenarios he found himself in.

Buster Keaton’s talent and influence can still be felt in modern comedy today. His style of deadpan delivery and physical comedy have heavily influenced the likes of Jim Carrey and Rowan Atkinson. But there will only ever be one true ‘Great Stone Face’, and that’s Buster Keaton himself.