Buster Keaton
Date of birth: 1895-10-03
Place of birth: Piqua, Kansas, USA
Known for: Directing
Also known as: The Great Stone Face, Joseph Frank Keaton, 巴斯特·基顿, باستر کیتون
Biography
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname The Great Stone Face. He was recognized as the seventh-greatest director of all time by Entertainment Weekly. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Keaton the 21st-greatest male star of all time.
Movie Credits
The General
1926-12-25
During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnny Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The Genera
Sherlock Jr.
1924-04-17
A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meager skills to work when he is framed b
The Baby Cyclone
1928-09-26
A woman thinks a small dog is an angel pet in this silent comedy. This film is presumed to be lost.
Sunset Boulevard
1950-08-10
A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent film star who has faded into Hollywood o
Forward, March!
1930-12-11
Spanish-language version of Doughboys.
Our Hospitality
1923-11-19
A young man falls for a young woman on his trip home; unbeknownst to him, her family has vowed to ki
Estrellados
1930-07-07
A matinée idol and a bumbling manager fight for the love of a would-be starlet. Estrellados is the S
Around the World in 80 Days
1956-10-17
Based on the famous book by Jules Verne the movie follows Phileas Fogg on his journey around the wor
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963-11-07
A group of strangers come across a man dying after a car crash who proceeds to tell them about the $
Li'l Abner
1940-11-09
Li'l Abner becomes convinced that he is going to die within twenty-four hours, so agrees to marry tw
The Cameraman
1928-09-10
A photographer takes up newsreel shooting to impress a secretary.
Li'l Abner
1940-11-09
Li'l Abner becomes convinced that he is going to die within twenty-four hours, so agrees to marry tw
One Week
1920-08-29
Newlyweds receive a build-it-yourself house as a wedding gift—and the house can, supposedly, be buil
Hollywood on Parade No. A-6
1933-01-12
A promotional film featuring movie stars at play. Includes Buster Keaton in a Napoleonic admiral sui
The Hollywood Revue of 1929
1929-11-23
An all-star revue featuring MGM contract players.
The Navigator
1924-09-28
The wealthy and impulsive Rollo Treadway decides to propose to his beautiful socialite neighbor, Bet
The Railrodder
1965-06-20
After literally swimming across the Atlantic Ocean, an Englishman takes a country trip across Canada
Go West
1925-11-01
With little luck at keeping a job in the city a New Yorker tries work in the country and eventually
In the Good Old Summertime
1949-07-29
Two co-workers in a music shop dislike one another during business hours but unwittingly carry on an
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini
1965-07-14
When he's stationed in Tahiti, a sailor hires a witch doctor to keep an eye on his girlfriend.
Seven Chances
1925-03-15
Struggling stockbroker Jimmie Shannon learns that, if he gets married by 7 p.m. on his 27th birthday
Steamboat Bill, Jr.
1928-05-09
The just-out-of-college, effete son of a no-nonsense steamboat captain comes to visit his father who
The Paleface
1922-01-01
A butterfly collector unwittingly wanders into an Indian encampment while chasing a butterfly, but t
Three Ages
1923-09-24
The rituals of courtship, romantic rivalry, and love play out three times as a man vies with a villa
The Hollywood Clowns
1979-03-23
Glenn Ford narrates this hilarious look back at the greatest comedians in movie history.
College
1927-09-10
A bookish college student dismissive of athletics is compelled to try out sports to win the affectio
Limelight
1952-10-16
A fading music hall comedian tries to help a despondent ballet dancer learn to walk and to again fee
Free and Easy
1930-03-22
Gopher City Kansas hosts a beauty contest. The winner, Elvira Plunkett, and her mother go to Hollywo
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
1960-07-21
From chicken thief to cabin boy, riverboat pilot to circus performer, Huck Finn outsmarts everyone o
The Blacksmith
1922-07-21
Buster clowns around in a blacksmith's shop until he and the smithy get in a fight which sends the s
Speak Easily
1932-08-13
A professor gets mixed up with chorus girls in a Broadway musical.
Forever and a Day
1943-01-21
In World War II, American Gates Trimble Pomfret is in London during the Blitz to sell the ancestral
The Voice of Hollywood
1930-04-28
If you enjoy playing "Spot the Stars", this is the sort of short you'd enjoy. It's full of then-well
Back Stage
1919-09-07
Roscoe and Buster give a bullying Strongman the what-for, but after the performance troupe quits it'
Convict 13
1920-10-27
A young golfer is mugged by an escaped convict and finds himself in a prison where he foils a jailbr
The Balloonatic
1923-01-22
Buster and Phyllis endure a number of outdoor adventures trying to prove to each other their surviva
Film
1965-09-04
A man attempts to evade observation by an all-seeing eye.
The Bell Boy
1918-03-18
At the Elk's Head Hotel bellhops torment the lobby, each other and guests. The elevator is powered b
Cops
1922-03-11
Buster Keaton gets involved in a series of misunderstandings involving a horse and cart. Eventually
Coney Island
1917-10-29
Arbuckle escapes the watch of his domineering wife and heads for Coney Island. Keaton arrives that s
Good Night, Nurse!
1918-06-30
Roscoe's wife, tired of his endless drunkenness, reads of an operation that cures alcoholism and has
Day Dreams
1922-11-27
In order to impress the father of a girl he is keen on, a young man goes to the city in search of wo
Hard Luck
1921-03-14
A down on his luck young man makes several attempts at committing suicide but fails them too. He the
His Wedding Night
1917-08-20
Al and Roscoe, employees at a gas station, are rivals for Alice. When Buster delivers a wedding gown
My Wife's Relations
1922-05-15
Buster and a woman are mistakenly married and her initially unfriendly family begins to treat him ni
The High Sign
1921-04-18
Buster is thrown off a train near an amusement park. There he gets a job in a shooting gallery run b
Life in Hollywood No. 1
1927-08-25
Part of a 7-part series exploring all aspects of Hollywood.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
1966-10-16
A wily slave must unite a virgin courtesan and his young smitten master to earn his freedom.
The Boat
1921-11-10
A boat builder and his family attempt to set sail in his handmade boat, 'The Damfino'.
Jail Bait
1937-01-08
Buster agrees to pose as a murderer to throw off the police while his room mate, a reporter, searche
Out West
1918-01-20
The story involves Arbuckle coming to the western town of Mad Dog Gulch after being thrown off a tra
Spite Marriage
1929-03-24
An unimpressive but well-intentioned man is given the chance to marry a popular actress, of whom he
The Hayseed
1919-10-26
Buster manages the store while Roscoe delivers the mail, taking time out for hide-and-seek with Moll
The Rough House
1917-06-25
Living under the same roof with his newly-wed wife and his mother-in-law, a careless Mr Rough sets t
The Scarecrow
1920-11-07
Two farmhands compete for the love of the farmer's daughter.
The Haunted House
1921-02-21
A bank teller becomes involved with a hold-up, counterfeiters and a theatrical troupe posing as spoo
Neighbors
1920-12-12
The Romeo and Juliet story played out in a tenement neighborhood with Buster and Virginia's families
The Goat
1921-05-15
A series of misadventures occur when Buster is mistaken for a criminal on the lam.
The Play House
1921-10-26
Upon waking from the dream of a theater peopled entirely by numerous Buster Keatons, a lowly stage h
The Frozen North
1922-08-28
A mix of guns and mistaken identity leads to chaos in this satirical parody of William S. Hart's mel
The Electric House
1922-10-01
Botany major Buster mistakenly graduates in electrical engineering and is hired to wire a new home.
The Love Nest
1923-03-01
In an attempt to forget his lost sweetheart, Buster takes a long trip at the sea when he's caught by
The Gold Ghost
1934-03-16
Dumped by his girlfriend, Buster drives west and winds up in a ghost town called Vulture City, where
Battling Butler
1926-08-02
A meek millionaire masquerades as a boxing star to win a girl's heart.
Love Nest on Wheels
1937-03-26
Buster, the eldest son in a family of hillbillies who manage a hotel, attempts to raise money to sav
Grand Slam Opera
1936-02-21
Elmer Butts is a contestant in a radio amateur hour show hoping to win the first price -- by dancing
Allez Oop
1934-05-25
When Buster's girlfriend falls for a trapeze artist, Buster tries to beat him at his own game.
Blue Blazes
1936-08-21
Buster becomes a fireman, but unfortunately not a particularly good one. He has a chance to prove hi
Mixed Magic
1936-11-20
When Buster Keaton goes to work as an assistant to a carnival magician, the results turn out to be l
Hollywood Cavalcade
1939-10-13
Starting in 1913 movie director Connors discovers singer Molly Adair. As she becomes a star she marr
The Saphead
1920-09-01
Nick Van Alstyne owns the Henrietta silver mine and is very rich and his son Bertie is naive and spo
The Butcher Boy
1917-04-23
Customers and clerks frolic in a general store. Roscoe walks out of the freezer wearing a fur coat,
The Cook
1918-09-15
In an attempt at greater efficiency, the chef and waiter of a fancy oceanside restaurant wreak havoc
Oh, Doctor!
1917-09-30
Roscoe is a doctor who falls in love with a pretty woman whose boyfriend, in turn, falls in love wit
The Garage
1920-01-11
Roscoe and Buster operate a combination garage and fire station. In the first half they destroy a ca
Moonshine
1918-05-12
A feud between the Owens and the Gillettes ends when the last remaining Gillette is killed, but new
The Stolen Jools
1931-04-04
Famous actress Norma Shearer's jewels are stolen… (Star-packed promotional short film intended to ra
Parlor, Bedroom and Bath
1931-02-28
Jeffrey Haywood wants to marry to Virginia Embrey. However, Virginia refused to marry unless her old
Sidewalks of New York
1931-09-26
A dim-witted slumlord tries to reform a gang of urban boys (and impress an attractive young woman) b
The Invader
1936-01-02
A bumbling yachtsman sails to the South of Spain with a fiery seductress, only to become the pawn in
Hayseed Romance
1935-03-15
Elmer answers an ad for a handyman job and starts working for an older woman and her niece. He gets
The Chemist
1936-10-09
Buster plays Elmer "Happy" Triple, a scientist who is expected to develop the next big thing. That b
One Run Elmer
1935-02-22
Elmer owns a gas station out in the California desert. Soon he has a business rival in Jim, who open
Ditto
1937-02-12
Buster, an ice delivery man, falls for one of his customers, not knowing she has a twin sister livin
Palooka from Paducah
1935-01-11
A hillbilly family, hard-hit by the end of Prohibition, decide to set the biggest brother up as a pr
Pest from the West
1939-06-16
A millionaire vacationing in Mexico falls for a local girl and sets out to win her.
The Spook Speaks
1940-09-20
A magician hires Buster as a housekeeper while he's away.
Tars and Stripes
1935-05-03
Naval recruit Elmer is seemingly unable to discharge any of his duties without making life miserable
The Timid Young Man
1935-10-25
Milton, a disappointed romantic, has sworn off women. He gives a lift to a female hitchhiker, whom h
Nothing But Pleasure
1940-01-19
To save money, Buster and his wife decide to drive to Detroit to buy a new car, then drive it home.
Three on a Limb
1936-01-03
Scoutmaster Elmer Brown loses his heart to the pretty carhop who works in a drive-in diner. Complica
The Passionate Plumber
1932-02-06
Paris plumber Elmer Tuttle is enlisted by socialite Patricia Alden to help make her lover Tony Lagor
The Taming of the Snood
1940-06-28
A jewel thief uses Buster as an unsuspecting dupe.
Pardon My Berth Marks
1940-03-22
Buster, a reporter, takes a train trip and winds up innocently involved with a gangster's wife.
The E-Flat Man
1935-08-09
Elmer attempts to elope with his fiancée, but they escape her parents by driving off in a car that's
What! No Beer?
1933-02-10
When Prohibition ends, a barber tries to get in the liquor business only to come up against mobsters
Mooching Through Georgia
1939-08-11
Man relates how he outwitted the Yankee army during the Civil War.
The Misadventures of Buster Keaton
1950-12-31
Feature film fashioned from parts of Keaton's short-lived TV series "The Buster Keaton Show."
His Ex Marks the Spot
1940-12-13
Buster's home life is disrupted when his ex-wife and her boyfriend move in.
God's Country
1946-03-15
Lee Preston, aka Leland Bruce, kills a man in self defense but flees to the redwood country when the
So You Won't Squawk
1941-02-21
Mobster Louie the Wolf sends an unsuspecting handyman (Keaton) to gather up the collection money owe
That's the Spirit
1945-06-01
A vaudeville performer returns from the dead to help his wife and daughter, who are being dominated
Boom in the Moon
1946-08-02
An American soldier (Keaton) during World War II escapes from an airplane crash over the Pacific Oce
San Diego I Love You
1944-09-29
A harried daughter tries to keep her wacky family together while trying to sell her eccentric father
The Villain Still Pursued Her
1940-10-11
Victorian melodrama is sent up in this spoof of the old production "The Drunkard; or, The Fallen Sav
General Nuisance
1941-09-18
A millionaire falls for an army nurse, who tells him she likes men in uniform. So he enlists at Camp
She's Oil Mine
1941-11-20
Buster fights a duel over a girl.
That Night with You
1945-09-28
In this musical comedy, a young singer becomes so desperate to appear on Broadway that she goes to a
The Lovable Cheat
1949-05-11
Posing as a wealthy Parisian, Mercadet fleeces friends and casual acquaintances alike. He is forced
Pajama Party
1964-11-11
A Martian teenager sent to prepare for an invasion falls in love with an Earth girl.
The Triumph of Lester Snapwell
1963-01-01
A low budget industrial film shot for the Eastman Kodak company. The mildly funny film that shows al
Sergeant Deadhead
1965-08-18
An astronaut goes into space with a chimpanzee. When they return to Earth after their orbit, it is d
You're My Everything
1949-07-22
In 1924, stage-struck Boston blueblood Hannah Adams picks up musical star Tim O'Connor and takes him
L'Incantevole nemica
1953-06-14
The owner of a cheese factory fears communists and mistakes a meek youth who works for him for one o
The Scribe
1966-01-08
Comedy short produced by the Construction Safety Association of Ontario, Canada. It demonstrates the
A Reckless Romeo
1917-05-21
Roscoe flirts with a girl in the park. Later he takes his wife and mother-in-law to the movies only
The Image Book
2018-10-11
In Le Livre d’Image, Jean-Luc Godard recycles existing images (films, documentaries, paintings, tele
The Iron Mule
1925-04-12
A train known as the Iron Mule is loaded with passengers, and starts off on its trip. Along the way,
Doughboys
1930-08-30
Elmer, rich society loafer, falls for Mary, but she'll have nothing to do with him until (mistakenly
When Comedy Was King
1960-03-29
A compilation featuring comedic stars of the silent era including Fatty Arbuckle, Charles Chaplin, B
Buster Keaton Rides Again
1965-10-30
In the fall of 1964, just over a year before his death, Buster Keaton traveled to Canada to make The
Life with Buster Keaton
1951-02-10
Buster's shenanigans running a sporting goods store and his antics in a local theatre group.
A Duel to the Death
1947-01-01
On the the bank of a peaceful river, two fishermen are... fishing! An idyllic scene indeed. At least
4 Clowns
1970-09-01
Robert Youngson once again compiles scenes from the golden age of comedy's silent film era. Laurel a
Crazy Days
1962-07-12
Narrator Hughie Green tells "jokes" over clips of old silent films. Including greats such as Fatty A
Seeing Stars
1922-10-29
First National gala celebrity banquet with stars.
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1
1941-08-15
This edition of Screen Snapshots has more of a vaudeville flavor as opposed to Ralph Staub's usual c
The Slappiest Days of Our Lives
1951-03-23
Laurel is a Scottish reporter suspected of being a spy by police detective James Finlayson. Although
The King of the Champs-Élysées
1934-12-11
In Paris, a stage-struck would-be actor is mistaken for an escaped convict.
The Home Owner
1961-11-09
A 25 minute sales film featuring Buster Keaton as a prospective home owner in Maryvale, a suburb of
The Devil to Pay
1960-11-09
A short silent (with narration), parodying science fiction films. The USA misfires a rocket which c
Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs
1936-01-11
Winners of the Lucky Stars National Dance Contest - one woman from each state of the United States -
Buster Keaton: The Genius Destroyed by Hollywood
2016-02-07
In 1926, Buster Keaton was at the peak of his glory and wealth. By 1933, he had reached rock bottom.
Hollywood Hobbies
1939-05-03
In this short film, two starstruck movie fans hire a tour guide and see a plethora of Hollywood star
La Fiesta de Santa Barbara
1935-12-07
La Fiesta de Santa Barbara is a 1935 American comedy short film directed by Louis Lewyn. It was nomi
Paradise for Buster
1952-05-31
Buster leaves his job after learning that he inherited a farm from an old relative.
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984-01-01
Robert Preston hosts this documentary that shows what people of the 1930s were watching as they were
Beach Blanket Bingo
1965-04-14
In the fourth of the highly successful Frankie and Annette beach party movies, a motorcycle gang led
The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers
1962-01-06
A TV movie with intertwining music numbers and sketches.
Dance Crazy in Hollywood
1990-01-01
American dancer and choreographer Hermes Pan recalls his life and work as he relives the glorious hi
The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk
2007-09-02
Film historians, and survivors from the nearly 30-year struggle to bring sound to motion pictures ta
Tide of Empire
1929-03-23
California's gold discovery in 1848 draws a "tide of empire" to the area, which becomes ripe for ban
No Time at All
1958-02-13
An airliner flying nonstop at night from Miami to New York fails to check in, then disappears from r
That's Entertainment!
1974-06-21
Various MGM stars from yesterday present their favorite musical moments from the studio's 50 year hi
So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM
2004-12-07
A Turner Classic Movies (TCM) documentary about Keaton's discontented relationship with MGM and the
Stunts: A Taste for Risk
2023-11-30
The amazing story of stunts, men and women who risk their lives every day on set to get the perfect
Buster Keaton: From Silents to Shorts
2006-03-07
A documentary short included as an extra with "The Buster Keaton Collection".
We’re Switching to Hollywood
1931-06-09
A German reporter visits Hollywood and is escorted through the MGM Studio by a German nobleman, who
New Moon
1940-06-28
A revolutionary leader romances a French aristocrat in Louisiana.
Looking for Charlie: Or, the Day the Clown Died
2016-01-01
A documentary which explores the lives and tragic deaths of Marceline Orbes and Francis "Slivers" Oa
That's Entertainment! III
1994-07-01
Some of MGM'S musical stars review the studios history of musicals. From The Hollywood Revue of 1929
Character Studies
1927-11-20
Carter DeHaven announces that he will perform a series of "impressions." For each we see him applyin
Lifetime of Comedy
1960-01-01
Compilation of comedy sketches from the comedy kings Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Danny Kaye & Bi
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976-05-16
Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time includi
The Round-Up
1920-10-10
A lovesick sheriff protects his town, embroiled in a feud between a crafty bandit leader and the fam
She Went to the Races
1945-11-04
A group of scientists develop a system to pick winners at the racetrack. Comedy.
Take It or Leave It
1944-07-17
A young husband becomes a game-show participant in the hopes of winning the cash to pay his pregnant
Buster Keaton: The Shorts Collection 1917-1923
2016-07-17
Includes all 32 of Keaton's extant silent shorts (thirteen of which were produced under the tutelage
The Awakening
1954-07-14
"The Awakening" is a 1954 short drama film of Douglas Fairbanks Presents anthology series based on N
Simon Pure Beer
1962-07-19
Laurel & Hardy: Their Lives and Magic
2011-12-28
The lives of Stan Laurel (1890-1965) and Oliver Hardy (1892-1957), on the screen and behind the curt
Barney's Wall
2019-05-04
What makes a rebel? This 78 minute documentary probes the psyche of bad-boy publisher and free speec
Notfilm
2015-10-27
NOTFILM is a feature-length experimental essay on FILM -- its author Samuel Beckett, its star Buster
Salute to Stan Laurel
1965-11-23
A program featuring original comedy skits written as a tribute to Stan Laurel.
The Big Parade of Comedy
1964-09-02
Film clips highlight the funniest scenes and brightest comic stars in MGM's history.
It's Showtime
1976-03-31
A collection of film clips profiling animal actors.
The Sound of Laughter
1963-12-17
A compilation of film clips of comedies from 1930's.
War Italian Style
1965-11-26
It's May 1943, and two Italian American soldiers, Joe and Frank, are searching the North African des
Langlois-Keaton à Paris
1962-02-22
Furtive traces of a visit, a certain February 22, 1962: Buster Keaton.
Chaplin/Keaton: Duel of Legends
2016-02-04
Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton were two incredibly talented artists who enjoyed enormous worldwid
Time Travelers: Uncovering Old LA in Keaton Comedies
2020-06-16
Time Travelers, a new documentary by Daniel Raim featuring interviews with John Bengtson and film hi
Casanova wider Willen
1931-10-19
Jeffrey wants to marry Virginia, who refuses to marry unless her older sister, the hard-to-please An
30 Years of Fun
1963-02-10
Three decades of fun packed into one convenient package with this compilation of classic black-and-w
Arbuckle & Keaton, Volume One
2001-09-05
A collection of five silent comedy shorts co-starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and Buster Keaton, and
Arbuckle & Keaton, Volume Two
2001-09-05
A collection of five silent comedy shorts co-starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and Buster Keaton, and
The Adventures of Mr. Pastry
1958-06-21
Interested in becoming a serious actor, Mr. Pastry (Richard Hearne) seeks out the services of a down
There's No Business Like No Business
1963-01-01
On behalf of the Arvin Corporation, Buster Keaton demonstrates the importance of using Maremont auto
Kings of Comedy: Masters of the Silent Screen
2007-12-31
A documentary about some of the comedians of the silent era featuring clips from their films and bio
Hodgepodge
2025-04-30
Andrew Richter shares odd celebrity encounters from his years of working in hotels.
The Three Stooges Follies
1974-11-01
Released to theaters in 1974, this collection of vintage Columbia short subjects included: "Yes, We
Busta Keaton in COPS
2017-08-15
Supa Commandos of Film History with VJ Emmie
You Have to Live Somewhere
2014-01-23
A found footage video utilizing Buster Keaton's "One Week" with a song by Don Lennon.
The Great Chase
1962-12-20
A rollicking compendium of the greatest hits of silent-cinema chase sequences
Hooray for Hollywood
1976-01-01
A celebration of Hollywood in the 1930s, featuring a compilation of clips from features and newsreel
Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults
1999-07-20
Second installment of deleted scenes, mostly musical or comedic, from Fox films of the 30's - 50's.
The Metaphysics of Buster Keaton
1970-11-01
America's great film director-actor Buster Keaton, discussed by film critic Andrew Sarris and Raymon
Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy
2000-12-03
For more than 30 years, Lucille Ball was one of the most recognized and loved entertainers in the wo
The Real Charlie Chaplin
2021-11-19
A look at the life and work of Charlie Chaplin in his own words featuring an in-depth interview he g
R.E.M x Buster Keaton's Sherlock Jr
2026-02-05
Buster Keaton’s 1924 comedy classic is reimagined with R.E.M. 's alt-rock masterpieces Monster (1994
A Country Hero
1917-12-10
Fatty plays a village blacksmith in “Jazzville,” an imaginary rural village. There is a rivalry betw
Buster se marie
1931-06-30
This is the French-language version of Buster Keaton's 1931 comedy Parlor, Bedroom and Bath (1931).
Plumber in love
1932-12-30
This is the French-language version of Buster Keaton's The Passionate Plumber (1932). This film is p