Joseph Frank “Buster” Keaton (1895–1966) was an American comic actor and filmmaker. Arguably the greatest comic genius of the silent era, Buster Keaton turned the adage “less is more” into slapstick gold, using his perpetually passive, poker-faced visage to wring laughs from the most absurd situations. His consistently stoic, deadpan expression earned him the nickname The Great Stone Face. With innovative films like Sherlock Jr., The General, and Steamboat Bill, Jr., Keaton took silent comedy to new heights of astonishing ambition. He was recognised by Entertainment Weekly as the seventh-greatest director of all time. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Keaton the 21st-greatest male star of all time.
