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.

KNOWN FOR

What's My Line?
1951
The Twilight Zone
1961
The Donna Reed Show
1958
Route 66
1962
Burke's Law
1964
The Ed Sullivan Show
1950
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1952
This Is Your Life
1957
Playhouse 90
1958
Screen Director's Playhouse
1955
Legends
2008
The Hollywood Palace
1964

FILMOGRAPHY

All
Movies
TV
Acting
210
Directing
42
Writing
32
Producing
16
Editing
8
Crew
7
2026
A Brave Engineer: Buster Keaton's Last Ride
as Self (Archival)
2026
Bound for Glory: The General as Keaton's Cinematic Manifesto
as Self (Archival)
2025
Hodgepodge
as Self (archive footage)
2023
Stunts: A Taste for Risk
as Various Roles (archive footage)
2021
The Real Charlie Chaplin
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2020
Time Travelers: Uncovering Old LA in Keaton Comedies
as Self (archive footage)
2020
Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty
as archive footage
2019
Barney's Wall
as Self (archive footage)
2018
The Image Book
as (archive footage)
2016
Buster Keaton: The Genius Destroyed by Hollywood
as Self
2016
Looking for Charlie: Or, the Day the Clown Died
as Self (archive footage)
2016
Chaplin/Keaton: Duel of Legends
as (archive footage)
2015
Notfilm
as Self (archive footage)
2014
You Have to Live Somewhere
as (archive footage)
2011
Laurel & Hardy: Their Lives and Magic
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2008
Legends
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2007
The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk
as Self (archive footage)
2007
Kings of Comedy: Masters of the Silent Screen
as (archive footage)
2006
Buster Keaton: From Silents to Shorts
as (archive footage)
2004
So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM
as Self (archive footage)
2000
Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy
as Self (archive footage)
1999
Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults
as (archive footage)
1995
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
as Self (archive footage)
1994
That's Entertainment! III
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1992
Funny Business
as (archive footage)
1990
Dance Crazy in Hollywood
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
1987
Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow
as Self (archive footage)
1984
Going Hollywood: The '30s
as (archive footage)
1980
Hollywood
as Self (archive footage)
1980
Hollywood
as Self (archive footage, uncredited)
1979
The Hollywood Clowns
as (archive footage)
1976
That's Entertainment, Part II
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1976
It's Showtime
as Self (archive footage)
1976
Hooray for Hollywood
as Self (archive footage)
1976
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
as (archive footage)
1974
That's Entertainment!
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1974
The Three Stooges Follies
as Clarence Plunkett (archive footage)
1970
4 Clowns
as (archive footage)
1970
The Metaphysics of Buster Keaton
as Self (archival footage)
1966
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
as Erronius
1966
The Scribe
as Journalist
1965
The Railrodder
as The Man
1965
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini
as Bwana
1965
Film
as The Man
1965
Sergeant Deadhead
as Airman Blinken
1965
Buster Keaton Rides Again
as Self
1965
Beach Blanket Bingo
as Buster
1965
Salute to Stan Laurel
as Self
1965
War Italian Style
as Gen. von Kassler
1964
Pajama Party
as Chief Rotten Eagle
1964
The Big Parade of Comedy
as Buster in 'The Cameraman' (archive footage)
1964
Burke's Law
as Mortimer Lovely
1964
The Greatest Show on Earth
1964
The Hollywood Palace
as Self
1963
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
as Jimmy the Crook
1963
The Triumph of Lester Snapwell
as Lester Snapwell
1963
The Sound of Laughter
as Elmer Butts
1963
30 Years of Fun
as (archive footage)
1963
There's No Business Like No Business
as Self
1962
Crazy Days
as Various (archive footage) (uncredited)
1962
The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers
as Self
1962
Simon Pure Beer
as Self
1962
Langlois-Keaton à Paris
as Self
1962
The Great Chase
1962
Route 66
1961
The Home Owner
as The Home Owner
1961
The Twilight Zone
as Woodrow Mulligan
1960
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
as Lion Tamer
1960
When Comedy Was King
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1960
The Devil to Pay
as Diablos
1960
Lifetime of Comedy
as (archive footage)
1958
No Time at All
as Harrison
1958
The Adventures of Mr. Pastry
as Professor
1958
The Donna Reed Show
1958
Playhouse 90
as Harrison
1957
This Is Your Life
as Self
1956
Around the World in 80 Days
as Train Conductor
1956
The Rosemary Clooney Show
as Self
1955
Screen Director's Playhouse
as Kelsey Dutton
1954
The Awakening
as The Man
1953
L'Incantevole nemica
as Baker's Apprentice in Play
1952
Limelight
as Calvero's Partner
1952
Paradise for Buster
as Buster
1952
The Colgate Comedy Hour
as Self
1951
Life with Buster Keaton
1951
The Slappiest Days of Our Lives
as (archive footage)
1951
What's My Line?
as Self
1950
Sunset Boulevard
as Buster Keaton
1950
The Misadventures of Buster Keaton
as Buster
1950
The Ed Sullivan Show
as Self
1949
In the Good Old Summertime
as Hickey
1949
The Lovable Cheat
as Goulard
1949
You're My Everything
as Butler
1947
A Duel to the Death
as The First Fisherman
1946
God's Country
as Old Tarp / Mr. Boone
1946
Boom in the Moon
1945
That's the Spirit
as L.M.
1945
That Night with You
as Sam - Short Order Cook
1945
She Went to the Races
as Bellboy (uncredited)
1944
San Diego I Love You
as Bus Driver
1944
Take It or Leave It
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1943
Forever and a Day
as Wilkins
1941
So You Won't Squawk
as Eddie
1941
General Nuisance
as Peter Hedley Lamar Jr.
1941
She's Oil Mine
as Buster Waters, plumber
1941
Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1
as Self
1940
Li'l Abner
as Lonesome Polecat
1940
Li'l Abner
1940
The Spook Speaks
as Buster
1940
Nothing But Pleasure
as Clarence Plunkett
1940
The Taming of the Snood
as Buster Keaton
1940
Pardon My Berth Marks
as Elmer - Newspaper Copyboy
1940
His Ex Marks the Spot
as Buster - the husband
1940
The Villain Still Pursued Her
as William Dalton
1940
New Moon
as Prisoner - 'LuLu'
1939
Hollywood Cavalcade
as Buster Keaton
1939
Pest from the West
as Sir
1939
Mooching Through Georgia
as Homer Cobb
1939
Hollywood Hobbies
as Self (uncredited)
1937
Jail Bait
1937
Love Nest on Wheels
as Elmer
1937
Ditto
as The Forgotten Man
1936
Grand Slam Opera
as Elmer Butts
1936
Blue Blazes
as Elmer
1936
Mixed Magic
as Elmer 'Happy' Butterworth
1936
The Invader
as Leander Proudfoot
1936
The Chemist
as Elmer Triple
1936
Three on a Limb
as Elmer Brown
1936
Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs
as Self
1935
Hayseed Romance
as Elmer Dolittle
1935
One Run Elmer
as Elmer
1935
Palooka from Paducah
as Jim Diltz
1935
Tars and Stripes
as Apprentice Seaman Elmer Doolittle
1935
The Timid Young Man
as Milton
1935
The E-Flat Man
as Elmer
1935
La Fiesta de Santa Barbara
as Self
1934
The Gold Ghost
as Wally
1934
Allez Oop
as Elmer
1934
The King of the Champs-Élysées
as Buster Garner / Jim le Balafré
1933
Hollywood on Parade No. A-6
as Self
1933
What! No Beer?
as Elmer J. Butts
1932
Speak Easily
as Professor Post
1932
The Passionate Plumber
as Elmer E. Tuttle
1932
Plumber in Love
as Elmer E. Tuttle
1931
The Stolen Jools
as Policeman
1931
Parlor, Bedroom and Bath
as Reginald Irving
1931
Sidewalks of New York
as Harmon
1931
We’re Switching to Hollywood
as Self
1931
Casanova Against His Will
as Reggie Irving
1931
Buster se marie
as Reggie Irving
1930
Forward, March!
1930
Estrellados
as Canuto Cuadratin
1930
Free and Easy
as Elmer
1930
The Voice of Hollywood
1930
Doughboys
as Elmer J. Stuyvesant, Jr.
1929
The Hollywood Revue of 1929
as Self / Princess Raja
1929
Spite Marriage
as Elmer
1929
Tide of Empire
as Drunk Cowboy Thrown Out of Saloon (uncredited)
1928
The Baby Cyclone
as Stunt Double (uncredited)
1928
The Cameraman
as Buster
1928
Steamboat Bill, Jr.
as Steamboat Bill Jr.
1927
College
as Ronald, The Boy
1927
Life in Hollywood No. 1
as Self
1927
Character Studies
as Self (uncredited)
1926
The General
as Johnnie Gray
1926
Battling Butler
as Alfred Butler
1925
Go West
as Friendless
1925
Seven Chances
as James 'Jimmie' Shannon
1925
The Iron Mule
as Indian (uncredited)
1924
Sherlock Jr.
as Projectionist / Sherlock, Jr.
1924
The Navigator
as Rollo Treadway
1923
Our Hospitality
as William McKay
1923
Three Ages
as The Boy
1923
The Balloonatic
as The Young Man
1923
The Love Nest
as Buster Keaton
1922
The Paleface
as Little Chief Paleface
1922
The Blacksmith
as Blacksmith's Assistant
1922
Cops
as The Young Man
1922
Day Dreams
as The Young Man
1922
My Wife's Relations
as The Husband
1922
The Frozen North
as The Bad Man
1922
The Electric House
as Buster
1922
Seeing Stars
as Self
1921
Hard Luck
as Suicidal Boy
1921
The High Sign
as Our Hero
1921
The Boat
as The Boat Builder
1921
The Haunted House
as Bank Clerk
1921
The Goat
as The Goat
1921
The Play House
as Orchestra / Minstrels / Dancers / Audience / Stagehand
1920
One Week
as The Groom
1920
Convict 13
as Golfer Turned Prisoner, Guard
1920
The Scarecrow
as Farmhand
1920
Neighbors
as The Boy
1920
The Saphead
as Bertie Van Alstyne
1920
The Garage
as Mechanic / Fireman
1920
The Round-Up
as Indian (uncredited)
1919
Back Stage
as Stagehand
1919
The Hayseed
as Manager, General Store
1918
The Bell Boy
as Bellboy
1918
Good Night, Nurse!
as Dr. Hampton
1918
Out West
as Sheriff, Saloon Owner
1918
The Cook
as The Waiter (uncredited)
1918
Moonshine
as Revenue Agent
1917
Coney Island
as Rival / Cop with Moustache
1917
His Wedding Night
as Delivery boy
1917
The Rough House
as Gardener / Delivery Boy / Cop
1917
The Butcher Boy
as Buster
1917
Oh, Doctor!
as Junior Holepoke
1917
A Reckless Romeo
as Blind Organ Grinder
1917
A Country Hero
as Vaudeville Artist