Buster Keaton Buster Keaton Born October 4, 1895 Piqua, Kansas, USA Died February 1, 1966 Woodland Hills, California, USA Joseph Frank Keaton Jr. (October 4, 1895 - February 1, 1966), always known as Buster Keaton, was a popular and influential American silent-film comic actor and filmmaker. His trademark was physical comedy with a stoic, deadpan expression on his face, earning him the nickname The Great Stone Face. His innovative work as a director made great contributions to the development of the art of cinema. A 2002 world-wide poll by Sight and Sound ranked Keaton's The General as the 15th best film of all time. Three other Keaton films received votes in the survey: Our Hospitality, Sherlock, Jr., and The Navigator.