Buster Keaton

He married Natalie Talmadge in 1921. The couple had two sons. Their relationship began to suffer after the birth of their second son and the couple divorced in 1932.

His second marriage in 1933 was with his nurse Mae Scriven. His second wife learnt of his sexual relations with another woman and divorced him.

He married again in 1940. His third wife Eleanor Norris was 23 years his junior. She had a calming effect on him and helped him control his alcoholism. The couple remained married until his death.

He was born into a vaudeville family; his father’s name was Joseph Keaton while his mother’s was Myra. His father owned a traveling show called the ‘Mohawk Indian Medicine Company’ along with Harry Houdini.

He began performing with his parents as a three year old in the act ‘The Three Keatons’, first appearing on stage in 1899. His parents performed a comedy sketch that involved the young Buster being tossed and thrown around a lot. In spite of this seemingly rough treatment, the boy was never injured.

While he was a little kid he would start laughing as his father threw him around but this did not get much laughter from the audiences. So, he developed a deadpan expression while performing which had the viewers doubled up in laughter.

His parents were often questioned by authorities and arrested for child abuse. His parents also had several brushes with the law when child performers were banned. He did not go to school; instead his mother taught him to read and write at home.

After a short stint with the 40th Infantry Division in France during the World War I, he began a career in the film industry. He was hired as a co-star and gag man by Fatty Arbuckle in 1917 and appeared in the short film ‘The Butcher Boy’.

He formed a deep professional relationship as well as a personal friendship with Arbuckle and appeared in a number of his short film productions including ‘His Wedding Night’ (1917), ‘The Bell Boy’ (1918), and ‘Backstage’ (1919).

Following his successful collaboration with Arbuckle, film executive Joseph M. Schenck gave Keaton his own production unit, Buster Keaton Comedies. He made a series of two-reel comedies which included ‘One Week’ (1920), ‘The Haunted house’ (1921), ‘The Paleface’ (1922), and ‘The Lovenest’ (1923).

He appeared in his first feature length film, ‘The Saphead’ in 1920. His performance in the film was highly appreciated and this film acted as the launch pad for his career.

In 1923, he wrote, produced and starred in ‘Our Hospitality’ which was a silent comedy that told the story of Willie McKay who gets caught in an infamous feud.

His movie, ‘The General’ was stated to be "the greatest comedy ever made, the greatest Civil War film ever made, and perhaps the greatest film ever made” by Orson Welles. The movie was neither a critical nor a commercial success at the time of its release, but now it is considered to be one of the best films of all time.