Buster Keaton

AKA:

Buster

Birth Name:

Joseph Frank Keaton

Birth Date:

October 4, 1895

Birth Place:

Piqua, Kansas

Death Date:

February 1, 1966

Place of Death:

2121 Santa Monica Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90404

Age:

Cause of Death:

Lung Cancer

Cemetery Name:

Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills

Claim to Fame:

Show Business

Associates:

Natalie Talmadge

Along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton was one of the three big stars of the Hollywood silent film era. Keaton was an American silent film actor, comedian, and director renowned for his physical comedy, deadpan expression, and innovative filmmaking. He began performing in vaudeville as a young child alongside his parents, developing a remarkable knack for slapstick and stunt work. Keaton rose to prominence in the 1920s with a series of short films and feature-length classics like The General (1926), Sherlock Jr. (1924), and Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928), which showcased his daring stunts, inventive visual gags, and impeccable comic timing. Often referred to as “The Great Stone Face” for his stoic on-screen persona, Keaton was also a pioneering director who pushed the boundaries of cinematic storytelling and physical comedy. Despite a career downturn in the 1930s, he experienced a resurgence later in life, earning recognition for his contributions to film history.

Fun Facts

Keaton was born into a vaudeville family: His father, also Joseph, was a performer and actor who worked with Harry Houdini. Buster himself joined the family business and began performing with his parents on stage at the age of three; they were known as The Three Keatons.

The nickname “Buster” has been attributed to Harry Houdini, who was indeed friends of the family and Buster’s godfather. However, it is only a myth, the truth can been found in Marion Meade’s book Cut to The Chase. A friend of the family, George Pardy ( a vaudeville comedian), watched Buster fall down a flight of stairs and exclaimed, “Gee whiz he’s a regular Buster”.

On the set of The Electric House (1922), he broke his ankle. On Sherlock Jr.(1924), Keaton broke his neck—and somehow he didn’t even realize it. A water spout knocked him unconscious on train tracks, and despite suffering from headaches, he didn’t know the extent of the damage until years later when an X-ray revealed the breakage.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills

6300 Forest Lawn Drive

Los Angeles, California, 90068

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, CA

Grave Location:

Court of Valor, Lot 5512, Space 3

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery, stay to the right on Memorial Drive and then take a left at the 3rd intersection onto Memory Lane. Park at the first set of steps on your right (directly across from the fake Old North Church building). As you begin to walk up the steps towards the fake George Washington statue STOP! Turn to your right and walk 7 grave markers along the 6 foot wall for the final resting place of silent film legend Buster Keaton.