Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton was "The Great Stone Face" of silent comedy, seamlessly blending slapstick comedy with thrilling action sequences, all done with a stoic expression. After honing his skills in vaudeville, Keaton transitioned to silent film in the 1920s and quickly became known for his acrobatic stunts and deadpan humor. Keaton's most enduring feature-length films are in the public domain and available to watch for free, including Our Hospitality (1923), The Navigator (1924), Sherlock Jr. (1924), Seven Chances (1925), The General (1926), The Cameraman (1928), and Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928). He not only starred in but directed all of these great silent films, sometimes with a co-director. Keaton signed a deal with MGM at the start of the sound era and lost creative control. In the 1930s he went through a tumultuous divorce and battled alcoholism. Late in his career, he made cameo appearances and received an Academy Honorary Award in 1959 "for his unique talents which brought immortal comedies to the screen". His legacy as a comedic genius and visionary filmmaker has only grown over time, with subsequent generations of filmmakers and audiences discovering the timeless appeal of his work.