Maybe he would have had a great career going by his birth name, Joseph Frank Keaton. But using the name "Buster" is part of what propelled him to the top of the movie business in its early days.
"The Great Stone" face made quite a mark in the silent movie age, and continued his work well into the age of talkies.
Many makers of funny movies in later years cited him as influence; we get a full biography in James Curtis's Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker's Life.
For a guy who didn't say much, he still commands a lot of notice.
James Curtis joins us to talk about Buster Keaton's remarkable career.