Buster Keaton ever made. Keaton was recognized as the seventh-greatest film director by "Entertainment Weekly", and the American Film Institute ranked him in 1999 as the 21st greatest male star of classic Hollywood cinema. Keaton was born into a vaudeville family in Piqua, Kansas, the small town where his mother, Myra Keaton ("née" Cutler), was when she went into labor. He was named "Joseph" to continue a tradition on his father's side (he was sixth in a line bearing the name Joseph Keaton) and "Frank" for his maternal grandfather, who disapproved of his parents' union. Later, Keaton changed his middle name to
International Buster Keaton Society bringing greater public attention to Keaton’s life and work, the membership includes many individuals from the world of entertainment and the arts: actors, producers, authors, artists, graphic novelists, musicians, and designers, as well as those who simply admire the magic of Buster Keaton. The Society’s nickname, the “Damfinos,” is named after the boats in two of Keaton films: the 1921 comedy The Boat, and the 1927 feature film College. The Damfinos have been profiled periodically in media outlets, such as the Seven Chances (1925) "Bridal Run"—where Keaton is chased by a mob of angry brides was recreated in the streets