Buster Keaton up to provide replacements, as happened to some other late-arriving divisions. During his time in uniform, he suffered an ear infection that permanently impaired his hearing. In February 1917, Keaton met Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle at the Talmadge Studios in New York City, where Arbuckle was under contract to Joseph M. Schenck. Joe Keaton disapproved of films, and Buster also had reservations about the medium. During his first meeting with Arbuckle, he asked to borrow one of the cameras to get a feel for how it worked. He took the camera back to his hotel room and dismantled and reassembled it.
International Buster Keaton Society Eryn Leedale Merwart. Past presidents include Patricia Eliot Tobias (twice), Susan Buhrman, and Bob Borgen. Buster's Keaton's granddaughter, Melissa Talmadge-Cox, is a member of the group's board of directors. The Damfinos' convention is held annually in Muskegon, Michigan. The group has also led a campaign to save Buster's childhood baseball field in Muskegon, Michigan. International Buster Keaton Society The International Buster Keaton Society Inc.— a.k.a. "The Damfinos"—is the official educational organization dedicated to comedy film producer-director-writer-actor-stuntman Buster Keaton. According to the Damfinos, their mission is "to foster and perpetuate appreciation and understanding of the life, career and films of comedian/filmmaker