Buster Keaton "Francis". His father was Joseph Hallie "Joe" Keaton, who owned a traveling show with Harry Houdini called the Mohawk Indian Medicine Company, which performed on stage and sold patent medicine on the side. According to a frequently repeated story, which may be apocryphal, Keaton acquired the nickname "Buster" at about 18 months of age. Keaton told interviewer Fletcher Markle that Houdini was present one day when the young Keaton took a tumble down a long flight of stairs without injury. After the infant sat up and shook off his experience, Houdini remarked, "That was a real buster!" According to Keaton,
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