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
Buster Keaton Cellulose acetate film from deteriorating nitrate film stock. On April 3, 1957, Keaton was surprised by Ralph Edwards for the weekly NBC program "This Is Your Life". The program also promoted the release of the biographical film "The Buster Keaton Story" with Donald O'Connor. In December 1958, Keaton was a guest star in the episode "A Very Merry Christmas" of "The Donna Reed Show" on ABC. He returned to the program in 1965 in the episode "Now You See It, Now You Don't". In August 1960, Keaton played mute King Sextimus the Silent in the national touring company of the