Buster Keaton – The Great Stoneface
Buster Keaton was a genius. A hundred years ago he was the founding father of visual comedy in the then new film industry. He was extremely popular through his gags and stunts, which he all did himself, often leading to major injuries, even more to better scenes. While acting he kept his face straight and emotionless, the deadpan posture that for instance Bill Murray adopted in his career 50 years later.
Deadpan
That expression , the deadpan face, made people call Buster the Great Stoneface. Look at his movie The General, his masterpiece, to see the tricks he plays with that train. Just amazing. Story, pantomime, gags, tears and joy come together in an enormous mass production Hollywood had not seen yet before! He set the tone for many to follow!