13. Buster Keaton
There is a school of thought among many film historians and critics that Buster Keaton and not Charlie Chaplin was greatest screen comedian of the silent age. While not nearly as influential or as popular as Chaplin, Keaton undeniably holds a lofty place in the annals of American film. Born into a family of performers, Keaton honed his craft at an early age by working in Vaudeville with his parents. He began the transition to film in the late 1910's and after a few years of well-received shorts, he began writing, directing, and starring in his own movies in the 1920's. His output over the next ten years ranks among the greatest stretches of directorial mastery in film history. From 1923 to 1928 he turned out classics like Our Hospitality, Sherlock Jr., The General, and Steamboat Bill among others. After the financial failure of The General, Keaton lost much of his artistic independence and being as dependent as he was on improvisation and spontaneity as he was, his career never quite recovered. Still, his body of work from the 20's more than earns him a place in the cinematic pantheon. His legendary stone-face persona is one of the most memorable in film history and while he didn't contribute much new to the cinematic form as a director, he was responsible for some of the greatest films of the silent era and had an indelible impact on comedic films in particular.