Eleanor Keaton | |
|---|---|
 Keaton in 1965 | |
| Born | Eleanor Ruth Norris July 29, 1918 Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Died | October 19, 1998 (aged 80) |
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| Spouse | |
| Relatives | Joe Keaton (father-in-law) Myra Keaton (mother-in-law) |
Eleanor Ruth Keaton (July 29, 1918 – October 19, 1998) was an American dancer and variety show performer. She was an MGM contract dancer in her teens and became the third wife of silent-film comedian Buster Keaton at the age of 21. She is credited with rehabilitating her husband's life and career. The two performed at the Cirque Medrano in Paris and on European tours in the 1950s; she also performed with him on The Buster Keaton Show in the early 1950s. After his death in 1966, she helped ensure Keaton's legacy by giving many interviews to biographers, film historians, and journalists, sharing details from his personal life and career, and also attended film festivals and celebrations honoring Keaton. In her later years, she bred champion St. Bernard dogs, was a gag consultant for Hollywood filmmakers, and was an invited speaker at silent-film screenings.