Action Chronology

Buster Keaton is more known for his comedic skills, adding to the slapstick genre. In doing so however, he pioneered the stuntman motif. A self-confessed adrenaline junkie, he risked his life many times for stunts that were presented on the bigscreen, thereby creating the action set-piece and enlivening viewership through the real-life danger and high-risk dangers of his stunts. In the General, he leapt from an actual speeding train and was dragged. It set a template for his future films, but showed the high-risk stunts were something that could draw in crowds and informed the action genre. Buster Keaton is a huge influence on the likes of Jackie Chan.