Myra Keaton

Myra Edith Keaton (née Cutler; March 13, 1877 – July 21, 1955) was an American vaudeville performer and film actress. She was the mother of actor Buster Keaton.

Myra Keaton
Keaton in 1900s
Born	Myra Edith Cutler (1877-03-13)March 13, 1877 Modale, Iowa, U.S.
Died	July 21, 1955(1955-07-21) (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Spouse	Joe Keaton ​ ​ (m. 1894; died 1946)​
Children	3, including Buster Keaton

Early life and career

Myra Keaton was born on March 13, 1877, in Modale, Iowa,^[1] the daughter of Frank Cutler^[2] and Sarah Elizabeth (née Shaffer). She had an older brother, Burt Melvin Cutler, and two younger half-brothers, Clinton M. Cutler and Marine (Mel) Cutler.^{[citation needed]}

As teenagers, Myra and Burt traveled and performed with their father's medicine show. Joe Keaton joined the show while they traveled through Oklahoma Territory in 1893. Myra and Joe married on May 31, 1894, and began performing together in various medicine shows and vaudeville. Their children were actor Buster Keaton (né Joseph Frank Keaton), Harry Keaton and Louise Keaton.^[3] At the age of four, Buster officially joined the family's vaudeville act, which was billed as "The Three Keatons". Myra and Buster left the act in 1917, as a result of problems arising from Joe Keaton's drinking.^[4]

Six-year-old Buster Keaton (left) with his parents Myra (right) and Joe Keaton (middle) during a vaudeville act

All members of the Keaton family occasionally appeared in Buster's silent and sound comedies. Although estranged in later years, Myra remained married to Joe until Joe's death in 1946.

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1921	The Goat	Minor role	Short, uncredited
1922	The Electric House	Buster’s Mother in Prologues
1935	Palooka from Paducah	Ma Diltz	Short
	Way Up Thar	Molly 'Maw' Kurtz
1936	The Brain Busters
1937	Love Nest on Wheels	Elmer's ma
1963	The Sound of Laughter	Molly ‘Maw’ Kurtz (Hillbilly Smoking Pipe)	Archive footage, Posthumous release

Death

Keaton died on July 21, 1955, in Los Angeles, California, aged 78. She is buried at Glen Haven Memorial Park in Sylmar, California.^[1]