Alfred Hitchcock vs Buster Keaton
Two child prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Alfred Hitchcock | Buster Keaton | |
| Field | Film | Film |
| Sub-field | Screenwriter | Director |
| Born | 1899 | 1895 |
| Died | 1980 | 1966 |
| Country of birth | United Kingdom | United States |
| Star sign | Leo | Libra |
Who they are
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born on August 13, 1899, in Leytonstone, a quiet district of east London, to a greengrocer and his wife. He was a shy, overweight child who found that stories — their architecture, their capacity to generate unease — interested him more than almost anything else. His father once sent him to the local police station with a note, and the duty officer locked him in a cell for five minutes as a lesson in what happens to naughty boys. Hitchcock later described this as the defining trauma of his life, the…
Full biography of Alfred Hitchcock →
Buster Keaton
Vaudeville at 3 · "The Great Stone Face" · The General — greatest silent film Born into a vaudeville family · Never smiled on screen · Performed every stunt himself Born October 4, 1895 · Piqua, Kansas · Died February 1, 1966
Full biography of Buster Keaton →
What they share
- Both are held here under Film.
- Near contemporaries - 4 years apart.
- Their lifetimes overlap.
Where they part
- Born in different countries: United Kingdom and United States.
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Alfred Hitchcock or Buster Keaton?
- Buster Keaton. Alfred Hitchcock was born in 1899, Buster Keaton in 1895.
- What field is each of them in?
- Alfred Hitchcock is filed under Film (Screenwriter). Buster Keaton is filed under Film (Director).
- Were they contemporaries?
- Yes - their lifetimes overlap.