The MGM studio fires slapstick star Buster Keaton on this day in 1933, on the grounds of Keaton's alleged excessive drinking. As a child, Keaton performed in vaudeville, then went on to star in silent films, where his skillful physical comedy reduced audiences to tears of laughter. Keaton enjoyed creative control over his own work until he joined MGM in 1928. After joining MGM, his career deteriorated. He was divorced from his wife of 11 years in 1932, landed smaller and smaller film roles, and in 1937 he entered a psychiatric clinic. However, after more than a decade in decline, he staged a successful comeback in the 1950s.