Why did Buster Keaton never smile in his movies?

Answer 1

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That was part of his "Character"

Film critic David Thomson later described Keaton's style of comedy: "Buster plainly is a man inclined towards a belief in nothing but mathematics and absurdity ... like a number that has always been searching for the right equation. 

Look at his face—as beautiful but as inhuman as a butterfly—and you see that utter failure to identify sentiment."[49] 

Gilberto Perez commented on "Keaton's genius as an actor to keep a face so nearly deadpan 

and yet render it, by subtle inflections, so vividly expressive of inner life. 

His large, deep eyes are the most eloquent feature; with merely a stare, he can convey a wide range of emotions, from longing to mistrust, from puzzlement to sorrow."[50] Critic Anthony Lane also noted Keaton's body language: 

watch this documentary on him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DIFq-qnVkk