"Knoxville and Keaton each filmed the scene without any tricks. Keaton who never used stunt doubles for his extremely dangerous action scenes used an authentic two-ton facade, with a nail on the ground marking the precise place where he had to stand. If he had moved even a couple of inches, the result could have been dramatic. It's a classic sequence that Jackie Chan, Shrek and even The Simpsons have paid homage to."
"During the filming of The Electric House (1922), his shoe got caught in an escalator and his foot was crushed. In Our Hospitality (1923), he nearly drowned while shooting a river scene. In The General (1926), he was knocked out from the force of a cannon being fired. He broke his nose in that same film. And he broke his neck while filming a scene for Sherlock Jr. (1924), but he got up and kept going as if nothing had happened."
Buster Keaton performed his own highly dangerous stunts without doubles, relying on precise timing and physical skill. The collapsing facade in Steamboat Bill, Jr. used a two-ton front and a nail marking the exact standing spot. Keaton endured numerous injuries on set, including a crushed foot, near-drowning, a cannon-related knockout, a broken nose, and a broken neck, yet often continued performing. An ear infection during World War I nearly caused deafness. Keaton's high tolerance for pain and commitment to practical stunts influenced subsequent performers and inspired homages across film and popular culture.
Read at english.elpais.com
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