Sherlock Jr. (1924)

A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meagre skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend's father's pocketwatch.

Director:

Buster Keaton

Writers:

Jean C. Havez (story), Joseph A. Mitchell (story),

Stars:

Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Buster Keaton	...	Projectionist / Sherlock, Jr.
Kathryn McGuire	...	The Girl
Joe Keaton	...	The Girl's Father / Man on film screen
Erwin Connelly	...	The Hired Man / The Butler
Ward Crane	...	The Local Sheik / The Villain

Storyline

A projectionist is studying to be a detective and is in love with a young lady. When he proposes her, his rival steals the chain watch of her father and incriminates him. The disappointed young projectionist returns to his job and while projecting the film, he dreams on being the detective of the story. Meanwhile, the girl finds the truth and acquits the guilty of the projectionist to her father.

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Plot Keywords:

projectionist | amateur detective | slapstick comedy | chase | jungle | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

21 April 1924 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sherlock Holmes jr.

Filming Locations:

Larchmont Blvd. near Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Buster Keaton Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min 49 min (1924)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Following his "entrance" into the "movie within a movie," the scenery changes around Buster Keaton very quickly, as if the movie is changing scenes with quick edits. (He suddenly finds himself on a crowded city street, in the jungle confronted by lions, on a rock in the middle of the ocean, etc.) Keaton later recalled that his cameraman, Byron Houck, had used surveying instruments to position him and the camera at the exact correct distances and positions to give the illusion of continuity as the scenes changed.

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Goofs

After Sherlock Jr spins the fence around placing his pursuers behind it, he puts a crossbar across the gate to stop them coming back. In the next shot as he leaves the alley, the crossbar is no longer visible on the fence.

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Quotes

Girl Who Loses Dollar Outside Cinema: I lost a dollar. Did you find it?
Projectionist: [points to the trash pile] In there?
Girl Who Loses Dollar Outside Cinema: Yes, did you?
Projectionist: [nods reluctantly, pulls it out] Describe it.
Girl Who Loses Dollar Outside Cinema: [gestures] This long.
[Buster checks it]
Girl Who Loses Dollar Outside Cinema: This wide.
[he checks again, she makes a bird with her hands, he checks and hands it over]

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Connections

Featured in The Story of Film: An Odyssey: Episode #1.2 (2011)

User Reviews

A rare treat :)

I have to say that this is by far Keaton's finest work. I have seen and own about 19 of his films/short films and this is the one that truly stands out.

It is rare these days to find a comedy which will make you laugh each and every time you see it. Yet this one, to me, seems not only to be able to do this but also to get BETTER the more you watch it.

The physical comedy, sight gags and insane stunts never cease to amaze me. That is what I love about Buster, the fact he did his own stunts shows that he was a great believer in producing a film that was genuine, that didnt try to trick or fool it's audience.

I find it sad that today most people seem to think that comedy is about dialouge and punch lines, when it is clear from film master pieces such as Sherlock Jr. that this is not true. Silent movies are not to be ignored just because they are 'old', when I watch many of them they feel as fresh as any new comedy - if not more so.

So thank-you Buster!