Sherlock Holmes 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) (as Jean Havez), Joseph A. Mitchell (story) (as Joe Mitchell)

Stars:

Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton

Top Rated Movies #168 | 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 meek and mild projectionist, who also cleans up after screenings, would like nothing better than to be a private detective. He becomes engaged to a pretty girl but a ladies man known as the Sheik vies for her affection. He gets rid of the projectionist by stealing a pocket watch belonging to the girl's father - which he pawns to buy her an expensive box of candy. He then slips the pawn ticket into the projectionist's pocket and subsequently is found by the police. He doesn't have much luck but in his dreams, he the debonair and renowned detective Sherlock Jr. who faces danger and solves the crime. In real life, the girl solves crimes quickly.

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Plot Keywords:

false accusation | surrealism | national film registry | pawn ticket | pocket watch | 

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Taglines:

every inch of footage holds such a laugh!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

M/6

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 April 1926 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Sherlock Holmes Jr.

Filming Locations:

3630 Pasadena Ave, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$977,375

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

For the sequence in which Buster Keaton's "dream-self" enters the "movie within a movie," Keaton employed the power of suggestion. He shot an actual movie featuring Ward Crane and Kathryn McGuire in a living room setting. As the sequence begins, the movie is playing on the theater movie screen. The film cuts back and forth between Buster sleeping in the projection booth, and his "dream-self" climbing on stage as the movie is showing. In the scene where Buster's "dream-self" steps through the movie screen and into the movie, the living room setting was re-created on the theater stage, and a large hole was cut in the movie screen for Keaton to step through. The actors were placed in the living room setting, creating the illusion that Buster stepped inside the movie screen to join them.

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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

Projectionist: [as Sherlock Jr., riding on the handlebars of a motorcycle, unaware the driver fell off] Be careful or one of us will get hurt.

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Alternate Versions

In 1999, Kino Video distributed a 45-minute version of this film, with a music score composed by and performed by the Club Foot Orchestra.

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Connections

Referenced in Brazil: O Outro Lado do Sonho (1985)

User Reviews

A hard act to follow

As I sat reading the other reviewers comments I wondered what I could add. Oddly enough I watched Sherlock jr only this afternoon, after so many viewings it still amazes me how far ahead of his time Buster Keaton was, often copied, rarely equalled never surpassed. I would hate to be the kind of movie fan who never watches silent or black and white movies (you'd be surprised how many there are). So if you are like that do yourself a favour, get hold of a copy of this movie and enjoy, it shocks me that films such as 'Something about Mary' are rated higher than this masterpiece of comedy, there is nothing wrong with 'SaM' even I laughed at it, but, watching it once was enough, however I watch Sherlock jr again and again in pure amazement at Buster Keaton and his cameraman, Elgin Lessley's achievements without the aid of modern technology, like most other's the scene where he dives through a window to reappear as a little old lady gobsmacks me, how did he do it? Keaton can only be described in one word, genius. I have to add that I have the Kino version on DVD with the appalling soundtrack, but, luckily I also have it with a more appropriate soundtrack, which is far superior and adds extra enjoyment to an already fabulous movie.