The effete son of a cantankerous riverboat captain comes to join his father's crew.
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Title: Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
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1 win & 1 nomination.
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Edit
Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Buster Keaton | ... | William Canfield Jr. | |
| Tom McGuire | ... | J.J. King | |
| Ernest Torrence | ... | William 'Steamboat Bill' Canfield | |
 |
Tom Lewis | ... | Tom Carter - First and Last Mate |
| Marion Byron | ... | Kitty King - King's Daughter | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
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Storyline
Following through on a promise to his mother, William Canning Jr. goes to River Junction to meet his father who has not seen him since he was a child. The younger Canning isn't quite what the elder was expecting but the old man has bigger problems. He's being put out of business by J.J. King, who not only owns the local hotel and bank, but has recently introduced a new paddle wheel steamer that puts Cannings older boat, the Stonewall Jackson, to shame. Bill Jr. and Kitty King take a liking to each other much to the dismay of both of their fathers. When a fierce storm hits River Junction, Bill Jr. is forced to save Kitty, her father and his father. Written by garykmcd
Plot Keywords:
hurricane | riverboat | forbidden love | father son relationship | national film registry |Taglines:
Buster's gayest comedy opus - simply bursting with gals, guile and gales of laughter! See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
20 May 1928 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
El héroe del río See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
SilentColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
This film has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 27 critic reviews. See more »Goofs
Just before the house facade falls on Keaton, a stagehand can be seen through the first floor window giving it an extra push. See more »Quotes
William Canfield Jr.: [to his father] I know what it is, you're ashamed of my baking.See more »
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This fun Buster Keaton film finds the citified Keaton returning home to his dear 'ol pa for the first time since he was a baby. His dad runs a quaint (meaning ramshackle) steamboat, and wants the ill-equipped William Jr. to help run it. Meanwhile, William falls in love with the daughter of his dad's arch rival. None of this really matters, and it's all set up for an extended hurricane sequence that gives Keaton the chance to show off his usual bag of fancy and dangerous stunts. The effects in this one are impressive, given the fact that nothing is fake. And how Keaton didn't kill himself making his movies is anybody's guess. This is the one that features the famous shot of a house facade falling on Keaton, who's saved only by the fact that he happens to be standing in the same exact spot as the facade's open window.
As it happens, one of the movie's funniest moments comes not during one of Keaton's stunts, but rather during a scene in which Keaton is trying to smuggle some tools to his jailed father, using one of the biggest loafs of bread I've ever seen.
Grade: A