Buster Keaton - Sherlock Jr. 1924
Sherlock, Jr. (1924) is an American silent comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton and written by Clyde Bruckman, Jean Havez and Joseph A. Mitchell. It features Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton and Ward Crane.
In 1991, Sherlock, Jr. was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," and on June 14, 2000 the American Film Institute, as part of its AFI 100 Years... series, ranked the film as #62 in the list of the funniest films of all time (AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs).
Keaton spent more time shooting this film than most of his others, due to the elaborate stunts and effects. Due to poor reception at previews, Keaton cut the film down a couple times. Thus, Sherlock, Jr. is shorter than his other features.
Keaton was injured while filming the stunt in which he hangs from a water tower tube used for replenishing the steam locomotive's water supply. The water poured out and knocked him onto the track, severely fracturing his neck. It was not until the 1930s that a doctor discovered the healed break during a routine examination. At that point, Buster recalled having agonizing headaches for a few days following the accident.
Keaton's Projectionist appears to walk into the movie screen, an early example of a film within a film. The scene shifted back and forth several times from the projectionist's booth to the movie. For the last shift, instead of the movie being projected onto the screen, there was a stage with live actors, designed to replicate the look of the movie. Therefore, Buster actually entered the stage, but created the illusion of joining the movie. Afterward, the scenery around him changes abruptly several times. In the 1940s, Keaton revealed that he and his cameraman had used surveyor's instruments to position him and the camera at exactly the right distances and positions to provide the illusion of continuity.
The encounter with the traffic cop was filmed on Larchmont Blvd. near Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles.
Directed by Buster Keaton
Uncredited:
Fatty Arbuckle
Produced by Joseph M. Schenck
Buster Keaton
Written by Clyde Bruckman
Jean Havez
Joseph A. Mitchell
Starring:
Buster Keaton as Projectionist / Sherlock, Jr.
Kathryn McGuire as The Girl
Joe Keaton as The Girl's Father
Erwin Connelly as The Hired Man / The Butler
Ward Crane as The Local Sheik / The Villain
- published: 01 Sep 2013
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