''Sherlock Jr.'' is a 1924 American
silent comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
directed by and starring
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...
and written by
Clyde Bruckman
Clyde Adolf Bruckman (June 30, 1894January 4, 1955) was an American writer and director of comedy films during the late Silent film, silent era as well as the early sound era of cinema. Bruckman collaborated with such comedians as Buster Keaton, ...
,
Jean Havez
Jean Constant Havez (December 24, 1872 – February 11, 1925) was an American writer of novelty songs, vaudeville skits, and silent era comedy films. During his film career, Havez worked with comedians Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd.
Career
...
, and Joseph A. Mitchell. It features
Kathryn McGuire
Kathryn McGuire (December 6, 1903 – October 10, 1978) was an American dancer and actress.
Early life
Born in Peoria, Illinois, McGuire was said to be recognized by critics and fans alike as one of the rising stars in film. Selected one of ...
,
Joe Keaton
Joseph Hallie Keaton (July 6, 1867 – January 13, 1946) was an American vaudeville performer and silent film actor. He was the father of actor Buster Keaton and appeared with his son in several films.
Life and career
Keaton was born a few mile ...
, and
Ward Crane
Ward Crane (May 18, 1890 – July 21, 1928) was an American silent film actor popular in comedies and dramas. Out of dozens of films, he is remembered as the handsome heavy to Buster Keaton's hero in ''Sherlock Jr.'' (1924).
Crane died aged ...
.
In 1991, ''Sherlock Jr.'' was selected for preservation in the United States
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception i ...
by the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." In 2000, the
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
, as part of its
AFI 100 Years... series, ranked the film #62 in its list of the funniest films of all time (
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs).
Plot
Buster is a movie theater projectionist and janitor. When the cinema is empty, he reads a book on How to be a Detective. He is in love with a beautiful loveable girl. However, he has a rival, the "local sheik". Neither has much money. He finds a dollar note in the garbage he swept up in the lobby. He takes it and adds it to the $2 he has. A girl comes and says that she lost a dollar. He gives it back. But then a sad old woman also says that she lost a dollar, so he gives that also, leaving himself with $1. A man comes and searches the garbage and finds a wallet full of money.
The projectionist buys a $1 box of chocolates, all he can afford, and changes the price to $4 before giving it to her at her house. He later gives her a ring.
The sheik comes into the house and steals the girl's father's
pocket watch
A pocket watch (or pocketwatch) is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a watch, wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist.
They were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wr ...
and pawns it for $4. With the money, he buys a $3 box of chocolates for the girl. When the father notices that his watch is missing, the sheik slips the pawn ticket into the projectionist's pocket unnoticed. The projectionist, studying to be a detective, offers to solve the crime, but when the pawn ticket is found in his pocket, he is banished from the girl's home.
However, when the sheik leaves, he walks closely behind him and shadows every movement. The girl takes the pawn ticket to the pawnbroker and asks him to describe who pawned it. He points to the sheik outside.
While showing a film (advertised in the lobby as "Hearts and Pearls") about the theft of a
pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
necklace, the projectionist falls asleep and dreams that he enters the movie as a detective, Sherlock Jr. The other actors are replaced by the projectionist's "real" acquaintances. The dream begins with the theft being committed by the villain with the aid of the butler. The girl's father calls for the world's greatest detective, and Sherlock Jr. arrives.
Fearing that they will be caught, the villain and the butler attempt to kill Sherlock through several traps, poison, and an elaborate pool game with an exploding 13 ball. When these fail, the villain and butler try to escape. Sherlock Jr. tracks them down to a warehouse but is outnumbered by the gang to which the villain was selling the necklace. During the confrontation, Sherlock discovers that they have kidnapped the girl. With the help of his assistant, Gillette, Sherlock Jr. manages to save the girl, and after a car chase, manages to defeat the gang.
When he awakens, the girl shows up to tell him that she and her father learned the identity of the real thief after she went to the pawn shop to see who actually pawned the pocket watch. As a reconciliation scene happens to be playing on the screen, the projectionist mimics the actor's romantic behavior.
Cast
*
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...
as Projectionist / Sherlock Jr. – A poor, young projectionist who wants to marry The Girl. He has an interest in being a detective and when he falls asleep, he dreams of being Sherlock Jr., the world's greatest detective.
*
Kathryn McGuire
Kathryn McGuire (December 6, 1903 – October 10, 1978) was an American dancer and actress.
Early life
Born in Peoria, Illinois, McGuire was said to be recognized by critics and fans alike as one of the rising stars in film. Selected one of ...
as The Girl – The daughter of a fairly wealthy man, whom the Projectionist is in love with. In the dream, she must be saved by Sherlock Jr.
*
Joe Keaton
Joseph Hallie Keaton (July 6, 1867 – January 13, 1946) was an American vaudeville performer and silent film actor. He was the father of actor Buster Keaton and appeared with his son in several films.
Life and career
Keaton was born a few mile ...
as The Girl's Father – A man who is wealthier than most. He does not want his daughter marrying a thief. In the dream, he is a very rich man.
*
Erwin Connelly Erwin may refer to:
People Given name
* Erwin Chargaff (1905–2002), Austrian biochemist
* Erwin Dold (1919–2012), German concentration camp commandant in World War 2
* Erwin Hauer (1926–2017), Austrian-born American sculptor
* Egon Erwin Kisc ...
as The Hired Man / The Butler – A hired man of the girl's father. In the dream, he is a co-conspirator in the theft of the necklace.
*
Ward Crane
Ward Crane (May 18, 1890 – July 21, 1928) was an American silent film actor popular in comedies and dramas. Out of dozens of films, he is remembered as the handsome heavy to Buster Keaton's hero in ''Sherlock Jr.'' (1924).
Crane died aged ...
as The Local Sheik / The Villain – A poor scoundrel that has his eyes for the girl. He steals the pocket watch, and in the dream, he is the villain who steals the necklace.
* Ford West as Theatre Manager /
Gillette
Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G).
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gil ...
, Sherlock's assistant – The projectionist's boss in the real world. In the dream, he is the assistant. (uncredited)
* Jane Connelly as The Mother (uncredited)
*
George Davis as Conspirator (uncredited)
*
Doris Deane
Doris Anita Dibble (January 20, 1901 – March 24, 1974) was an actress who appeared in films. She supported Al St. John in comedy roles.
Early life
Deane was born in 1901 in Wisconsin.
Marriage to Roscoe Arbuckle
She married film director ...
as Girl Who Loses Dollar Outside Cinema (uncredited)
* Christine Francis as Candy Store Girl (uncredited)
*
Betsy Ann Hisle
Betsy Ann Hisle (born Juanita J. Hisle; May 30, 1917 – September 20, 1978) was an American child actress. She is best known for appearing in ''Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Model'' (1924), ''The Way of All Flesh
''The Way of All Fl ...
as Little Girl (uncredited)
*
Kewpie Morgan
Kewpie Morgan (born Horace Allen Morgan, February 1, 1892 – September 24, 1956) was an American silent film comedian who also performed in a few early sound films. He appeared in 99 films from 1915 to 1936. He appeared in the films of such comed ...
as Conspirator (uncredited)
* Steve Murphy as Conspirator (uncredited)
* John Patrick as Conspirator (uncredited)
Production
Originally titled ''The Misfit'', production began in January 1924 in Los Angeles. Keaton later said that his character walking onto the screen and into a film was "the reason for making the whole picture... Just that one situation." After previously casting her in ''
Three Ages
''Three Ages'' is a 1923 black-and-white American feature-length silent comedy film starring comedian Buster Keaton and Wallace Beery. The first feature Keaton wrote, directed, produced, and starred in (unlike ''The Saphead'', in which he only ...
'', Keaton cast
Marion Harlan Marion may refer to:
People
*Marion (given name)
* Marion (surname)
* Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion"
* Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992)
Places Antarctica
* M ...
as the lead actress, but she became sick and was replaced by up-and-coming
Keystone Studios
Keystone Studios was an early film studio founded in Edendale, California (which is now a part of Echo Park) on July 4, 1912 as the Keystone Pictures Studio by Mack Sennett with backing from actor-writer Adam Kessel (1866–1946) and Charle ...
actress
Kathryn McGuire
Kathryn McGuire (December 6, 1903 – October 10, 1978) was an American dancer and actress.
Early life
Born in Peoria, Illinois, McGuire was said to be recognized by critics and fans alike as one of the rising stars in film. Selected one of ...
, who had previously starred in ''The Silent Call'' and was a
WAMPAS Baby Star of 1923.
Keaton initially hired
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (; March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked w ...
as his co-director for the film. Keaton had been discovered by Arbuckle, whose career was at a standstill after being accused of raping
Virginia Rappe
Virginia Caroline Rappe (; July 7, 1891 – September 9, 1921) was an American model and silent film actress. Working mostly in bit parts, Rappe died after attending a party with actor Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, who was accused of manslaughter a ...
in 1921. During the scandal and court case, Arbuckle had lost his mansion and cars and was in debt for $750,000. Keaton wanted to help his old friend and hired Arbuckle under the pseudonym "William Goodrich". It is believed that the idea for the film was a tribute to Oscar Heinrich, the forensic scientist involved in the rape trial against Arbuckle. Filming began well and Arbuckle was happy to be back on set, but after Keaton corrected a mistake that Arbuckle had made, his attitude changed dramatically.
Arbuckle became angry and abusive on set, yelling at actors and according to Keaton becoming "flushed and mad...
he scandal
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
just changed his disposition." In his autobiography, Keaton claimed that Arbuckle was difficult to work with and he arranged for him to direct ''
The Red Mill
''The Red Mill'' is an operetta written by Victor Herbert, with a libretto by Henry Blossom. The farcical story concerns two American vaudevillians who wreak havoc at an inn in Holland, interfering with two marriages; but all ends well. The musica ...
'' instead so that Keaton could complete the film alone. ''The Red Mill'' did not begin production until 1927. Arbuckle's second wife
Doris Deane
Doris Anita Dibble (January 20, 1901 – March 24, 1974) was an actress who appeared in films. She supported Al St. John in comedy roles.
Early life
Deane was born in 1901 in Wisconsin.
Marriage to Roscoe Arbuckle
She married film director ...
later claimed that Arbuckle had directed the entire film and had come up with all of the ideas for the film.
The production included one of Keaton's most famous on-set accidents. In a scene where Keaton grabs a water spout while walking on a moving boxcar train, the water unexpectedly flooded down on Keaton much harder than anticipated, throwing him to the ground. The back of Keaton's neck slammed against a steel rail on the ground and caused him to black out. The pain was so intense that Keaton had to stop shooting later that day and he had "blinding headaches" for weeks afterwards, but continued working, having a well-known high threshold for physical pain.
It was not until 1935 that a doctor spotted a callus over a fracture in Keaton's top vertebra in an X-ray. The doctor informed Keaton that he had broken his neck during the accident nine years earlier and not realized it. Keaton famously always performed his own stunts, and this was not the only accident on set. In another scene, the motorcycle Keaton was riding skidded and smashed into two cameras, knocking over
Eddie Cline
Edward Francis Cline (November 4, 1891 – May 22, 1961) was an American screenwriter, actor, writer and director best known for his work with comedians W.C. Fields and Buster Keaton. He was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin and died in Hollywood, Cali ...
and throwing Keaton onto a nearby car.
''Sherlock Jr.'' was also Keaton's most complicated film for special optical effects and in-camera tricks. The film's most famous trick shot involves Keaton jumping into a small suitcase and disappearing. Keaton later said that it was an old vaudeville trick that his father had invented, and he later performed it on the ''
Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night ...
'' in 1957, but never publicly revealed how he did it. The trick was accomplished with a trap door behind the suitcase and an actor lying horizontally with long clothes hiding his absent bottom torso, which then allowed the actor to smoothly fall forward and walk as though he had always been standing vertically.
Keaton later said that they "spent an awful lot of time getting those scenes." Filming took four months, while typically it took Keaton two months to finish a feature film. The editing was also difficult and took longer than a typical Keaton film. Keaton later told film historian
Kevin Brownlow
Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...
"every cameraman in the business went to see that picture more than once trying to figure out how the hell we did some of that."
Keaton depicted an early example of a
film within a film
A story within a story, also referred to as an embedded narrative, is a literary device in which a character within a story becomes the narrator of a second story (within the first one). Multiple layers of stories within stories are sometimes c ...
in the dream sequence. Keaton's character leaves the projection room and goes down into the theater, then walks into the film being screened on the stage. Keaton later explained that this stunt was achieved through the use of lighting: "We built a stage with a big black cut-out screen. Then we built the front-row seats and orchestra pit. ... We lit the stage so it looked like a motion picture being projected on to a screen".
Keaton's character is kicked out of the film a few times but finally manages to stay in, and is then depicted in a series of different scenes including a park, a lake, and a desert, through a series of cuts. This was unique at the time because there was a continuity to the scenes and this strategy had rarely been used by filmmakers before. Keaton and his cameraman were able to do this by using surveyor's instruments to position Keaton and the camera at exactly the right distances and positions to support the illusion of continuity.
Reception
Release and critical response
Keaton first previewed the film in Long Beach, California. Although audience members gasped at some of the special effects, there were very few laughs, and Keaton began re-editing the film to make it funnier. However, the second preview screening was more disappointing than the first, and Keaton continued cutting the film down to a very short 5-reel film. Producer Joseph Schenck wanted Keaton to add another 1,000 feet of film (approximately 11 minutes), but Keaton refused.
The film was retitled ''Sherlock Jr.'' and released on April 21, 1924. It made $448,337, slightly less than ''Three Ages''. Keaton considered the film "alright
utnot one of the big ones", possibly due to the fact that it was his first real failure after a then 25-year career on stage and screen.
Adding to the film's mediocre box office, ''Sherlock Jr.'' received mixed critical reviews. It received good reviews from ''The New York Times'', which called it "one of the best screen tricks ever incorporated in a comedy", and ''
Photoplay
''Photoplay'' was one of the first American film (another name for ''photoplay'') fan magazines. It was founded in 1911 in Chicago, the same year that J. Stuart Blackton founded '' Motion Picture Story,'' a magazine also directed at fans. For mo ...
'', which called it "rare and refreshing." Other positive notices came from ''The Los Angeles Times'', ''The Washington Post'' and ''The Atlanta Constitution''. Negative reviews included ''Picture Play'', which wrote that it was devoid of "ingenuity and originality." ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' wrote it was as funny as "a hospital operating room." Edmund Wilson of ''
The New Republic
''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hum ...
'' criticized Keaton's performance for not having enough character development and the film for having too much "machinery and stunts."
Legacy
In 2005, ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' named ''Sherlock Jr.'' as one of the All-Time 100 Movies. The magazine stated "The impeccable comedian directs himself in an impeccable silent comedy... Is this, as some critics have argued, an example of primitive American surrealism? Sure. But let's not get fancy about it. It is more significantly, a great example of American minimalism—simple objects and movement manipulated in casually complex ways to generate a steadily rising gale of laughter. The whole thing is only 45 minutes long, not a second of which is wasted. In an age when most comedies are all windup and no punch, this is the most treasurable of virtues."
Film critic Dennis Schwartz wrote that ''Sherlock Jr.'' is "one of Buster's superior silent comedies that's noted for his usual deadpan humor, frolicsome slapstick, the number of very funny sight gags, the many innovative technical accomplishments and that he did his own stunts (including the dangerous one where he was hanging off a ladder connected to a huge water basin as the water poured out and washed him onto the railroad track, fracturing his neck nearly to the point of breaking it. Keaton suffered from severe migraines for years after making this movie)."
David Thomson, in ''
The New Biographical Dictionary of Film
''The New Biographical Dictionary of Film'' is a reference book written by film critic David Thomson, originally published by Martin Secker & Warburg Ltd in 1975 under the title ''A Biographical Dictionary of Cinema.'' Organized by personality, i ...
'', refers to the film as Keaton's "masterpiece" and "the most philosophically eloquent of silent comedies."
Rotten Tomatoes reports a 94% approval from 17 critics, with an average rating of 9.7/10.
In 2012, it was ranked number 61 in a list of the best-edited films of all time as selected by the members of the Motion Picture Editors Guild. It was a major influence on
Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's 1985 film ''
The Purple Rose of Cairo
''The Purple Rose of Cairo'' is a 1985 American fantasy romantic comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, and Danny Aiello. Inspired by the films ''Sherlock Jr.'' (1924) and '' Hellzapoppin (1941) ...
''. In the
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
''
Sight & Sound
''Sight and Sound'' (also spelled ''Sight & Sound'') is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). It conducts the well-known, once-a-decade ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time, ongoing ...
'' polls, it was ranked the 59th-greatest film ever made in the critics' poll.
In 2015, ''Sherlock jr.'' ranked 44th on
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
's "100 Greatest American Films" list, voted on by film critics from around the world.
Forty minutes into the film, Buster jams on the brakes of the car he is driving, causing the chassis to stop and the body to keep going. This gag was reused in the 1987 James Bond film ''
The Living Daylights
''The Living Daylights'' is a 1987 spy film, the fifteenth entry in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the first of two to star Timothy Dalton as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by John Glen, the film's ...
''.
On
January 1, 2020, the film entered into the
public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work
A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...
in the United States.
Accolades
In 1991, ''Sherlock Jr.'' was selected for preservation in the United States
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception i ...
by the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
The film was ranked 62nd on the
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
's list
AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs (2000).
See also
*
Buster Keaton filmography
This is a list of films by the American actor, comedian, and filmmaker Buster Keaton.
Short films
Starring Roscoe Arbuckle, featuring Buster Keaton
Starring Buster Keaton under Buster Keaton Productions
Starring Buster Keaton for ...
*
List of United States comedy films
This is a list of American comedy films.
Comedy films are separated into two categories: short films and feature films. Any film over 40 minutes long is considered to be of feature-length (although most feature films produced since 1950 are co ...
*
List of films featuring fictional films
A body of films feature fictional films as part of their narrative. These are also called films within films.
List of films
See also
*Story within a story
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
*
*{{cite news , last=Rapold , firs ...
References
;Bibliography
*
*
External links
*
*
*
*
*
''Sherlock Jr.''at the
International Buster Keaton Society The International Buster Keaton Society Inc.— a.k.a. "The Damfinos"—is the official educational organization dedicated to comedy film producer-director-writer-actor-stuntman Buster Keaton.
Mission
According to the Damfinos, their mission is "t ...
{{Authority control
1924 films
1924 comedy films
Silent American comedy films
American silent feature films
American black-and-white films
Films directed by Buster Keaton
Films set in a movie theatre
Metro Pictures films
United States National Film Registry films
Films produced by Joseph M. Schenck
Surviving American silent films
1920s American films