Rent Sherlock Jr. (1924)
4.2 of 5 from 70 ratings
0h 45min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- A film projectionist (and amateur detective) offers to solve the case of a missing watch, but is instead framed for the crime himself. Desperate to clear his name, the projectionist dreams of being the great Sherlock Jr. (Buster Keaton), and in one of cinemas most iconic sequences, literally steps into the screen to bring his fantasies to life.
- Actors:
- Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton, Erwin Connelly, Ward Crane, Jane Connelly, George Davis, Doris Deane, Christine Francis, Betsy Ann Hisle, Kewpie Morgan, Steve Murphy, John Patrick, Ford West
- Directors:
- Buster Keaton
- Producers:
- Buster Keaton, Joseph M. Schenck
- Writers:
- Jean C. Havez, Joseph A. Mitchell, Clyde Bruckman
- Aka:
- Sherlock Junior / Sherlock Holmes Jr.
- Genres:
- Classics, Comedy, Romance
- Collections:
- A History of Cinemas in Films, Cinema Paradiso's 2024 Centenary Club: Part 1, Holidays Film Collection, New waves of Polish Cinema, A Brief History of Film..., The Last Laugh: The Film That Changed Cinema, Top 10 Screen Kisses (1896-1979), Top 100 AFI Laughs, Top Films, What to watch by country
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 12/08/2019
- Run Time:
- 45 minutes
- Languages:
- English LPCM Mono, Silent
- Subtitles:
- None
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Sherlock, Jr. - Original score by Timothy Brock
- Audio commentary on Sherlock, Jr. by film historian David Kalat
- Buster Keaton: The Genius Crushed by Hollywood (52 mins) - a documentary on Keaton and his struggles working within the Hollywood studio system
- A video interview with Peter Kramer, author of BFI Film Classics: The General
- Buster Keaton on Wagon Train (58 mins) - an audio recording of a then 63-year old Buster Keaton in conversation with television writer Bill Cox
- Sherlock, Jr. - Tour of Filming Locations video piece
- Sherlock, Jr. - Movie Magic and Mysteries video piece
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Reviews (2) of Sherlock Jr.
Amazing stunts. - Sherlock Jr. review by LJ
Despite a thin plot, this silent movie packs a punch nearly 100 years later with wall-to-wall shocking stunts.
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Sherlock Jr. - Sherlock Jr. review by Steve
Buster Keaton perfected his Great Stoneface persona over years in vaudeville and dozens of shorts dating back to 1917. By Sherlock Jr. he was at his peak. He plays a projectionist who aspires to be a detective. Unfortunately he is fitted up by his unscrupulous rival for a girl to appear the thief of her father's pocket watch.
Then Buster falls asleep while showing a film about a jewel thief, and dreams that he enters the screen and solves the crime. As it is a dream, the events become increasingly surreal. Other silent comics used incongruous back projection, but here Buster interacts with his fantasy, distorting the events.
It's a brilliant set up. Keaton was also an extraordinary physical comedian, and the action is full of amazing acrobatics. Like when he stands on a huge water-pipe as it swings across the road and deposits him in the passenger seat of a getaway car. Which actually broke his neck...
The contrast between Keaton's deadpan exterior and his outrageous escapades is the key to his comedy. It is hard to watch Keaton's extravagant, show-stopping stunts and not be overwhelmed by his ambition and craft. He is the most enterprising and gifted of all the '20s comedians. Sherlock Jr. is his masterpiece.
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