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Sherlock Jr.

1133 votes

A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meager skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend's father's pocketwatch.

Status: Released

Released Date: 1924-04-17

Runtime: 45 mins

Director: Buster Keaton

Spoken language: No Language

Genres: Action, Comedy, Mystery

Original title: Sherlock Jr.

Production Companies: Metro Pictures Corporation

Production Countries: United States of America

Cast

Projectionist / Sherlock, Jr.

Buster Keaton

Girl

Kathryn McGuire

Girl's Father / Man on Film Screen

Joe Keaton

Hired Man / Butler

Erwin Connelly

Sheik / Villain

Ward Crane

Girl Who Loses Dollar Outside Cinema (uncredited)

Doris Deane

Candy Store Girl (uncredited)

Christine Francis

Conspirator (uncredited)

George Davis

Conspirator (uncredited)

Kewpie Morgan

Conspirator (uncredited)

Steve Murphy

Conspirator (uncredited)

John Patrick

Little Girl (uncredited)

Betsy Ann Hisle

Theatre Manager / Gillette (uncredited)

Ford West

Reviews

Geronimo1967

What a superbly intricate piece of comedic cinema this is. Keaton is a down-at-heel cinema projectionist who fancies himself as a budding "Sherlock Holmes". When a love-rival manages to frame him for pinching his (rather fickle) girlfriend's father's watch his life seems to have lost all purpose... Only when he returns to his cinema and runs that evening's movie does he doze off and dream his way into the film - this time as a brilliant detective calmly dealing with poison, explosives and dastardly cunning plots as he effortlessly solves the crime - some stolen pearls - and gets the girl! The story flows perfectly; the timing precise, the illusions almost circus-like but sophisticatedly so; no slapstick swinging planks and 8-foot puddles; just some intelligent humour and the odd, clever, use of special effects that create some sympathy for the initially rather pathetic hero! As much as to the imagery, this owes much to the score which the Club Foot Orchestra deliver setting a great pace for the shenanigans on screen.

2022-06-06

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