Steamboat Bill Jr.

Dir. Charles F. Reisner.
U.S. 1927.
69 mins. (Total time: 111 min.)
B&W. Musical setting by Gaylord Carter.

Flavored with Americana and loaded with cinematic inventiveness, Steamboat Bill Jr. was Buster Keaton's final independent production before joining MGM (where his work suffered a steady decline in quality), a comic masterpiece that represents the full breadth of its maker's remarkable talents.

Set on the Mississippi River in the old sidewheeler days, Steamboat Bill Jr. follows the adventures of a spoiled young man who is forced by his crusty father (Ernest Torrence) to learn the ropes of river boating. Over the course of the narrative, the scale of comedy gradually expands, from small-scale, nostalgic humor to some of the most elaborate sight gags of Keaton's career. Highlighted by remarkable special effects (including the destruction of full-sized structures), it includes the legendary stunt in which the front of a building collapses over Junior, who passes unharmed through an open window.

Available in 35mm & 16mm