If you know who Buster Keaton is you probably accept The General as his finest film. Today, I claim Sherlock Jr. as the superior. It’s not a great film, mind you, but I think it’s better than The General in almost every way besides basic storytelling. And let me tell you, storytelling means zilch to a guy who just wants to get a smile out of you.
The Projectionist (director/star Keaton) dreams of being a detective in between films. I imagine he’s non-union, which is why he has to clean up the place, too. I dunno if he’s actually poor, but he can’t afford a decent box of chocolates for his sweetie. Several slapsticks later, he shows up at her house with a $1 box he’s penciled to read $4 only to find his rival has purchased the $3 box for The Girl (Kathryn McGuire) with a watch stolen from her father. At this point, Projectionist has given her a ring (?!) but she’s still into big box guy.
Look, this was true in 2024, 1924, 1824, or throughout all history – if a gal is willing to lose you over a bigger box of chocolates, you must let her go. SHE IS NOT INTO YOU. I’d like to shout that, but this is a silent film review. Perhaps I’ll just make a cue card and insert it between paragraphs.
The film shines when a dejected, rejected, and banned Projectionist returns to the theater, turns on the films, falls asleep, and promptly dreams of joining the screen teleplay as “Sherlock Jr.,” the finest detective in the world. How long has the word “Sherlock” been associated with expertise in detection, anyway? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a contemporary, having died in 1930. His greatest works predate Sherlock Jr. by decades. Still begs the question when did the vernacular synonymize “Sherlock” with “detective?” Is there any way I can research this without AI?
In the film in the film, Sherlock Jr. has rollicking adventures involving
pool with an explosive 13-ball, turning a convertible into a sailboat on the spot, and chase, chase, chase! If you’ve ever watched any black & white “Little Rascals” shorts, Sherlock Jr. feels a lot like that. This also has the “jumping into a woman” gag, one of the very best slapstick gags in silent film history.
I’m still not sold on Buster Keaton as a leading man. But I don’t have to be. History has said its peace. I will say I liked this film a ton better than The General mostly because I thought the latter part of a larger historical effort to re-write The Civil War. Sherlock Jr. made no such pretense. It was just a bunch of gags while a zero tries desperately to woo a woman. I’m guessing that happened a lot before Tinder. Keaton is definitely a quality slapsticker. You need me to tell you that. But you do need me to tell you that Sherlock Jr. is probably about as good as he gets.
A timid theater Projectionist
In search of winning directionist
Wins the girl in a dream
Outwardly, it would seem
That she was a first-class rejectionist
Rated Passed, 45 Minutes
Director: Buster Keaton
Writer: Jean C. Havez, Joseph A. Mitchell, Clyde Bruckman
Genre: Pre-entertainment
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Silent film fans
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: The opposite of that
