Matthew B
Buster Keaton might be described as the wisest fool in cinema. His heroes manage to somehow combine the qualities of the buffoon with those of the genius. If his heroes can cause blunders or damage, or can fall on their backsides, they certain will do so. On the other hand, they will eventually overcome adversity using methods far more ingenious than anything we could ever invent.
Often it is machines that cause Keaton the most problems in his films, especially modes of transport. In his film, our hero needs to learn how to operate a paddleboat steamer. Needless to say, this will need to many absurd moments as Keaton struggles to gain or retain control, but the film will end with him attaining mastery over them.
The steamboat in this film is an old relic called Stonewall Jackson. It is owned by William Canfield Sr (Ernest Torrence), a tough and hardened captain who is also known as Steamboat Bill. Both the steamboat and its captain have seen better days, and he is currently at risk of being put out of business by a new luxurious riverboat, run by John James King (Tom McGuire).
Canfield Sr has high hopes for getting help with this task when he learns that his son is coming to live with him. It will come as no great surprise if I say that Canfield is in for a shock when he finally meets his son. Short of statue, sporting a moustache, beret hat, city clothes and a ukulele, Canfield Jr's city mannerisms are the last thing that Canfield Sr expects or wants to see.
Canfield Jr proceeds to bungle his way through learning how to manage the ship. The last straw comes when Canfield Jr falls in love with Kitty King (Marion Byron), the daughter of his father's detested rival.
The storm scenes are the most memorable ones in Steamboat Bill Jr, and the movie was essentially made for the purpose of including them. The storm allows for some excellent spectacle, and many of the movie's most remarkable setpieces. Boxes, a tree and a bed are blown along, with Keaton being carried along on the latter two items. Buildings fly through the air, are deposited on the ground or collapse.
This leads to the film's most famous and talked-about scene where the front of a building collapses on Keaton, but he escapes death because he is stood in the spot where the attic window falls.
Buster Keaton had (like his contemporary Charlie Chaplin) played an enormous role in developing popular cinema, showing the world that it could be a place for ingenious fun. However while Keaton's career continued for many more years into the talkies, Steamboat Bill Jr was arguably his last great movie.
At a time of poverty, Chaplin's movies with their social conscience, sympathy for the poorest tramp and occasionally downbeat endings may have struck more of a chord with the public. By contrast Keaton (like Lloyd) made movies that were more hopeful and aspirational. It is one of the curious things about some of Keaton's best films that the lead star portrays the little man in a big man's world that somehow makes good.
In that sense there is a conservatism in Keaton's outlook. William Canfield Jr is the weaker man who is bullied by his father and despised by his father's friend. However in the end, he will succeed by playing these men at their own game. He will demonstrate that he is strong enough to step up to his father's role when he rescues everyone, and perhaps (in the movie's final joke) finds a way to marry the girl he wants.
Similarly the film favours the old-fashioned Stonewall Jackson, which proves the more durable and hardy sea craft whilst King's new-fangled boat sinks. Somehow the old ways are best.
Perhaps Keaton misses a trick here. Many of his viewers would have identified with Canfield Jr, the man who cannot live up to his father's absurdly macho way of thinking, and might have favoured a conclusion in which the son finds a solution on his own terms, rather than those of his father.
Thankfully we now have a chance to look back on Keaton's work from a later period, without being distracted by the trends of the time. With this added perspective, we can now appreciate that Buster Keaton was one of the most talented humourists of his age, and that Steamboat Bill Jr is one of the highpoints in his career.
I wrote a longer appreciation of Steamboat Bill Jr on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2018/08/26/steamboat-bill-jr-1928/
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
09/18/23
Full Review
Kyle E
When it comes to comedy, have a particular appreciation for the witty and sophisticated kinds, of which there are many classic examples out there. The same can be said for comedies that take a broad approach without being too juvenile or crass, am far less keen on those kinds of comedies and too many of them today overdo to puerile effect. There are many instances of silent films/comedies, seen with Charlie Chaplin, prime Laurel and Hardy and with Buster Keaton.
Have always considered Keaton one of the greats, as do a great many. It is a shame that he didn't transition as smoothly into the sound era from the silent as Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy, because in his prime (the 1920s) he was every bit as great, as funny and as likeable. His daring physical comedy and stoic deadpan expressions, that earned him the nickname of "The Great Stone Face", were unique and ahead of its time at the time and still amaze and are distinct now, plus he was a bigger risk-taker with bolder material and immense courage that most wish they could have. This was apparent in 'The General'. It is also every bit as apparent in his last fully independent film 'Steamboat Bill, Jr', one of his last "great" films and one of the crowning achievements of his whole career.
'Steamboat Bill, Jr' may not quite be the technical achievement that 'The General' is/was, but it still does look great. It is beautifully shot and designed but it's the effects and how they're used that stand out, it should be used as an example of how to have effects that still look good and like a lot of effort and care went into them and also use them properly, rather than overusing and abusing them to gratuitous effect with varied at best success as seen frequently now. The direction keeps things moving with control and balances everything beautifully.
In terms of the humour, 'Steamboat Bill, Jr' is a funnier film than 'The General'. It is never less than very funny, hilarious at its best, and the timing is spot on. The hat and jail cell scenes are the comedy highlights. Making more of an impression was the action and stunts, remarkably bold, leaving one in jaw-dropping awe and just exciting to watch. The cyclone, which still looks pretty impressive today, and house falling down on Keaton sequence sees Keaton stunts at their most spectacular and daring, a sequence that is justifiably famous and impossible to forget once seen.
Like 'The General', the story in 'Steamboat Bill, Jr' is a winner. It is easy to criticise its slightness and the slow start, they weren't issues for me actually because everything else that followed stick in the memory much more. There is a tender understated quality that is very surprising and the romantic element is genuinely charming without being sappy. The film also has a story that's easy to follow and at the same time is logical and interesting, indicating a film with brains as well as soul that treats the viewer with respect rather than getting irritated by credibility straining and logic lapses. Keaton as to be expected is superb here, not only is his comic timing on point but he once again provides a character that's endearing and worth rooting for. His physicality and how he copes with the stunts is awe-inspiring and he is one of not many to make deadpan interesting and entertaining because he still makes it very expressive and nuanced. Ernest Torrence is particularly good in support.
Overall, another Buster Keaton masterwork and one of his best. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
04/29/23
Full Review
Leaburn
This film was good but very old 👍🏼
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
12/14/22
Full Review
joel h
Steamboat Bill, Jr. is another one of my favorite Buster Keaton movies. The story is simple, but relatable, with a likeable cast, and there are plenty of moments that make me chuckle. However, it's the final third of the movie that really makes this silent film remarkable. The special effects are very impressive for the time, and there are some death-defying stunts, as well, that would never be allowed to happen on modern Hollywood sets. It's a shame that Steamboat Bill, Jr. flopped at the box office, but I'm glad that, over time, people have come to realize what a groundbreaking film it actually is.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
Christopher B
Another amazing Buster Keaton film and filled with some of the most ornate and dangerous site gags ever captured on film. The film is only 70 minutes long but is comprised of a ton of hilarious set pieces and stunts within the aforementioned running time. While it isn't my favorite Keaton film to date, that honor goes to The General (1927), it is nonetheless spectacular and a wonder to behold. Films like this literally take you back in time with them and viewers get an inside look at the past. This was the first of my introductions of Buster Keaton to my brother Jon, who saw the film for what it is and with an open mind, fell in love with it. Highly Recommended!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
10/20/22
Full Review
Audience Member
Not the best from Buster Keaton but still really good. He's a wonder of physicality and, although he's done more impressive stuff than most of this, some of the scenes herein are absolute gold, especially when he's going back and forth between the neighbouring boats and, of course, the fantastic, spectacular 10-minute cyclone sequence. As for the themes, they're a mixed bag: the class-defying romance is a bit too familiar, yet the tumultuous father-and-son relationship emerges as quite profound.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/11/23
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