I cannot believe that no one has made ANY topics about this!!! It has to be one of Keaton's greatest movies, with I think one of his best performances. The scene in the jail house with the bread loaf is my all time fave Keaton sequence.
And do I even have to mention the greatest stunt/sight gag ever filmed? Come on all you Keaton fans...I know you're out there!!
"Think slow, act fast." - Buster Keaton
I've only seen the first half of it, but this Sat
25 Mar it's showing in a local theater with full
orchestra accompaniment. I'll be there.
This has got to be my most favorite Buster film. I to like the jail house scene, "That must have happened when the dough fell in the tool chest." was great. I love the hat scene a lot when you see his trade mark hat for a few seconds. I also like the scene where he's trying to impress the girl he likes by looking busy on the ship and he's paceing back and forth over some rope then someone grabs the rope which catches on his foot and he does that twisty pratfall. The scene where the building falls on him and he goes through the window was amazing. I heard the cameraman was so nevous during that scene that he closed his eyes when the building fell. If Buster was standing like an inch off mark he could have been killed. Well anyways I love this film.
I just want to jump throught the big, swirly hole thingy and save Cordelia!
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I see what you are trying to say. They both use the old slepstick humor that I personally find timeless. Yet he essentially has his own style and I think he is one of the funniest men of all time!
shareWhen he's trying to smuggle the tools to his father, I love the little pantomime he does while he's whistling 'The Prisoner's Song' (If I had the Wings of an Angel). The Kino release does a great job of timing the accompaniment music to Keaton's rhythm.
shareNah, I liked the General better. And it just seemed weak and just like The General - you know, Keaton tries to get the girl, fails, saves the world, and reuintes with the girl, except that, in my opinion, it was less exciting and more watered-down.
share"Nah, I liked the General better. And it just seemed weak and just like The General - you know, Keaton tries to get the girl, fails, saves the world, and reuintes with the girl, except that, in my opinion, it was less exciting and more watered-down."
I'm not sure it's a fair comparison. THE GENERAL is an epic, of its day, while STEAMBOAT BILL, JR. is a smaller, more straight-forward story. Also, THE GENERAL is more about the chase, while STEAMBOAT BILL, JR. focuses those characters and their relationships. I find it more consistently funny than THE GENERAL, but let's face it, THE GENERAL takes place during one of the darkest, bloodiest, most shameful periods in our country's history - you have to be careful how much hilarity you employ with that kind of subject. I will say, though, that THE GENERAL is a better example of film storytelling.
As to the "seemed weak" part - I have no idea what you're talking about.
I liked the jailhouse sequence as well. The house falling over Keaton will forever be brilliant and legendary. TCM is airing Steamboat Bill, Jr. and Sherlock, Jr. this weekend. The latter is especially one of my favorite Buster Keaton films.
"Dry your eyes baby, it's out of character."
Yeah, the house falling over Keaton is so cool. But, I like "The General" better. When he's on the front of the train, tossing the logs off the track, that was also so cool!
Kat
When was the last time you heard these exact words: You are the sunshine of my life?
I agree with "The General", the bits where the car in front of the train comes and goes are priceless!
shareYeah, I am surprised as well with the little amount of traffic this board receives.
Fantastic film that needs more discussion about it.
"Keep Ted Turner and his goddamned Crayolas away from my movie."--Welles
This was good, but I still like "The General" best :-)
shareThis was totally enjoyable, although the middle section was kind of weak so it doesn't measure up to "Sherlock Jr." or "The General". Much better than "College" though. The scenes with the hat shopping, and later attempting to sneak on to the girl's boat reminded me of stuff the Marx brothers did a few years later, and did better.
I could be wrong but wasn't there a hurricane in the Gulf Coast area in '27- was this film inspired by that?
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Keaton told in his biography the scenes in which he is battling the tornado were out of his childhood. He was sucked out of a window literally as a child by a tornado, and mercifully set down on the ground a good ways away! Also, he was once locked in a trunk with a dummy as a vaudeville child. There was a great flood planned for this movie, and all the sets were made for the flood, when a real life catastrophe happened in Mississippi I believe, that left alot of dead and homeless people, so Keaton changed to a tornado instead out of respect. The wind was provided by four Liberty aircraft engines, pretty impressive for its day!
shareIt is me or... The first half hour of the film is without any gags!
shareHuh? Does the bit with the father going to the peer looking for his son with the white rose not count as a gag? It's one of the highlights of the movie!
Anyway, this is a classic, and it's a shame more people aren't talking about it. They're too busy on the Borat board, I guess.
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Obviously I'm getting to this thread very late in the game,
But I agree it's Keaton's best (as well as my personal favorite).
While I love "The General," I think "Steamboat Bill, Jr." has
much more heart, & just as many sight gags, as "The General"
does.... And it has more memorable scenes as well... (Such as
Keaton trying on the hats (including the in-joke (his pork
pie hat)).
Even the title cards were hilarious ( such as first
mate handing Bill Sr. a gun (when Keaton comes onboard in his
'dandy' nautical suit) saying that no jury would convict him
(Bill Sr.). Also love the scene where Keaton entertains the
unseen (to Bill Sr. & first mate) baby by prancing around with
the ukelele... To me, the ultimate Keaton film...
"Silent films are the purest form of cinema..." (Hitchcock)
that is so true. steamboat bill jr is probably one of the best stunt gag films ever. i simply do not know how he did what he did when his foot got caught in the rope, which was pulled away, and he did that crazy flip. if you think about it, buster was really an athletic guy. do you remember how he jumped up and down from each level of the boat- CRAZY and amazing.
the mirror scene is really intense, when he is trying on all the different hats. he looks directly into the camera/"mirror"--amazing yet again.
--Mike
I agree, the man was in fantastic shape – just look at him in “Collage” while he is doing all the track and field sports – the man was pure muscle!
"Father, bless me for I have sinned.I did an original sin…I poked a badger with a spoon."
What I like about that scene is there is one hat that is put on his head -- his trademark porkpie hat -- and the look on his face as he takes it off and tosses it is "oh, get that off me." The irony of that is so funny!!
Desmond is my constant!