History Film / SherlockJr

The dream concept gave Keaton leeway to push the boundaries of his filmmaking. He takes the opportunity to recreate some classic vaudeville stunts, including one startling moment when he appears to jump through another actor's torso. The high-society setting of the dream also gave him an excuse to use more luxurious sets and costumes than was usual in his films.

* MasterOfDisguise: Subverted with the hero in both waking and dream life.

This 1924 Creator/BusterKeaton film is an oddity -- longer than the average comedy short but not long enough to be a feature film, it's an AffectionateParody of the 1922 John Barrymore film ''Theatre/SherlockHolmes'', with Buster playing a movie projectionist and would-be sleuth. Framed for theft by a romantic rival and unable to prove his innocence, the protagonist goes back to the movie theater where he works, dozes off next to the projector, and dreams that he is Sherlock, Jr., the World's Greatest Detective.

* AffectionateParody: Buster's dapper detective is based on John Barrymore's portrayal of Franchise/SherlockHolmes in [[Theatre/SherlockHolmes his eponymous 1922 film.]]

* ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction: The hero [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WLfKI99oYw performs a quick change on camera]] by literally jumping through a hoop, but we watch him set it up in advance (though most first-time viewers probably won't realize what they're seeing until the payoff).

This 1924 Creator/BusterKeaton film is an oddity -- longer than the average comedy short but not long enough to be a feature film, it's an AffectionateParody of the 1922 Creator/JohnBarrymore film ''Theatre/SherlockHolmes'', with Buster playing a movie projectionist and would-be sleuth. Framed for theft by a romantic rival and unable to prove his innocence, the protagonist goes back to the movie theater where he works, dozes off next to the projector, and dreams that he is Sherlock, Jr., the World's Greatest Detective.

This film is available through [[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3147358394537366471#docid=-8074699069179823154 Google video.]]

->''While employed as a moving picture operator in a small town theater he was also studying to be a detective.''
-->-- '''intertitle'''

This 1924 Creator/BusterKeaton film is an oddity -- longer than the average comedy short but not long enough to be a feature film, it's an AffectionateParody of the 1922 Creator/JohnBarrymore film ''SherlockHolmes'', with Buster playing a movie projectionist and would-be sleuth. Framed for theft by a romantic rival and unable to prove his innocence, the protagonist goes back to the movie theater where he works, dozes off next to the projector, and dreams that he is Sherlock, Jr., the World's Greatest Detective.

* BadAss: Creator/BusterKeaton, in real life. When they filmed the shot where [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nT5vNb7NBk the stream from a railroad water tower washes him off the spout and onto the tracks]], he landed badly and got up complaining of a headache. After a drink and a short lie down, he continued filming. Years later, an X-ray revealed that he had broken his neck without noticing.
** Also see DeadFootLeadfoot, below.

Today, the movie is best remembered for the sequence in which the projectionist's ghostly dream avatar walks into the movie screen, where a series of jump cuts places him in embarrassing and dangerous situations. These scenes may have inspired or influenced Creator/WoodyAllen's ''Film/ThePurpleRoseOfCairo'' (in which a character from a Depression-era romantic comedy steps off the screen into the real world), the Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger film ''Film/LastActionHero'' (in which a young boy enters an action movie and brings the hero into reality), and the [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Merrie Melodies]] short "WesternAnimation/DuckAmuck" (in which DaffyDuck is tormented by an animator).

* StickySituation

* AffectionateParody: Buster's dapper detective is based on JohnBarrymore's portrayal of SherlockHolmes in his eponymous 1922 film.
* AllJustADream

* BadGuysPlayPool

* BrickJoke: The exploding "13" ball.

* TheButlerDidIt
* ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction: The hero [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WLfKI99oYw performs a quick change on camera]] by literally [[spoiler: jumping through a hoop]], but we watch him set it up in advance (though most first-time viewers probably won't realize what they're seeing until the payoff).
* ChaseScene
* ChekhovsGun: The 13 Ball.
* ClearTheirName: The Girl succeeds in discovering who stole her father's watch.

* DynamicEntry: Sherlock Jr. arrives at the shack where the girl is being held captive.

* [[ShowWithinAShow Film-Within-A-Film]]: The hero falls asleep watching a melodramatic film, ''Hearts and Pearls; or, The Lounge Lizard's Lost Love'', which influences his dream.

* IHaveYouNowMyPretty

* InstantCostumeChange: the vaudeville quick-change gag jumping out the window.

* MadeOfExplodium: I don't know what the 13 ball is made of, but dropping it is a bad idea.

** [[spoiler:And then he actually hits the 13 ball... which doesn't explode, because he's switched it back with the real one.]]

* StealthPun: The title card introducing Sherlock Jr.'s helper. To get the whole joke, you need to know that [[spoiler: Gillette, Gem, and Ever-Ready are brands of razor blades, and the first actor to play SherlockHolmes on the stage was named William Gillette]].

This 1924 BusterKeaton film is an oddity -- longer than the average comedy short but not long enough to be a feature film, it's an AffectionateParody of the 1922 Creator/JohnBarrymore film ''SherlockHolmes'', with Buster playing a movie projectionist and would-be sleuth. Framed for theft by a romantic rival and unable to prove his innocence, the protagonist goes back to the movie theater where he works, dozes off next to the projector, and dreams that he is Sherlock, Jr., the World's Greatest Detective.

* BadAss: BusterKeaton, in real life. When they filmed the shot where [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nT5vNb7NBk the stream from a railroad water tower washes him off the spout and onto the tracks]], he landed badly and got up complaining of a headache. After a drink and a short lie down, he continued filming. Years later, an X-ray revealed that he had broken his neck without noticing.

Today, the movie is best remembered for the sequence in which the projectionist's ghostly dream avatar walks into the movie screen, where a series of jump cuts places him in embarrassing and dangerous situations. These scenes may have inspired or influenced WoodyAllen's ''Film/ThePurpleRoseOfCairo'' (in which a character from a Depression-era romantic comedy steps off the screen into the real world), the Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger film ''Film/LastActionHero'' (in which a young boy enters an action movie and brings the hero into reality), and the [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Merrie Melodies]] short "WesternAnimation/DuckAmuck" (in which DaffyDuck is tormented by an animator).

Today, the movie is best remembered for the sequence in which the projectionist's ghostly dream avatar walks into the movie screen, where a series of jump cuts places him in embarrassing and dangerous situations. These scenes may have inspired or influenced WoodyAllen's ''Film/ThePurpleRoseOfCairo'' (in which a character from a Depression-era romantic comedy steps off the screen into the real world), the Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger film ''Film/LastActionHero'' (in which a young boy enters an action movie and brings the hero into reality), and the [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Merrie Melodies]] short "DuckAmuck" (in which DaffyDuck is tormented by an animator).

This 1924 BusterKeaton film is an oddity -- longer than the average comedy short but not long enough to be a feature film, it's an AffectionateParody of the 1922 John Barrymore film ''SherlockHolmes'', with Buster playing a movie projectionist and would-be sleuth. Framed for theft by a romantic rival and unable to prove his innocence, the protagonist goes back to the movie theater where he works, dozes off next to the projector, and dreams that he is Sherlock, Jr., the World's Greatest Detective.

-->--'''intertitle'''

Today, the movie is best remembered for the sequence in which the projectionist's ghostly dream avatar walks into the movie screen, where a series of jump cuts places him in embarrassing and dangerous situations. These scenes may have inspired or influenced WoodyAllen's ''Film/ThePurpleRoseOfCairo'' (in which a character from a Depression-era romantic comedy steps off the screen into the real world), the Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger film ''LastActionHero'' (in which a young boy enters an action movie and brings the hero into reality), and the [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Merrie Melodies]] short "DuckAmuck" (in which DaffyDuck is tormented by an animator).

* [[ShowWithinAShow Film-Within-A-Film]]: The hero falls asleep watching a melodramatic film, ''Hearts and Pearls; or, The Lounge Lizard's Lost Love'', which influences his dream.

* ShowWithinAShow: The hero falls asleep watching a melodramatic film, ''Hearts and Pearls; or, The Lounge Lizard's Lost Love'', which influences his dream.

Today, the movie is best remembered for the sequence in which the projectionist's ghostly dream avatar walks into the movie screen, where a series of jump cuts places him in embarrassing and dangerous situations. These scenes may have inspired or influenced WoodyAllen's ''Film/ThePurpleRoseOfCairo'' (in which a character from a Depression-era romantic comedy steps off the screen into the real world), the Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger film ''LastActionHero'' (in which a young boy enters an action movie and brings the hero into reality), and the MerrieMelodies short "DuckAmuck" (in which DaffyDuck is tormented by an animator).

* ChekovsGun: The 13 Ball.

This 1924 BusterKeaton film is an oddity -- longer than the average comedy short but not long enough to be a feature film, it's an AffectionateParody of the 1922 John Barrymore film ''SherlockHolmes'', with Buster playing a movie projectionist and would-be sleuth. Framed for theft by a romantic rival and unable to prove his innocence, the protagonist goes back to the movie theater where he works, dozes off next to the projector, and dreams that he is Sherlock, Jr., the World's Greatest Detective.

Today, the movie is best remembered for the sequence in which the projectionist's ghostly dream avatar walks into the movie screen, where a series of jump cuts places him in embarrassing and dangerous situations. These scenes may have inspired or influenced WoodyAllen's ''Film/ThePurpleRoseOfCairo'' (in which a character from a Depression-era romantic comedy steps off the screen into the real world), the ArnoldSchwarzenegger film ''LastActionHero'' (in which a young boy enters an action movie and brings the hero into reality), and the MerrieMelodies short "DuckAmuck" (in which DaffyDuck is tormented by an animator).

* {{BadAss}}: BusterKeaton, in real life. When they filmed the shot where [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nT5vNb7NBk the stream from a railroad water tower washes him off the spout and onto the tracks]], he landed badly and got up complaining of a headache. After a drink and a short lie down, he continued filming. Years later, an X-ray revealed that he had broken his neck without noticing.

* BananaPeel: causes Keaton to do an enormous pratfall
* BeyondTheImpossible: Sherlock Jr. appears to jump ''through'' both his disguised assistant and the wall behind him, and Gillette spins around and walks away immediately afterward. This, like the quick change, is a stunt Keaton learned in vaudeville, but unlike the quick change this gag is not fully explained within the film.

** Played straight with Gillette.

* RailroadTracksOfDoom

Today, the movie is best remembered for the sequence in which the projectionist's ghostly dream avatar walks into the movie screen, where a series of jump cuts places him in embarrassing and dangerous situations. These scenes may have inspired or influenced WoodyAllen's ''ThePurpleRoseOfCairo'' (in which a character from a Depression-era romantic comedy steps off the screen into the real world), the ArnoldSchwarzenegger film ''LastActionHero'' (in which a young boy enters an action movie and brings the hero into reality), and the MerrieMelodies short "DuckAmuck" (in which DaffyDuck is tormented by an animator).