| 4:00 p.m. | Sherlock Jr. Buster Keaton (U.S., 1924) |
Judith Rosenberg on Piano
Sherlock Jr. is Keaton's most enduring commentary on the cinema, the beautiful machine that has the power to make artists of us all. Buster plays a projectionist who dreams his way onto the screen and into a movie in which he resolves the conflicts of his own life. As early as 1925 Sherlock Jr. was recognized by René Clair for its Pirandello-like dramatic structure, and it was much admired by the French Surrealists. The film is equally impressive for Keaton's brilliantly modulated acrobatics-offscreen, the hapless hero hoists himself on his own banana peel, but on, he can ride on the handlebars of a driverless motorcycle, make a boat out of a car, and perform any number of cinematic miracles without special effects.
—Judy Bloch
• Written by Clyde Bruckman, Joseph Mitchell, Jean Havez. Photographed by Elgin Lessley, Byron Houck. With Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton, Ward Crane. (45 mins, Silent, B&W, 35mm, From Douris Corporation)
Preceded by short:
Broken Down Film (Osamu Tezuka, Japan, 1985). In this animated adventure, the hero must fight not only the villain but also the scratches and broken sprockets of a worn-out film. (6 mins, B&W/Color, 16mm, From Chicago Filmakers)
• (Total running time: 51 mins)
