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Steamboat Bill Jr. Overview:

Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928) was a Silent Films - Black-and-white Film directed by Buster Keaton and Charles Reisner and produced by Joseph M. Schenck.

Steamboat Bill Jr. BlogHub Articles:

Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928): Buster Keaton The Human Tumbleweed

By 4 Star Film Fan on Mar 9, 2021 From 4 Star Films

Whatever your thoughts on silent movies, be it based on misinformation, overt loathing, or verging on utter veneration, one has to admit there’s something to the simplicity of these films. And by simplicity, I’m referring to the construction of their stories. They rarely seem to get bogg... Read full article

TCM Classic Film Festival Day 2: The Dawn of Technicolor, STEAMBOAT BILL JR., REBECCA, BOOM!

By Lara on Mar 30, 2015 From Backlots

Dear readers, I’m usually so good about posting right after festival events, but after several late nights, I needed some sleep. The festival is now over, and I’m getting back into the swing of things. I apologize for the delay! Day 2 was a jam-packed one at the TCM Classic Film Festival... Read full article

Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928) at the Coolidge Corner Theater

By Google profile on Oct 3, 2010 From Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog

About MeBlogger, Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog and more. Please add my Google profile to your circles. Last week I got a chance to see the Buster Keaton classic Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928) on the big screen, at the Coolidge Corner Theater (a pretty amazing Art Deco cinema) with live musical... Read full article

Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928) at the Coolidge Corner Theater

By Raquel Stecher on Nov 30, -0001 From Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog

Last week I got a chance to see the Buster Keaton classic Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928) on the big screen, at the Coolidge Corner Theater (a pretty amazing Art Deco cinema) with live musical accompaniment by Peter Blanchette. It was a great experience. This was the second of a series called Sounds of Si... Read full article

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Steamboat Bill Jr. Quotes:

William 'Steamboat Bill' Canfield Sr.: I'll run on this river if I'm the only passenger on the boat.
William 'Steamboat Bill' Canfield Sr.: [to the barber about his son's moustache] Take that barnacle off his lip.
William Canfield Jr.: That must have happened when the dough fell in the tool chest.
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Steamboat Bill Jr. Facts
During the hurricane sequence, there is a scene that pays homage to Buster Keaton's childhood on the vaudeville stage. One brief moment has a table move in the wind, apparently animating the dummy and turning its head to face Keaton. Keaton is startled and runs. This is based on a real experience from when he was a kid and became fascinated with a dummy named Red Top, who belonged to ventriloquist Trovollo. The young Keaton had a "conversation" with the dummy and conspired to kidnap his new friend one night when the theater was empty. Trovollo, anticipating Keaton, slipped to his props offstage and when Keaton approached, brought Red Top to life, scaring Keaton out of the theater.
The stunt where the wall falls on Buster Keaton was performed with an actual full-weight wall. Half the crew walked off the set rather than participate in a stunt that would have killed Keaton if he had been slightly off position. Keaton himself, told the previous day that his studio was being shut down, was so devastated that he didn't care if the wall crushed him or not.
For reasons unknown, Buster Keaton did not receive a directing credit, although all involved in the film concur that he co-directed the film.
This movie was used as a model for Steamboat Willie, Mickey Mouse's first cartoon with sound.
Marion Byron could not swim, so the scenes where her character is in the river with Buster Keaton were filmed with Buster's real-life sister Louise Keaton serving as Marion's stunt double. The two were both the same size - 4'11". The water was very cold and during a day of filming Buster and Louise consumed 4-5 glasses of French brandy to keep them warm.
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