Tag Archives: Sherlock Jr.

Case Closed! How Buster Keaton filmed Sherlock Jr.

Posted on July 2, 2022 by John Bengtson

Hosted by the Catalina Museum for Art and History, earlier this year I had the thrill and honor to introduce their screening of Buster Keaton’s brilliant comedy Sherlock Jr. (1924), accompanied by renowned pianist and composer Michael D. Mortilla. With … Continue reading →

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Keaton Sherlock Jr. – Valentino Blood and Sand – at Avalon Silent Film Showcase

Posted on May 8, 2022 by John Bengtson

Buster Keaton’s brilliant comedy Sherlock Jr., and Rudolph Valentino’s smoldering performance as a conflicted bullfighter in Blood and Sand, highlight this year’s Avalon Silent Film Showcase, hosted on Catalina Island at the beautiful Avalon Casino Theatre, on May 13 – … Continue reading →

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Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Schindler

Posted on August 20, 2019 by John Bengtson

Several years ago, following my introduction of Sherlock Jr. at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles architect John Trautmann approached me to ask if I had noticed the famous Schindler house which appears in the background as Buster speeds … Continue reading →

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Harry Langdon – His Marriage Wow

Posted on January 23, 2019 by John Bengtson

Harry Langdon plays a nervous groom and newlywed in his 1925 comedy short His Marriage Wow (1925), available as part of The Mack Sennett Collection: Volume 1 Blu-ray, and the out of print Lost and Found: The Harry Langdon Collection. … Continue reading →

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The Surviving Sherlock Jr. Bungalow

Posted on April 21, 2018 by John Bengtson

A bungalow that appears in Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr. (1924), and in his early short film Convict 13 (1920), is still standing today at 4908 McKinley Avenue, when it was moved 11 miles away from Buster’s studio in 1926, the … Continue reading →

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The Surviving Chaplin “The Circus” Tree

Posted on February 22, 2018 by John Bengtson

Paul Ayers, attorney, SoCal historian, and Altadena hiking trail expert and restorer, has shared many remarkable location discoveries over the years, including the finale from Charlie Chaplin’s The Circus (1928). Stemming from Paul’s discoveries, we now know a tree that … Continue reading →

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Chaplin – Keaton Studio Connections – The Fireman and Convict 13

Posted on March 22, 2016 by John Bengtson

Because Charlie Chaplin filmed his Mutual comedy shorts (1916-17) at the same small studio where Buster Keaton later filmed his independent shorts and features (1920-28), many common locations and settings appear in their films (see above).  I explain this in … Continue reading →

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The Last Edition 1925 – filmed in San Francisco (and LA)

Posted on July 18, 2013 by John Bengtson

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival begins Thursday, July 18.  I will be signing books at the festival on Sunday, July 21, following the Kings of Comedy presentation at 10:00 a.m., and before the Safety Last! screening at 8:30 p.m.  … Continue reading →

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Keaton’s Sherlock Jr. Hollywood Vault (with Harold Lloyd too)

Posted on August 5, 2012 by John Bengtson

In his 1924 comedy Sherlock Jr., Buster Keaton portrays a daydreaming movie theater projectionist who fancies himself a great detective.  During the movie’s lengthy dream sequence, Buster’s character, after falling asleep on the job, finds himself living wild adventures on … Continue reading →

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Mr. Keaton’s Neighborhood

Posted on February 13, 2012 by John Bengtson

Buster Keaton would travel hundreds of miles to find just the right setting for a shot.  But he was also practical, and filmed dozens of exterior scenes at or adjacent to his small studio.  I am not aware of any … Continue reading →

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Buster’s Trains – One Week to Speak Easily

Posted on October 4, 2011 by John Bengtson

In honor of Buster Keaton’s birthday today, October 4, 1895, Turner Classic Movies is hosting a Buster Keaton celebration by playing a large selection of his films throughout October.  Watching Keaton’s penultimate MGM feature Speak Easily (1932) for the first … Continue reading →

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Buster Films Stunt Beside His Own Studio

Posted on March 14, 2011 by John Bengtson

Not only did Buster perform all of his own stunts, at times he performed stunts for other cast-members as well.  One famous example is from Sherlock Jr. After Buster accepts a ride on the handlebars of a motorcycle, a bump … Continue reading →

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