Steamboat Bill, Jr.

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Movie
German title Steamboat Bill, Jr.
Original title Steamboat Bill, Jr.
Steamboat bill poster.jpg
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1928
length 71 minutes
Age rating FSK 0
Rod
Director Charles Reisner
script Carl Harbaugh
production Joseph Schenck
camera J. Devereux Jennings ,
Bert Haines
cut Sherman Kell
occupation

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (alternate titles: Water Has No Bars , Water Has Bars , Stormy Times , Steamer-Willis Son ) is a 1928 silent comedy film starring Buster Keaton . The alternate title Water Has No Bars is also used for the Buster Keaton film The Boat .

action

Steamboat Bill is a grumpy captain and sails his old steamboat on the banks of the Mississippi . But the nouveau riche banker Mr. King is also building a new steamship and is now in fierce competition with Steamboat Bill. His son William, who grew up in Boston and has never seen his father, comes to visit. The father is not very happy about his son and especially about his appearance. He had imagined his son to be a tall, sturdy young man, instead he is a slender fellow with a narrow beard, a beret and fashionable clothes. He also has a ukulele . The old captain has his son's beard shaved and buys him new clothes. At the hairdresser's, William jr. Kitty, a girl he knows from Boston. He falls in love with Kitty, but it turns out that she is the daughter of Mr. King, his father's rival. He gets into a loyalty conflict with his father.

William Jr. tries again and again to meet Kitty, but the two fathers try to prevent the connection by all means. A number of entanglements and arguments arise. Eventually, Steamboat Bill is thrown in jail when he has a fight with Mr. King for his ship's license being revoked. When a hurricane shatters the town, William Jr. hurries. in a truly stormy finale to help: First he saves Kitty from the floods, then he frees his father from the prison floating in the waters, and finally he also gets Mr. King out of his sunk steamship. The fathers get along and have nothing against William Jr.'s relationship anymore. and Kitty object.

background

Steamboat Bill, Jr. was not a box office success for Buster Keaton. After several flops, this film heralded the end of his collaboration with producer Schenk. The film architect was Fred Gabourie .

criticism

Lexicon of international film : Keaton's last independently produced masterpiece captivates with its brilliant ideas and solid dramaturgy.

useful information

The film includes the famous scene in which the facade of a house on William Jr. falls - but exactly with a window opening so that nothing happens to him. Keaton performed this stunt himself - as was customary at the time. If you look closely, you can see the shadow of the helper behind the facade, holding or dropping the wall.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Buster Keaton - Steamboat Bill, Jr. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed June 5, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used