Sunday, April 21, 2024

Buster Keaton as the Gum Shoe Man Who Gums Things Up is the Snake's Elbow -- April 21, 2024

Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, 25-April-1924

100 years ago today, on 21-April-1924, Buster Keaton's latest feature film, Sherlock, Jr, went into release. It is short but wildly funny. Buster and his crew performed several technical miracles. "Death to Crime/Long Live Laughter." "'Laugh Week' Starts Tomorrow"

Atlanta Constitution, 26-April-1924

Readers will notice that the ads for both the Angeles and Atlanta are for Loew's Theaters. Loew's, Incorporated was in the process of merging Metro and Goldwyn to form M-G-M.  


Atlanta Constitution, 26-April-1924

A detail from the ad above. The scene with Buster on the motorcycle is one of the highlights of the movie. "Fun, Fast and Furious in this feature length comedy that tops the best Buster has ever done. It's funny enough to give a bald-headed man a permanent wave." Permanent waves, now usually called permanents, were just becoming popular in the US in the 1920s. 

Memphis Commercial-Appeal, 26-April-1924

"Buster Keaton Conceals himself in 'Sherlock, Jr.'" Buster played a movie projectionist who longed to be a detective. He wore a subtle false mustache and carefully studied his book, How to Be a Detective. He took its instructions literally.
    
Butte Miner, 26-April-1924

"Buster Keaton as the Gum Shoe Man Who Gums Things Up is the Snake's Elbow." What a great tag line. This ad uses the permanent wave joke again. 

Film Daily, 20-April-1924

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comment moderation is turned on. Your message will appear after it has been reviewed.