Steamboat Bill, Jr.
Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
Steamboat Bill, Jr. is a silent comedy film starring Buster Keaton. Released by United Artists, it marked the end of Keaton’s independent team and gag writers. The movie was directed by Charles Reisner, with Carl Harbaugh credited for the story; Keaton also worked as an uncredited co-director.
The story follows William “Steamboat Bill” Canfield, who owns a rundown paddle steamer called the Stonewall Jackson. A wealthy rival, the King, owns a newer steamer and hopes to steal Canfield’s customers. Bill Jr., Bill’s clumsy son who studied in Boston, returns home and falls for Kitty King. Both fathers try to keep the young couple apart, but Bill Jr. ends up traveling with the King at night. A cyclone hits town, endangering everyone.
The film is famous for a bold stunt: a whole building facade collapses around Bill Jr., with him standing in just the right spot by an open attic window to stay safe. He then rescues Kitty, his father, and others. Keaton performed many of his own stunts, using a real two-ton building and a precise ground mark to avoid injury.
Production notes: Keaton built large sets in Sacramento, including a daring cyclone sequence that cost a large portion of the budget. The planned ending with a flood was cut because of real floods in 1927. Keaton poured time and money into the film, and faced personal and financial pressures during production.
Reception and legacy: When first released, the film did not do well at the box office and received mixed reviews. Over time, it has come to be seen as a masterpiece of silent comedy and was added to the U.S. National Film Registry in 2016. The famous stunts helped inspire later works, including Disney’s Steamboat Willie.
Technical details: The movie runs about 70 minutes and is silent with English intertitles. Cast includes Buster Keaton, Ernest Torrence, Marion Byron, and Tom Lewis.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:01 (CET).