Steamboat Bill, Jr. [Blu-ray]

Though drastically underappreciated today, cinema’s Silent Era was a foundational period and contains films that remain today, extraordinary visual feats of storytelling; engaging and entertaining equal to any other era in film. As many know, silent films do not have synchronized audio and so during their heyday, the filmic form employed intertitles to set the scene, or provide dialogue, and live performances of piano and orchestra, featuring fully improvised or classically drawn pieces, to supply the ‘score’. The music, often improvised, was in many ways a transitional element of theater and cinema – but that would change with D.W Griffiths Birth of a Nation, noted for being a big-budgeted epic, which was taken to theaters with a score specifically designed to be used during its exhibition.

1927’s The Jazz Singer, the first ‘talkie’ feature with audio synched to the film, effectively ushered in the end of the silent era, extinguishing that form of celluloid art completely within ten years. But during its reign, the Silent Era created ageless names of cinema, including Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and a personal favorite of mine, Harold Lloyd. These actors, with miraculous and meritorious physical capabilities, amazed with their unique abilities; dexterous, daring, dazzling, and dynamic.

Studio:Kino International
Year: 1928
US Rating: Not Rated
Film Length: 70 Mins
Aspect Ratio: 1080p High Definition – B&W
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Uncompressed 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles:

The Film: 4.5 out of 5

Buster Keaton stars as William Canfield, Jr., a young college attendee who heads back to his southern roots to join his father, the captain of a run-down steamboat (played with superb gruffness by Ernest Torrence). It has been years since young Canfield has seen his father, and from the moment he steps off the train and persists in mistaking different people as his father (while his father watches on in unhidden disappointment and frustration), the tone is set for their uneasy relationship, and young Canfields obvious dysfunction at the helm of any boat. In town, Canfield sees his sweetheart from years before and a passing courtship is rekindled.  Awkwardly, his love interest (played by the lovely Marion Byron) is the daughter of his father’s main rival on the river; the rivalry, which has his father being dwarfed by the lush new riverboat operated by a smug and unpleasant man, creates problems for the young lovers and endless opportunities for Canfield and physical strife. Rivalry, jail, clumsiness and the calamity of natural disasters (the legendary hurricane sequences), create a monumental achievement in Keaton’s career in this, the last independent feature that Keaton was to make.

Steamboat Bill Jr. is simply put, a classic of American cinema; a tireless onslaught of visual marvel, ever-increasing gag splendor, and the magnificent and top-of-his-game Keaton in full pursuit of pushing the bar for what can be accomplished in his uniquely and triumphantly deadpan realm of comedy. The pace of the film remains in full swing, but segues effortlessly into overdrive during the extraordinary hurricane sequence that caps the energetic tale. Shot in Sacramento, California, over $135,000 worth of breakaway sets were built to help create the grand scale destruction of the town as Keaton weaves his way through. Hoisted from cables to create the appearance of being swept by the strong forces of the wind, Keaton’s passion for incredible stunts seemed to know no end. The most incredible moment in the entire film (and some may say his entire career), is the legendary stunt that Keaton performed with no special effects. As his Canfield character stands beside a building being tugged by the gale force winds, the building’s façade falls, on its way to crush an oblivious Keaton. Only the small upstairs, empty attic window frame, which falls around a standing-still Keaton, saves him from being squashed. The result is astonishing. Though Keaton performed a similar stunt years earlier in the short film One Week, the sheer audacity of this stunt can cause a gasp even today. This stunt has been parodied and copied many times since, the most recent example coming from an episode of USA’s comedy series, Psych, where Shawn and Gus, in full cowboy gear, stand nervously close to each other as a building façade falls around them (I cannot tell if it is a visual effect, though I suspect that it is).

The film is credited to be directed by Charles Reisner, though Buster Keaton himself is often considered listed as the uncredited director. The film was produced by Joseph M. Shenck and the terrific cinematography by Bert Haines and Devereaux Jennings. The film as distributed by United Artists and release on May 12, 1928, and stands as a remarkable achievement not only in cinema from the silent era, but cinema in general. As noted on the cover sleeve for this release, films made during the silent era were commonly created with separate negatives of the film, each with different angles for shots. This Blu-ray release contains an entirely different version of the film with numerous different angles of scenes.

The Video:  4 out of 5

As I noted in my review of Kino’s similarly outstanding release of Keaton’s The General, Kino International provides Steamboat Bill, Jr., in a spectacular looking Blu-ray presentation that has been ‘Mastered in HD from a 35mm archive material’.

Although the level of print damage is more noticeable on this film (compared to the stunningly clean The General), the quality of this image is the best this film has ever looked in the modern era. It has been presented full frame (1.33:1) in accordance with its theatrical presentations, the amount of detail in the image is simply wonderful.  Again, there is a level of dust and dirt noticeable, but a far diminished amount compared to other released of this film. The level of contrast, detail, care, and faithfulness of this presentation is indeed praiseworthy.

The Sound: 4.5 out of 5

Kino International must again be applauded for the terrific audio options available. In addition to the marvelous DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track containing music provided by the Biograph Players, also included is the organ score by Lee Erwin, and piano score by William Perry.

The music in silent era films is even more pivotal than the underscore used in film today. As an avid film score collector (I have hundreds upon hundreds of scores from Korngold and Herrmann classics to modern triumphs by Zimmer, Horner, Williams, Goldsmith and more), I was acutely aware of power of the music – all three options – used here. The audio is clean, with oomph where needed and an enveloping spirit, and is thoroughly enjoyable.

The Extras: 4 out of 5

Alternate Version: A complete alternate version of Steamboat Bill, Jr., comprised entirely of variant takes and camera angles

3 Music scores:Select from the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track performed by the Biograph Players (with C. Edward Hupton in piano, John Francis on percussion, and Joe Kerr on synthesizer), the organ score by Lee Erwin, or the piano score by William Perry.

Documentary on the making of Steamboat Bill, Jr.:This is quite a good look at the making of the film, with some revealing insights and doting appreciation of this gem from the silent era.

Stills Gallery:A number of images – including stills, promotional materials and more.

“Why They Call Him Buster”:A musical montage of pratfalls and stunts.

Vintage Recordings:Two vintage recordings of the folk song “Steamboat Bill”

Final Thoughts

Along with Buster Keaton’s The General, which was a classic among classics, Steamboat Bill, Jr., has been heralded as a landmark in silent film. Like The General, it was underappreciated upon its initial release, but has grown to be appreciated for its strident stunt work and the exploitation of the cumulative experience of Keaton’s extraordinary comic timing and flair to go beyond safety for the money shot.

Kino International is quickly becoming one of the most faithful and respectful preservers of great cinema with their dedication to presenting great cinematic accomplishments from a bygone era with the art of the cinema, and the demands of a connoisseur audience at the forefront of their mission. Bravo – this release is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Overall Score 4.5 out of 5

Neil Middlemiss

Kernersville, NC