Buster Keaton, and by extension Sherlock Jr., speaks a language that transcends time and place. He is a beautifully adept physical comedian and entertainer. Reaching its 100th anniversary this year, 2024, his film Sherlock Jr. can still make a theater full of people break out into uncontrollable laughter. The two essential tactics that drive many of his funniest moments in the film are his setup and his deliberate execution, and through these tools, he has created a tense yet hilarious scene that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats until they fall out of them with laughter. Though that description fits many of his scenes, this paper will focus on the pool game scene.

In Sherlock Jr., the butler, Erwin Connelly, and the local sheik, Ward Crane, have stolen the pearl necklace. When the father, Joe Keaton, finds this out, he calls the police, who send over Sherlock Jr. After this, the butler shows the sheik the traps he has planned for the unsuspecting detective.  First, he shows him the 13 pool balls, which when he throws out the window, pulverizes a tree. Next, he shows the sheik the chair trap, activated by a little switch under the cushion so that when they sit upon it, an ax falls with enough force to lodge itself into the chair. This will be the setup for the dance between tension and comic relief that follows.

And so the scene begins, with the butler welcoming Sherlock Jr. to sit in the trapped chair. The butler braces for impact, and the detective begins to sit, before being interrupted by the sheik for a game of pool. The butler comically looks up and down at the failed trap and decides to attempt another. He pours some drinks and with a sly smile, spikes one with a vile marked “POISON”. He hands the drinks to the players, and the detective grabs the unbeknownst to him, poisoned drink. He holds it up, and the tension builds. Suddenly, he decides to be courteous and give the drink to his opponent, and he grabs the other glass. A truly comic moment plays out now as the butler tries to signal to the sheik not to drink it without letting the detective know. The butler is finally forced to snatch the glass from the sheik’s hands and fittingly states “Pardon, sir. I think there is something in your drink.” Now, they begin to play, and Sherlock Jr. nearly sits in the chair again, before it is his turn. He swings his pole back and almost knocks the butler into the chair. Once the detective walks away, the butler replaces the 13 ball with the trapped ball. Now that it’s the detective’s turn again, both of the thieves hilariously sprint out of the room. He aims and hits. All the balls miraculously miss. And so they go again. This repeats for some time before Sherlock Jr. finally hits the 13 ball and pockets it, without a hitch. He had replaced it with the original ball, keeping the bomb in his pocket.

Sherlock Jr. is wonderfully joyful- a celebration of life, that will last for many years to come. The oscillation between danger and relief provides an entertaining emotional journey in the scene and is a common technique used throughout the film. In the book Laughing Out Loud, Andrew Horton writes “Comedy is a form of ‘play’ that embraces fantasy and festivity.” Even though the characters may not all be having fun, the actions feel nonetheless playful. It’s a dream-induced contest or game where no matter if you win or lose, no one truly gets hurt.