''The High Sign'' is a 1921 two-reel silent

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

starring

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

, and written and directed by Keaton and Edward F. Cline. Its runtime is 21 minutes. Although '' One Week'' (1920) was Keaton's first independent film short released, ''The High Sign'' was the first one made. Disappointed with the result, Keaton shelved it and the film was not released until the following year. The title refers to the secret hand signal used by the film's underworld gang.

Plot

Keaton plays a drifter who cons his way into working at an amusement park shooting gallery. Believing Keaton is an expert marksman, both the murderous gang the Blinking Buzzards and the man they want to kill end up hiring him. The film ends with a wild chase through a house filled with secret passages and trap doors.

Cast

- Our Hero (as 'Buster' Keaton) * Bartine Burkett - Miss Nickelnurser (uncredited) * Ingram B. Pickett - Tiny Tim (tall villain) (uncredited) * Charles Dorety - Drunk (uncredited) * Al St. John - Man in target practice (uncredited)

Production

''The High Sign'' was Keaton's first independent production. In contrast to the "violent slapstick" of the films he had made with Fatty Arbuckle, this short film evinces the "dry and quiet comedy style" which would become Keaton's trademark. The climactic chase scenes inside the house take place on a split-level, cutaway set with revolving wall panels, trap doors, and hidden corridors in all the rooms. Filming took place at the studios of the Comique Film Corporation recently vacated by Arbuckle. Keaton also began working with Arbuckle's former cinematographer Elgin Lessley and technical director Fred Gabourie, who remained with him until he signed with

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

in 1929.

Release

Though Keaton completed ''The High Sign'' a year earlier, he delayed its release because he felt it too closely mimicked Arbuckle's style; he also "thought the gags were too ridiculous and clever for their own sake". ''The High Sign'' was released April 4, 1921. At that time, Keaton had broken his ankle while filming the first version of '' The Electric House'' and his company needed to market a new film.

Contemporary soundtracks

Guitarist

Bill Frisell William Richard Frisell (born March 18, 1951) is an American jazz guitarist. He first came to prominence at ECM Records in the 1980s, as both a session player and a leader. He went on to work in a variety of contexts, notably as a participant ...

released a soundtrack to the film in 1995 on his album '' The High Sign/One Week''. The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra premiered its new score for the film in 2008.

Carl Davis Carl Davis (October 28, 1936 – August 3, 2023) was an American-born British conductor and composer. He wrote music for more than 100 television programmes, notably the landmark ITV series '' The World at War'' (1973) and BBC's '' Pride and P ...

composed an original score in 2017.

References

Sources

External links

Senses of Cinema article on ''The High Sign''
*
''The 'High Sign
on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

''The High Sign''
at the

International Buster Keaton Society The International Buster Keaton Society Inc.— a.k.a. "The Damfinos"—is the official educational organization dedicated to comedy film producer-director-writer-actor-stuntman Buster Keaton. Mission According to the Damfinos, their mission is "t ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:High Sign, The 1921 films 1921 comedy films 1921 short films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films American black-and-white films Articles containing video clips Films directed by Buster Keaton Films directed by Edward F. Cline Films produced by Joseph M. Schenck Films with screenplays by Buster Keaton Metro Pictures films Silent American comedy short films Surviving American silent films English-language comedy short films