Reception
Steamboat Bill, Jr. received mixed reviews upon its release. Variety described the film as "a pip of a comedy" and "one of Keaton's best." The reviewer from The Film Spectator appointed it "as perhaps the best comedy of the year thus far" and advised "exhibitors should go after it." A less enthusiastic review from Harrison's Reports stated "there are many situations all the way through that cause laughs" while noting that "the plot is nonsensical." Morduant Hall of the New York Times called the film a "gloomy comedy" and a "sorry affair."
Over the years, Steamboat Bill, Jr. has become regarded as a masterpiece of its era. Currently, review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 100% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 16 reviews, with an average score of 9.1/10, with an audience rating above 90%. The film was included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Many modern audiences may be most familiar with the film for its inspiring the title of Walt Disney's Steamboat Willie, the debut of Mickey Mouse.
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