Steamboat Bill, Jr. Steamboat Bill, Jr. Steamboat Bill, Jr. is a 1928 silent comedy film starring Buster Keaton. Released by United Artists, the film is the last product of Keaton's independent production team and set of gag writers. It was not a box-office success and became the last picture Keaton made for United Artists. Keaton ended up moving to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer where he made one last film in his trademark style, "The Cameraman", before his creative control was taken away by the studio. Charles Reisner directed the film, and the credited story writer was Carl Harbaugh, although Keaton wrote the script and publicly called
Steamboat Willie The real first cartoon with synchronized sound, was My Old Kentucky Home. "Steamboat Willie" is especially notable for being the first Disney cartoon with synchronized sound, including character sounds and a musical score. Disney understood from early on that synchronized sound was the future of film. It was the first cartoon to feature a fully post-produced soundtrack which distinguished it from earlier sound cartoons such as Inkwell Studios' "Song Car-Tunes" (1924–1927) and Van Beuren Studios' "Dinner Time" (1928). "Steamboat Willie" became the most popular cartoon of its day. Music for "Steamboat Willie" was arranged by Wilfred Jackson and Bert Lewis,