Buster Keaton - The High Sign (1921) - Filming Locations
Watch the Quick Preview Video below, and scroll down for information about the filming locations.
Historical Production & Location Reference
| Film: | The High Sign (1921) |
| Artist: | Buster Keaton |
| Directors: | Buster Keaton, Edward F. Cline |
- Venice Beach: The primary location for the film's iconic seaside sequences.
- The Pike (Long Beach): The legendary amusement park area captured during the production's tour of the coast.
- Moonstone Beach (Redondo Beach): A historic coastal site that famously featured a roller coaster, long since disappeared from the modern shoreline.
Production & Preservation Note: The High Sign serves as a fascinating map of the early 1920s Los Angeles coastline. While the fundamental geography endures, sites like the Moonstone Beach roller coaster and the original Pike amusement park highlight the transient nature of early-20th-century Southern California landmarks. This film remains a primary visual resource for understanding how these iconic spaces defined the era's recreational culture.
The Plot
Buster is hired by a gang to assassinate a rival and... is hired by the target to be his personal body guard!
The Filming Locations
Where did Buster Keaton film The High Sign? This comedy short movie filmed all along the Los Angeles area coast, starting off in Redondo Beach, moving on to the Pike amusement park in Long Beach and ending up in Venice Beach. This Quick Preview Video above focuses on the scenes in Venice Beach.
The complete filming locations video is worth a look, though, as it provides some very interesting history on both the Moonstone Beach section of Redondo Beach (there used to be a roller coaster there called The Lightning Racer!) plus a look back at the historic Pike Amusement Park in Long Beach.
More Filming Locations From The Three Geniuses Of Silent Comedy Here!
Buster Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd are widely considered to be The Three Geniuses of Silent Film Comedy, and there's more filming locations then and now videos and photo galleries from their movies on the site here:
The Three Geniuses of Silent Film Comedy - Filming Locations Then and Now Videos and Photo Galleries
Member Exclusive - Full "Then and Now" Video Documentary and Photo Gallery
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Buster Keaton - The High Sign - Filming Locations Then and Now - Complete Documentary Video
And don't miss the complete photo gallery of filming locations then and now here:
Buster Keaton - The High Sign - Complete Filming Locations Photo Gallery