Editing Sherlock Jr. (section)

===Release and critical response===
Keaton first previewed the film in Long Beach, California. Although audience members gasped at some of the special effects, there were very few laughs, and Keaton began re-editing the film to make it funnier. However, the second preview screening was more disappointing than the first, and Keaton continued cutting the film down to a very short 5-reel film. Producer Joseph Schenck wanted Keaton to add another 1,000 feet of film (approximately 11 minutes), but Keaton refused.{{sfn|Meade|p=147}}

The film was retitled ''Sherlock Jr.'' and released on April 21, 1924. It made $448,337, slightly less than ''Three Ages''. Keaton considered the film "alright [but] not one of the big ones", possibly due to the fact that it was his first real failure after a 25-year career on stage and screen.{{sfn|Meade|p=147}}

''Sherlock Jr.'' received mixed critical reviews. It received good reviews from ''The New York Times'', which called it "one of the best screen tricks ever incorporated in a comedy",<ref>''The New York Times''. Film review, May 26, 1924.</ref> and ''[[Photoplay]]'', which called it "rare and refreshing".{{sfn|Meade|p=147}}  Other positive notices came from ''The Los Angeles Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and ''The Atlanta Constitution''.<ref>''The Los Angeles Times''. Film review, April 28, 1924.</ref><ref>''The Washington Post''. Film review, May 12, 1924.</ref><ref>''The Atlanta Constitution''. Film review, April 27, 1924.</ref> Negative reviews included ''[[Picture Play (magazine)|Picture Play]]'', which wrote that it was devoid of "ingenuity and originality". ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote it was as funny as "a hospital operating room". [[Edmund Wilson]] of ''[[The New Republic]]'' criticized Keaton's performance for not having enough character development and the film for having too much "machinery and stunts".{{sfn|Meade|p=147}} 
In ''[[The Nation (magazine)| The Nation]]'' in 1946, critic [[James Agee]] wrote, "''Sherlock, Jr.'' is not one of Buster Keaton's funniest—none of his full-length films were—but it is about a hundred times as funny as anything made today. Some of the houses, yards, and streets are even more beautifully photographed than was usual in the old comedies. And one chase gag, involving a motorcycle and a long line of ditch-diggers, is hair-raising both in its mechanical perfection and as a piece of better-than-conscious surrealism."<ref>Agee, James - ''Agee on Film Vol.1'' © 1958 by The James Agee Trust</ref>