6 Best Silent Comedy Classics

By Vlad Zakh · June 17, 2026

Silent comedy’s daring physical stunts and inventive gags still hold up. Steamboat Bill, Jr. has a dandified graduate proving himself to his riverboat captain father, Seven Chances has a man chased by an army of brides to inherit a fortune, and Battling Butler has a pampered man pretending to be a boxer. College, The Navigator and Safety Last! round out the six.

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A dandified college graduate tries to prove himself to his rough riverboat captain father during a storm.

Directed by Charles Reisner & Buster Keaton · 1h 10m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, TCM, IndieFlix, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Artiflix · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

College (1927)

TMDB ★ 6.7

A bookish valedictorian tries to master every sport to win the affection of an athletics-obsessed girl.

Directed by James W. Horne & Buster Keaton · 1h 05m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Pure Flix, Cohen Media Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Battling Butler (1926)

TMDB ★ 6.7

A pampered rich man pretends to be a champion boxer to impress a mountain girl.

Directed by Buster Keaton · 1h 17m

Where to watch

Stream: IndieFlix, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, FilmBox Live Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Seven Chances (1925)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A man who must marry by 7 p.m. to inherit a fortune is chased across town by an army of eager brides.

Directed by Buster Keaton · 0h 56m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: IndieFlix, Kino Film Collection, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, FilmBox Live Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Navigator (1924)

TMDB ★ 7.1

Two pampered, helpless passengers find themselves stranded alone aboard an adrift ocean liner.

Directed by Buster Keaton & Donald Crisp · 1h 05m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: FilmBox Live Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Safety Last! (1923)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 97%

A store clerk's publicity stunt has him climbing the outside of a skyscraper by hand.

Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer & Sam Taylor · 1h 13m · Rated NR

4 wins & 1 nomination

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Silent Comedy Classics

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)

College (1927)

Battling Butler (1926)

Seven Chances (1925)

The Navigator (1924)

Safety Last! (1923)

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