The Cameraman (1928 film)
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| The Cameraman | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | Edward Sedgwick Buster Keaton |
| Produced by | Buster Keaton Lawrence Weingarten |
| Written by | Story: Clyde Bruckman Lew Lipton Titles: Joseph Farnham |
| Starring | Buster Keaton Marceline Day Harold Goodwin |
| Cinematography | Reggie Lanning Elgin Lessley |
| Editing by | Hugh Wynn |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | September 22, 1928 |
| Running time | 67 minutes (MGM) 75 minutes (TCM ) |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | Silent film English intertitles |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Cameraman is an American 1928 silent comedy directed by Edward Sedgwick and an uncredited Buster Keaton.[1]
The picture stars Buster Keaton, Marceline Day, Harold Goodwin, and others.
The Cameraman was Keaton's first film with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is considered by fans and critics to be Keaton still in top form, and it was added to the National Film Registry in 2005 as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Within a little over a year, however, M-G-M would remove creative control over his pictures from Keaton, thereby causing drastic and long-lasting harm to his career. Keaton was later to call the move to MGM "the worst mistake of my career."[2]
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[edit] Plot
The story tells of Buster (Buster Keaton), a tintype portrait photographer who develops a crush on Sally (Marceline Day), a secretary who works for the MGM's newsreel department. Hoping to impress her, he purchases an out-of-date movie camera and attempts to get a job in the newsreel department as a cameraman. He is thwarted in his endeavor by Harold (Harold Goodwin), a current cameraman who recognizes Buster's inexperience and also has designs on Sally.
Sally suggests that Buster film anything and everything, but Harold's suspicions prove true; Buster's footage is useless. He has double exposed or over exposed much of the film and the rest is simply no good. But Sally doesn't care and calls him up for a date that evening.
The next day, Buster's luck at MGM is no different than the day before, but Sally gives him a tip that something big is going to happen in Chinatown. On his way, he accidentally runs into an organ grinder and apparently kills his monkey. A nearby cop (Harry Gribbon) makes Buster purchase the monkey, who turns out only to be dazed and joins Buster on his venture.
Once in Chinatown, Buster is witness to a Tong War, narrowly escaping death on several occasions. At the conclusion of the hostilities, he is arrested, but makes his escape with his camera intact.
Returning to MGM, Buster and the boss are dismayed to find that he apparently had no film in his camera. Buster is thrown out once and for all and Sally finds herself in hot water for giving Buster the tip.
Despite losing Sally, Buster continues with his filming activities, planning to film an afternoon on the river. He discovers that his Tong footage is intact after all, as the monkey has switched the reels. At the same time, Sally and Harold are having a date in a boat on the river. An accident causes their boat to spiral out of control. Harold saves himself, but Sally is saved by Buster. When Buster goes into a drug store to get medical supplies, Harold returns and takes credit for the rescue. Unbenownst to Buster, his monkey has captured the whole thing on film.
Buster decides to send his Tong footage to MGM free of charge and the Boss is thrilled by what he sees. At the end of the reel, however, is the footage of Buster's rescue of Sally, exposing Harold as a fraud. Sally finds Buster and the two stroll off hand in hand.
[edit] Critical reception
The film was well received by film critics.
Critic Mordaunt Hall, writing for the New York Times, liked the film and the work of Buster Keaton. He said, "Mr. Keaton's latest effort is "The Cameraman," which is filled with guffaws and grins, the sort of thing with many original and adroitly worked-out gags. But whether they belong to the story is immaterial...There are other sections that are wild and watery, but nonetheless humorous."[3]
As of January 8, 2008, The Cameraman is number 331 on "They Shoot Pictures Don't They?" 1000 Greatest Movies of All Time.
[edit] Cast
- Buster Keaton as Buster
- Marceline Day as Sally Richards
- Harold Goodwin as Harold Stagg
- Sidney Bracey as Edward J. Blake the boss
- Harry Gribbon as Hennessey the cop
[edit] Uncredited cast
- Richard Alexander as The Big Sea Lion
- Edward Brophy as Man in bath-house
- Ray Cooke as Office worker
- Vernon Dent as Man in tight bathing suit
- William Irving as Photographer
- Harry Keaton as Man in swimming pool
- Louise Keaton as Woman in swimming pool
- Charles Lindbergh as Himself (archive footage)
- Bert Moorhouse as Randall
[edit] Awards
- In 2005 the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
[edit] See also
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ The Cameraman at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Buster Keaton web site.
- ^ Hall, Mordaunt. The New York Times, film review, September 17, 1928.
[edit] External links
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