The Cameraman (1928)

Hopelessly in love with a woman working at MGM Studios, a clumsy man attempts to become a motion picture cameraman to be close to the object of his desire.

Directors:

Edward Sedgwick, Buster Keaton (uncredited)

Writers:

Clyde Bruckman (story), Lew Lipton (story)

Stars:

Buster Keaton, Marceline Day, Harold Goodwin

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Buster Keaton	...	Buster
Marceline Day	...	Sally
Harold Goodwin	...	Stagg
Sidney Bracey	...	Éditor (as Sidney Bracy)
Harry Gribbon	...	Cop

Storyline

After becoming infatuated with a pretty office worker for MGM Newsreels, Buster trades in his tintype operation for a movie camera and sets out to impress the girl (and MGM) with his work.

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Plot Keywords:

bronx new york city | newsreel in plot | yankee stadium bronx new york city | slapstick comedy | monkey in sailor suit | 

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Taglines:

BUSTER KEATON WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH 'TILL YOU CRY in THE CAMERAMAN with Marceline Day. (Print Ad- Oxnard Daily Courier,((Oxnard, Calif.)) 5 November 1928)

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Family | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 September 1928 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Kameramann

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$797,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to a publicity photo published in the July 28, 1928, issue of the motion picture industry Trade Paper "Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World" the monkey's name was "Duko".

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Goofs

Near the end, when Sally and her Boss are watching the part of the tape filmed by the monkey, the shots of Luke bringing Sally to land change, as if the monkey had moved the camera. There's also some movement to fit the characters better, which couldn't be managed by an animal.

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Quotes

Cop: I'll try your reflexes to see if you're goofy.

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Connections

Referenced in A Night at the Opera (1935)

User Reviews

A Fine Comedy That Gets Better & Better As It Moves Along

This is a fine comedy, nearly as good as some of the earlier masterpieces that Keaton had made on his own. It starts off rather slowly, but gets better and better as it moves along, leading up to a great finish that is fully worthy of Keaton's genius.

The setup, with Buster as a cameraman who desperately yearns to break into the newsreel business, lends itself well to visual gags and also provides Buster with the kind of hard-luck character which he always portrayed so convincingly and humorously. The early parts do move slowly at times, aside from a few good gags - but Keaton apparently once said that there was some good material in the original film that has not survived because the negatives deteriorated (this seems likely, because there are some noticeable blemishes even in what is left in the prints on the current video version). Even so, it picks up steam and gets steadily funnier as the situation and Keaton's character are developed.

And it all leads up to a typically great Keaton finale, a wonderful blend of humor, excitement, drama, and fun visuals. It's fully as satisfying as the finishes in his best films, and any Keaton fan should find it thoroughly enjoyable.