Buster Keaton, the film reporter
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Buster Keaton, the film reporter. The cameraman |
| Original title | The Cameraman |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1928 |
| length | 69 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director |
Edward Sedgwick , Buster Keaton |
| script |
Clyde Bruckman , Lew Lipton , Joseph Farnham |
| production |
Buster Keaton , Lawrence Weingarten for MGM |
| camera |
Elgin Lessley , Reggie Lanning |
| cut | Hugh Wynn |
| occupation | |
| |
Buster Keaton, the Film Reporter, later re-titled The Cinematographer , is a 1928 American silent film comedy film starring Buster Keaton , who also co-directed with Edward Sedgwick . After his separation from producer Joseph Schenck , it was Keaton's first film at his new studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . Though the Cameraman enjoyed box office success, it became the last film where Keaton had extensive artistic control. Keaton later described the move to MGM as the biggest mistake of his life.
action
Buster works as a simple street photographer in New York City. He falls in love with the beautiful Sally Richards, who works for MGM's newsreel. There he wants to apply to be closer to Sally and to impress. But the strong cameraman Harold is also in love with Sally and rejects Buster. However, he wins the sympathy of Sally, who lends a helping hand to Buster, who is completely inexperienced in camera technology, and provides him with news about where something important could happen. Finally, with the help of a tip from Sally, he gets a gang war in the Chinese quarter on camera. When he tried to present his recordings to the MGM studio, however, they suddenly disappeared - a cheeky monkey who is constantly harassing Buster had previously switched the roles. Buster still does not give up his dream and now wants to capture a boat race with his camera, in which Harold takes part with his girlfriend Sally. When the boat goes down, the couple falls into the water. While Harold only saves himself, Buster jumps into the water to help Sally and saves her life. However, Harold makes it look like he and not Buster saved her life, which is why Sally remains his friend. When Buster sends his recordings to the MGM studio, Sally realizes that Buster actually saved her and not Harold. Mr. Blake, the head of the cameramen, is also enthusiastic about Buster's good camera work on the recordings. He sends Sally to Buster with the news that he has been admitted to the studio.
Production notes
The film premiered on September 16, 1928 in New York City , with a mass start in the USA six days later. In Germany you could see The Cameraman under the title Buster Keaton, the film reporter from September 6, 1929. The sets were designed by Keaton's long-time film architect Fred Gabourie .
Reviews
The Cameraman is widely regarded by today's film critics as a masterpiece and as the last in a series of brilliant films that Keaton made in the 1920s. The television magazine prisma wrote: “A masterpiece of comedy with an outstanding Buster Keaton in the role of the photographer Luke Shannon. Despite many production cross-references (...) director Edward Sedgwick managed a late work of silent films full of gags and surprising ideas. A number of film critics even see Keaton's last really important work in "The Cameraman". Pure slapstick! ”The lexicon of international films was largely enthusiastic:“ Despite its dramaturgical weaknesses, this late work by the brilliant comedian contains some of the most gorgeous sequences he has ever shot. ”
Awards
In 2005, The Cameraman was listed as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" in the National Film Registry .
Web links
- Buster Keaton, the film reporter in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Brownlow: Pioneers of Film. P. 546.
- ↑ "The Cameraman" at Rotten Tomatoes
- ↑ "The Cameraman" at Prisma
- ↑ The cameraman. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed June 25, 2017 .