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The Cameraman

Play trailer Poster for The Cameraman 1928,  1h 10m,  Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 100% 20 Reviews Tomatometer 94% 1,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 94% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
In this silent classic, photographer Buster (Buster Keaton) meets Sally (Marceline Day), who works as a secretary for the newsreel department at MGM, and falls hard. Trying to win her attention, Buster abandons photography in order to become a news cameraman. In spite of his early failures with a motion camera, Sally takes to him as well. However, veteran cameraman Stagg (Harold Goodwin) also fancies Sally, meaning Buster will need to learn how to film quickly before he loses his job.

Critics Reviews

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Eric Henderson Slant Magazine Dec 18, 2004
4/4
One of Keaton's most impressively self-reflective films and an ode to the unexpected and elusive lightening-in-a-bottle nature of filmmaking. Go to Full Review
Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm Jun 6, 2022
3.5/4
...registers as a strung-together package of exceedingly clever Keaton shorts. Go to Full Review
Robert E. Sherwood LIFE Oct 4, 2021
The talkies are progressing rapidly, but it will be a long time before they can produce comedies that approach the old silent standard. Go to Full Review
Ellie Lucas From the Front Row Jul 17, 2020
3/4
An important missing piece in Keaton's oeuvre, but it represents a turning point in his career from which he would never recover. Go to Full Review
Ed Travis Cinapse Jun 28, 2020
The Cameraman is a delightful romp that would easily appeal to folks like me who've experienced very little silent film, and probably appeals to hardcore silent film fans as well (as a lesser known work from one of the era's greatest talents). Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Jun 28, 2020
3/4
The beginning of the end for Buster Keaton. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Jan 26, 2019 The best comedy movie ever made!
Ron M Sep 11, 2017 This is such a brilliant little movie, so far ahead of its time, and like the rest of Keaton's work, so influential for generations to come. There are comedy bits that are still fresh today, a sweet romance blended in, and what seems like one great scene after another for 67 minutes. Keaton's character is loveable as a sweet guy who has fallen for a women (Marceline Day) who works in a newsreel agency, and who tries his best to 'make good' there as a cameraman. He runs to jump on a firetruck on the way to filming a fire, only to find out it's going back to its station. He goes out to the ballpark to cover the game, only to find out the Yankees are on the road in St. Louis that day, and then proceeds to skillfully pantomime pitching, batting, and running the bases. Later in the film, he'll get a monkey as a sidekick on his way to filming a Chinese holiday celebration that turns into an all-out gang war. By the way, that monkey is fantastic, and clearly well-trained. On the romantic side, Keaton convinces Day to go out with him, and after eagerly waiting for her call, tears down the stairs when the phone rings, with the camera following him in a nice side view all the way. Day is pursued by others who are more polished and better off than Keaton, but her character recognizes his sweetness and tries to look out for him. Keaton's physical comedy is brilliant while embarrassed in a room full of girls at her residence while waiting for her to come out, and then later as he crawls from the top of a double-decker bus to the lower level where she sits after they've been separated. There are then some excellent scenes at the pool: first, him changing in a very small space with another man, and then later losing his oversized swim trunks in the pool. This is a comedy that shows a lot of creativity and skill, but also manages to be touching and heartfelt. Its pace is great and there is never a dull moment with Keaton on the screen. Day is quite fetching as well. Great movie. See more
Luke S Feb 3, 2017 The birth of a great man!
George G Dec 10, 2013 This Movie Was 69 Years Old In 1997 And 75 Years Old In 2003.
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The Cameraman

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Movie Info

Synopsis In this silent classic, photographer Buster (Buster Keaton) meets Sally (Marceline Day), who works as a secretary for the newsreel department at MGM, and falls hard. Trying to win her attention, Buster abandons photography in order to become a news cameraman. In spite of his early failures with a motion camera, Sally takes to him as well. However, veteran cameraman Stagg (Harold Goodwin) also fancies Sally, meaning Buster will need to learn how to film quickly before he loses his job.
Director
Edward Sedgwick
Screenwriter
Clyde Bruckman, Lew Lipton
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 10, 1928, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 10m
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