Sally and Buster go to the city pool in one of the film's funniest sequences. Sally agrees to a date with Buster, even after the talk of his disastrous film reel has spread around the MGM offices. The Cameraman is a fitting inversion of this typical Keaton story progression because Buster has a specific task and works hard to achieve it, as well as a romance in which there is never much of a major miscommunication regarding the mutual feelings they find for one another. One of Chaplin's best films even starred Buster Keaton, and it wasn't even silent. Keaton's character archetype, in stark contrast to Charlie Chaplin's lovable but sometimes mischievous "Tramp" persona, is always well-meaning, rather stone-faced, and often completely unaware of how he accomplished whatever success he may have found by the end of the film. The character of Buster is being mistreated and disrespected by nearly everyone around him, and as is typical of a Keaton film, he will somehow manage to work his way through these setbacks. Keaton is put upon by society in many of his films, and The Cameraman is no different, often utilizing his smaller stature to place him within the frame in a vulnerable state. Sally is encouraging and treats Buster with respect, giving him the confidence to go out and find some footage.īuster's attempt to show off his filmmaking skills results in much ridicule from his potential coworkers, as his film is accidentally played in reverse, framing incorrectly, and double exposed, resulting in bizarre and incompetent images which do not land him the job. One of the more seasoned camera operators belittles him and attempts to compete for Sally's affection. He falls for a kind secretary, Sally ( Marceline Day), who works at the studio, and attempts to impress her by purchasing a film camera and vying for a job as a studio camera operator. The Cameraman follows Keaton, playing the typically naive and sweet persona audiences had grown accustomed to, as a poor man named Buster taking tintype photography in the streets outside of MGM Studios to get by. This resulted in one of Keaton's best films, although it sadly would be his last chance to allow his genius abilities to flourish creatively. If there is any question about whether Keaton regretted this transition, the chapter title from his autobiography, My Wonderful World of Slapstick which covers this time period declares it "The Worst Mistake of My Life." Fortunately for him and for audiences today, MGM did allow Keaton to maintain broad creative control over his first feature with the studio, The Cameraman. This landed Keaton at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios, where he entered a deal that would deprive him of creative control. Schenck and from his tenure at United Artists. After ten feature films financed and produced independently, Keaton was cut loose from his bankroll provided by producer Joseph M. Unfortunately, at the time, it was a bit of a dud both critically and commercially. This image comes from Steamboat Bill Jr., a film that is regarded today as one of the best of the silent era. The image of Keaton standing in the open window frame of a house that had fallen around him, one of his most dangerous stunts, is one which will live on forever in film history. Buster Keaton was born the same year movies were first publicly exhibited, and in the coming decades, he would grow in tandem with the industry he would revolutionize as an independent director, comedy star, and stunt performer.
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