The Cameraman – 1928 Keaton, Sedgwick

Buster Keaton’s 76-minute comic romance is his last hurrah. In total he’d work for 50 years in movies, have 150 credits or so to his name, but the sun really shined brightly on him and his work between the years 1923 and 1928—six short years
Edward Sedgwick is credited but by all accounts Buster took over behind the camera after many failed attempts by Sedgwick
The film was lost in 1951—so the restored version (the 4k transfer is awesome) we have today is missing three minutes
It may be the closest film to a Chaplin narrative- Keaton plays the titular cameraman—a sort of pitiable pipsqueak that falls hard for Sally and spends the entire movie in love with her and trying to get her.

Keaton’s trademark deadpan as the firetruck he athletically (another trademark) boards isn’t actually going to the fire– but to the firehouse

It is nearly a perfect little film—not as ambitious as some of his larger set-piece films like The General, The Navigator—but there are plenty of excellent sketches where he gets to show off his talents as a physical comedian
Keaton miming baseball at the actual 1928 Yankee’s stadium is a treat

Keaton miming baseball at the actual 1928 Yankee’s stadium is a treat

There’s a skit of him running through the crowded city after Sally calls him—he flies—and reaches her while she’s still on the phone with him despite the distance- charming

The skit with him in a small changing room with a bigger guy may be the one I’d omit- it is just better suited to Chaplin’s talents—Keaton just didn’t look back at the camera in anguish quite like Chaplin did- he excelled in other, more physical, areas

The skit with him in a small changing room with a bigger guy may be the one I’d omit- it is just better suited to Chaplin’s talents—Keaton just didn’t look back at the camera in anguish quite like Chaplin did- he excelled in other, more physical, areas— like…
…at the 25- minute mark sprinting down the flight of stairs as the camera moves through the floors in unbroken takes—not unlike Borzage’s 7^th Heaven (1927- I’d have to think this film inspired Keaton)
Another area where Keaton excelled were the set pieces as I previously mentioned—here he and Sally are separated by a crowed on the double decker bus—of course he needs to be by her and physical comedy ensues as he jumps to her outside of the bus— but the shot choice here isn’t perfect—- it is never as wide as his best work—we don’t get the full look at the 1920’s Jackie Chan here
Another strong scene of Keaton stupefied by Sally’s kiss as he walks down the street in the rain
Like Sherlock Jr. this is a movie that is somewhat about the making of movies—but it isn’t quite the heavy reflexive meditation Keaton’s 1924 masterpiece is
A stand-alone strong shot and camera movement is at the 66-minute mark as Keaton/Sedgwick peel back the camera on the beach after Keaton’s rescue