Review of The Cameraman (1928) by Antonius B — 10 Sep 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.