Cinematheque in Kibla - film projection The Cameraman

Film projection The Cameraman (Buster Keaton films) on Tuesday 18/12/2007 at 8 pm.

Short introductory film: surprise
Main film: The Cameraman (1928), 67 minutes

USA, 1928, DVD, 67', feature film, story: Clyde Bruckman, direction: Buster Keaton and Edward Sedgwick
Cast: Buster Keaton, Marceline Day, Harold Goodwin, Sidney Bracey et al.

The Cameraman from 1928 is Keaton's first film for the MGM studio. Still at the peak of his creativity, he managed to create a masterpiece, which long after remained a model comedy, despite working within a huge studio. Keaton plays a cameraman, trying to fascinate by what he does both his employers and a pretty girl working at the MGM film weeklies department. The path towards his goal is naturally covered in barriers and entertaining twists. The film that in many ways represented the turning point in his career closes the Buster Keaton films series in Maribor. Although Keaton did make quite some interesting films afterwards, his creativity was fading, mainly because of the pressure exercised by the studio. In the thirties after signing for MGM, which he was compelled to do due to financial failures, he fell victim to alcohol, later referring to the period as his "black decade". The contract made him hope for higher budgets and better distribution, but he soon realized the plans of the studio were different, depriving him of the creative freedom and control over films. His contractual obligations included writing sketches for Marx Brothers films, which in the thirties developed the sound comedies in the same way as Chaplin and Keaton developed the silent ones. The Marx Brothers film series will probably be our next major cinematheque series next year.