Cinema concert

The Navigator, Buster Keaton, Donald Crisp (USA 1924)

By a stupid coincidence, the millionaire's son (Buster Keaton) and his sweetheart (Kathryn McGuire) find themselves alone on a large steamer on the high seas. After numerous incidents, they survive more poorly than right until one day they see a seemingly uninhabited island in the distance...

"The large number of Keaton's comments on this film alone proves that "The Navigator" was one of his favorite films. This was not only because it was his first big public success, but above all because of his straightforwardness. Like later only "The General", the film took up a theme and then pursued it consistently until the end. In doing so, he even largely dispensed with people who could have distracted from his heroes. All the other actors always appear in groups and form unimportant staffage that only keeps the plot going. So Keaton was able to concentrate on his two central themes: the woman and, above all, the machine." (Wolfram Tichy: Buster Keaton)

"You can't ignore Keaton's direction if you want to describe Buster: he is only constituted in the director's direction. This is what distinguishes Buster from Charlie and Keaton from Chaplin. Charlie is also conceivable on a stage with a few props – the world of his films is a world of props. Buster first realises himself in shots and sequences that surround him with "world". (Frieda Grafe)

"Keaton's most typical silent film comedy next to "The General", which presents his film personality in its purest form, is undisputedly one of the masterpieces of comic film." (Lexikon des internat. Films)

Screenplay: Clyde Bruckman, Jean C. Havez, Joseph A. Mitchell

Cinematography: Byron Houck, Elgin Lessley

Editing: Buster Keaton (uncredited)

Starring: Buster Keaton (Rollo Treadway), Kathryn McGuire (Betsy O'Brien), Frederick Vroom (John O'Brien, ship owner), Noble Johnson (spy/chief of cannibals/gangsters), Clarence Burton, H. M. Clugston (spies/cannibals/gangsters)

70 min., silent film with music; E/f Zw'titel