Feb 16, 2025—On-demand through Feb 23
The Cameraman
Featuring Aaron David Miller, organist
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Duration: 75 minutes, followed by a 20-minute Q&A with Aaron David Miller
The Cameraman (1928)
“Buster Keaton is at the peak of his slapstick powers in The Cameraman—the first film that the silent-screen legend made after signing with MGM, and his last great masterpiece. The final work over which he maintained creative control, this clever farce is the culmination of an extraordinary, decade-long run that produced some of the most innovative and enduring comedies of all time. Keaton plays a hapless newsreel cameraman desperate to impress both his new employer and his winsome office crush as he zigzags up and down Manhattan hustling for a scoop. Along the way, he goes for a swim (and winds up soaked), becomes embroiled in a Chinatown Tong War*, and teams up with a memorable monkey sidekick (the famous Josephine). The marvelously inventive film-within-a-film setup allows Keaton’s imagination to run wild, yielding both sly insights into the travails of moviemaking and an emotional payoff of disarming poignancy.”
—The Criterion Collection (opens in new tab)
*This scene from a 1928 film would likely not appear in a 2025 film, though the humor is Keaton slapstick and does not come at the expense of the community’s residents.
Film Credits
Directed by Edward Sedgwick
Story by Clyde Bruckman and Lew Lipton, with titles by Joseph W. Farnham
Cast (in credits order):
Buster Keaton as Buster
Marceline Day as Sally
Harold Goodwin as Stagg
Sidney Bracey as Editor
Harry Gribbon as Cop
Additional Credits on IMDb (opens in new tab)
A Little Background Info
The Cameraman (1928) was one of the last silent films made before the shift to “talkies.” Considered one of Keaton’s best works, it features his well-known and well-loved physical comedy, with hilarious chase scenes, endearing mishaps, and explosive mayhem. Speaking of explosive mayhem, The Cameraman footage almost disappeared forever, as the original burned in a vault fire at MGM in 1965. A print of the film was found in 1968, and a better-quality master was located in 1991. The salvaged film is now safely inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, alongside six other Keaton films—a distinct honor indicating its enduring cultural significance in American history.
Photo by James Mims
Aaron David Miller
Artist’s Note
Silent Films and Music
By Aaron David Miller
Silent films were never intended to be silent. From the earliest days of film, small theaters employed pianists and organists to accompany the film live. Larger theaters might hire a small orchestra or band to play. In addition, audiences often talked, cheered, hissed, and booed at the various characters on the screen, making silent film screenings an interactive experience.
In the earliest days of film, keyboardists would improvise to the dramatic content of the film. Oftentimes they would incorporate classical themes, opera themes, and the popular music of the day. The accompanist also tried to capture the film’s setting. If a film was set in Egypt, the accompanist might rely on Egyptian themes for the film.
Towards the end of the silent era, film studios started to send out musical themes with the film canisters to each theater. Though not complete film scores, the themes offered some musical suggestions that could guide the keyboardist through the film. Unfortunately, most of these theme sheets were lost, as they were not considered valuable enough to preserve.
In the 1920s, music publishers began printing large anthologies of keyboard music intended for film. The most famous of these was Motion Picture Moods, published by G. Schirmer in 1920. Interestingly, the anthology is filled with as many opera and classical themes as popular tunes of the era.
Accompanying a film is different with every performance. Not only do the performers react musically to the films, they also respond to the reactions of the audience. No two film screenings are the same. Every show is different.
Northrop Acknowledgments
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Thank you to our partners from Project Success for hosting the pre-show Teacher Appreciation Event with us!
Project Success connects students to their purpose through a proven method of experiential learning called DIG – Dream. Ignite. Grow. – and is fulfilled through a proprietary curriculum of four components: Workshops, Arts, Expeditions and Institute. Through DIG, students have a deeper understanding of themselves and an authentically personal vision of their future.
We currently serve over 18,000 middle and high school students each year in Minneapolis Public Schools and Mankato Area Public Schools with our programs, inspiring them to dream about the future, helping them take steps to get there, and giving them the tools they need to achieve their goals.
To learn more and get involved, visit projectsuccess.org.
The Northrop Advisory Board
The Northrop Advisory Board is committed to the growth and awareness of Northrop’s mission, vision, and the continued future of presenting world-class dance and music in our community. If you would like more information about the advisory board and its work, please contact Cynthia Betz, Director of Development, at 612-626-7554 or betzx011@umn.edu.
Northrop Advisory Board Members
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Friends of Northrop
A special thank you to our patrons whose generous support makes Northrop's transformative arts experiences possible. Make your mark on Northrop's future by becoming a Friend today, learn more by visiting northrop.umn.edu/support-northrop.
We gratefully acknowledge the support from the Anna M. Heilmaier Foundation, Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, hospitality partner the Graduate Hotel Minneapolis, and event sponsors PNC Bank and RBC Wealth Management.
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