Northrop Presents
The Cameraman: Silent Film With Live Music
Featuring Aaron David Miller, organist
Sun, Feb 16, 3:00 pm CT
In-Person / Livestream
On-demand through Feb 23
A classic silent film from 1928, The Cameraman is considered one of slapstick comedian Buster Keaton’s best. The romantic comedy follows a simple photographer who dreams of capturing video for the news, but continually finds himself in various wrong places at the wrong times. The zany action on screen will be accompanied live by organist Aaron David Miller, a maestro on the historic Northrop Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ. The soundtrack will be improvised during the film—just as was done in early 20th century theaters.
Advisory: This 1928 film contains negative depictions of people or cultures.
Free for UMN students; registration required.
“Aaron possesses a composer’s insight to understanding music.”—The American Organist Magazine
“Courageous improvisations with flair.”—MPR
“Aaron turned the organ into an audible color wheel as he improvised.”—Los Angeles Times
You might enjoy this performance if you loved:
The Phantom of the Opera: Silent Film with Live Music Featuring Aaron David Miller, organ
Fritz Lang’s Metropolis: Silent Film with Live Music Featuring Peter Richard Conte, organ
Explore Single Ticket Discounts Galore*
- Films are free for UMN students!
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- $5 off for students and many others
- Children 17 and under: 50% off base price, always
- $30 under 30: 2 tickets per valid ID + one free beverage per ticket
- 20% off tickets for groups of 10 or more
*Some exclusions apply.
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Related Links
Know Before You Go
Event Information
- In-person Seating: General Admission
- Theater Doors Open: 2:00 pm
- Performance Begins: 3:00 pm CT
- Tickets: Check the email you provided when you placed your order to locate your digital ticket. Be sure to check your spam or junk mail folders if you do not see them.
- Detailed Event Information or Streaming Access: Find Your Event Info link on your order confirmation or check your email within 48 hours for detailed information from Northrop, U of M
If you need assistance with your tickets, please call 612-624-2345, email umntix@umn.edu.
Learn More - Explore These Themes
The content below derives from the Northrop Across Campus Program that supports Northrop's mission towards intersections between performing arts and education for the benefit of all participants now and for generations to come.
Find ways to make thematic connections to these suggested topics:
Cinematography
Filmmaking
History of film
Silent film
Music: Organ Performance, Composition, Music for Film
Journalism
Comedy
Improvisation
Take a deeper dive with these resources that provide additional information about the performers, the history of the art form, and the artistic process.
Links:
PBS American Masters: “Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow”
Criterion: The Cameraman article
Silent Film: The Cameraman article
Elements of Madness: Explore Silent Film Era Superstar Buster Keaton’s World article
Start a conversation about the performance or encourage reflection, using these questions as inspiration.
In PBS’s Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow, directors Kevin Brownlow and David Gill open with this statement: “Buster Keaton is considered one of the greatest comic actors of all time. His influence on physical comedy is rivaled only by Charlie Chaplin.”
- How did Buster Keaton's use of physical comedy and visual storytelling techniques contribute to the art of cinema?
- How does Keaton’s influence extend past cinema and art?
Edward Sedwick, who co-directed the film alongside Keaton, writes about The Cameraman for its release on the Criterion Collection: “Buster Keaton is at the peak of his slapstick powers in The Cameraman … his last great masterpiece … 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 … 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.”
- How does Keaton as a director and character use the camera itself to explore multi-dimensional narratives and reflect his perspective of 1920s New York and the U.S.?
- What is the relevance of The Cameraman today? How would you reimagine elements of the film to resonate with audiences in the 21st century?
- How should films with questionably appropriate depictions of Asian people, such as the Tong War scene in The Cameraman, be contextualized for screenings today?
Renowned composer, improviser, and organist Aaron David Miller will accompany Northrop’s screening of The Cameraman with live music. Miller last appeared on Northrop’s stage during Manual Cinema’s Ada/Ava and has received rave reviews when accompanying silent films.
- What are the unique advantages of improvisation as an artistic practice? How might you incorporate improvisation into your life outside of art?
- How do silent films lend themselves to unique creative collaborations and reimaginings?
