The first half of the film is a bit dull--having many lackluster jokes and too much plot for my liking--and only rarely utilizing Buster's great style of physical humor. It all begins as Buster is trying to make a buck taking pictures of people using an old tintype camera. However, when he is stuck in the middle of a ticker tape parade and he watches all the newsreel men covering the event, he catches "the bug" and trades in his equipment for a motion picture camera. When he arrives at MGM's Newsreel department, he is pretty much snubbed by everyone except for a secretary who feels sorry for him.

Later, after screwing up every other time he tried, Buster learns about a gang war that is about to erupt in Chinatown. On the way, he appears to accidentally kill a monkey!! This is a horrible scene that fortunately ends well. The monkey is NOT killed but soon becomes Buster's constant companion. Frankly, I think that once the monkey appeared, the film improved dramatically--I LOVE that monkey! Why, well at the gang fight, it's more like a war--with constant gun fire, machine guns and stabbings galore. AND, the monkey constantly saves the day for Buster--both stabbing a guy who is about to do Buster in as well as using a crank-style machine gun on the gang! Now THAT'S a handy monkey! It's all actually pretty cute--though I'm sure to you reading this it sounds horrific!

Unfortunately, when Buster arrives with the film, it seems his camera was not loaded and his is fired. So, on his own, Buster goes to film a local speedboat race. Buster's love interest and a rival are in the race but they are thrown from the boat. She is on the verge of drowning when Buster springs to action--saving her. But, when she awakens Buster isn't there and the jerk rival claims HE saved her! Only later, when the gang war roll of film is discovered does the lady realize Buster risked his own life for her, as you see, the monkey filmed the entire rescue! I told you, that's SOME monkey!

Despite being an excellent film, when I watch this film, I always find myself feeling depressed. That's because this was Keaton's first film with MGM and it marks a decided change in his films--and not a good change. Up until then, Buster had maintained a lot of control over his films and worked on most of the gags. However, now that the huge mega-studio bought his contract, the films received polish and "the MGM touch" that spelled the death of his earlier work. Now this isn't to say that the CAMERAMAN is a bad film. It has excellent production values but it also lacks some of the energy and spontaneity of his earlier works--at least in the first half of the film. Plus, after this movie, it was all downhill for Keaton's career. For example, try watching 1930's THE DOUGHBOY or SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK and you'll find that the films are just dull and limp with none of the usual Keaton energy. Then, in 1932, in one of the most bone-headed moves in Hollywood history, he was paired with the loud and obnoxious comedian, Jimmy Durante--whose style was the exact opposite of Keaton's and ruined what was left of Keaton's charm. THE PASSIONATE PLUMBER and the rest of their films together just stink.

So, if you are NOT nostalgic about Keaton's earlier films (such as THE GENERAL or OUR HOSPITALITY),then you'll probably love this film. But, if you are a sentimentalist and die-hard fan of the silent comedians, this film might just make you feel a tad disappointed. Sure, it improves greatly as the film progresses, but you can't help but notice the film is a tad less memorable or special than his independent productions before THE CAMERAMAN.

Now although I still greatly prefer some of his earlier films (which are true classics),this isn't to say that THE CAMERAMAN is bad--heck, I gave it a 9! But, his next movies only became more and more and more conventional as he lost control over the production.

By the way, when this film was recently shown on Turner Classic Movies, the new musical score was a major detriment, as the instruments used were way too modern, loud and obtrusive. I can't blame this on the film but on the recent restoration.

When it comes to comedy, the witty and sophisticated kinds are the kinds that appeal to me the most, as seen in a lot of pre-1970 comedies. Having said that, do appreciate too comedies with a broader style providing it doesn't become too vulgar and the risque kind. Have found though that in recent years that there has been those that are very juvenile, crude and even puerile to the point of offensiveness, which is as one may have guessed appeals to me far less.

As has been said before more than once, silent film comedy greats are many, with Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy though in both cases it wasn't the case of finding their feet immediately. In both cases the early stuff was fairly hit and miss, but when they did settle their best work was classic. And of course Buster Keaton, who didn't transition as well or smoothly into the sound era (whereas Chaplin made some of his best work in it),sadly for Keaton the 1930s was a quite big decline period. But when he was in his prime there was nobody back then, when it came to comedy, more daring in terms of the jaw-dropping stunt-work, or who was able to make deadpan funny and expressive, and actually it is still like that now. Keaton wasn't nicknamed "The Great Stone Face" for nothing, and in my mind he was every bit as funny and easy to like as Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy, while also being a bigger risk taker, having bolder material physically and his films being technically in his prime period superior. The reasons for the comparisons again being because they were all geniuses in comedy, who started their careers around the same time, a lot of the comedy was physical rather than verbal and their prime periods were in roughly the same time period.

'The Cameraman' is one of Keaton's best. It's his first MGM film and do have to agree with those who have described it as the last to be "great". Maybe it starts off a little slow compared to the rest of the film, but never in a way that makes one want to switch it off. It wasn't a problem for me as it was still very charming. 'The Cameraman' may not quite be the technical achievement that 'The General' and 'Sherlock Jr' were/are, but it still looks great with beautiful and inventive photography that uses the camera and the character's clumsiness very cleverly. Similarly, it may not have stunts as jaw-dropping, daring or as awe inspiring as for example the climax of 'Steamboat Bill, Jr', but the physicality and the comedy that goes with it is a delight to watch.

What 'The Cameraman' does have is one of the best developed romances of any Buster Keaton film, it is not shallow at all and really warms the heart while showing depth. As well as a serious contender for Keaton's strongest female character in personality and how she's developed (a cipher she certainly isn't),charmingly played by Marceline Day. Her and Keaton's chemistry is sweet and heartfelt, which makes his defeated reaction in one scene all the more heart-wrenching. A further bonus is my single favourite supporting character of any Keaton film in the scene stealing Josephine the monkey, being both hilarious and adorable and one of my favourite animal performances ever.

Regarding the comedy, 'The Cameraman' is one of Keaton's funniest. So many unforgettable moments here, the best hilarious, very inventive and timed perfectly. Highlights include sequences such as with the staircase, the fire engine, in the swimming pool, in the pool dressing room, the tong war, in the screening room and anything with Josephine.

Yet, 'The Cameraman' is much more than a comedy. It is another Keaton film, and it is a primary reason as to why his prime period is classic quality, to have a story with brains, heart and logic, treating the audience with respect and there is never any trouble following it, always engaging too. The romance has a lot of prominence here and instead of slowing the film down it is one of its biggest strengths, with charm and pathos aplenty. Keaton as expected gives a pitch perfect performance, one of his best and it embodies all the qualities of why he was so great. Not only is his comic timing on point but he once again provides a character that's endearing and worth rooting for. His physicality and how he copes with the stunts is awe-inspiring and he is one of not many to make deadpan interesting and entertaining because he still makes it very expressive and nuanced.

On the whole, outstanding and a must see. 10/10

The Cameraman should have marked the beginning of a long and productive association with MGM for Buster Keaton. In a sense it was the high point of his career. The film came out just as sound was being introduced in the cinema. I've always thought that Keaton's deep sad voice matched his doleful countenance perfectly and sound should have made him just like it did Laurel&Hardy. But it wasn't to be for a variety of reasons.

Still The Cameraman is a silent classic that suits Keaton's style perfectly. He's a tintype photographer who after a funny encounter with a bunch of newsreel cameramen decided if he can't beat them, join them. He gets a newsreel camera and tries to show what he can do. Keaton's got a double motive not just the job, but he wants to win the heart of newspaper secretary, Marceline Day.

The rest of the film is a succession of gags with the camera, and poor Buster's efforts to take pictures in some perilous circumstances. He also acquires an organ grinder's monkey after first thinking he killed him. The monkey proves to be a valuable pet. Funniest sequence is when he's sent to cover the Chinese New Year celebration and two rival tongs start a war on the spot.

In these days where now photographs are taken from hand held cellphones, younger viewers might not get some of the problems with the bulkiness of those old movie cameras. Keaton has some hilarious moments dealing with the contraption.

For baseball fans, there are shots of old Yankee Stadium where Keaton comes to photograph the game and finds the Yankees are in St. Louis playing the Browns. I wasn't sure that it wasn't a set at first until I saw the old Jerome Avenue IRT passing during a shot as Keaton does an impromptu baseball routine before the groundskeepers throw him out. This was Yankee Stadium the year after Babe Ruth set his record of 60 home-runs.

Charles Lindbergh via some newsreel footage makes a guest appearance here during the finale. Talk about dying of thirst at a reservoir, that's about what happens to Keaton. You'll have to see the film to find out what I mean.

A lot of the ideas that were used in MGM's famous screwball comedy of the Thirties, Too Hard To Handle with Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, and Walter Pidgeon can be found in The Cameraman. It's a comedy classic from Buster Keaton and regretfully one of his last.