Silent Film Mirror: Buster Keaton in THE CAMERAMAN (1928) with live piano accompaniment by by Makia Matsumura
Buster Keaton in THE CAMERAMAN (1928) 69 minutes
Keaton's next-to-last silent comedy was his first film after leaving the security of his own independent studio to work for the more corporately-minded M-G-M. It takes place in New York City, where his love for Sally (Marceline Day) and friendship with a monkey (Josephine) inspires and aids him in his quest to rise from tintype photographer to newsreel cameraman. His adventures with a hand-cranked camera, soon to be replaced by a standardized motor in the sound era, allow Keaton to express his fascination with film and, perhaps, a preference for hand-made projects.
Directed by Edward Sedgwick
Preceded by a Charlie Chaplin short:
BEHIND THE SCREEN (1916) 25 ½ minutes
Charlie plays a beleaguered propman in a silent movie studio, satirizing filmmaking in general and Keystone-style comedy in particular, leading to an extended pie-fight.
Makia Matsumura will accompany both films.
Doors at 5:30PM and screening at 6PM.
*Please note that children under the age of six will not be admitted to the screening.
Returning after a long hiatus, the silent film series curated and hosted by Ken Gordon celebrates its 18th year. The series has a new name, Silent Film Mirror, and this season's themes are SWAN SONGS and the SILENT RITES OF SPRING & SLAPSTICK. All 3 of the features celebrate spring by taking us to Coney Island, Yankee Stadium and the Circus, and all are Slapstick-based. Additionally, each feature is preceded by a short comedy that explores slapstick tropes like chases and pie-throwing. The features are also Swan Songs of sorts, the last great silent films by Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin to be released in the silent era, which is said to have ended by about 1929.
Buster Keaton in THE CAMERAMAN (1928) 69 minutes
Keaton's next-to-last silent comedy was his first film after leaving the security of his own independent studio to work for the more corporately-minded M-G-M. It takes place in New York City, where his love for Sally (Marceline Day) and friendship with a monkey (Josephine) inspires and aids him in his quest to rise from tintype photographer to newsreel cameraman. His adventures with a hand-cranked camera, soon to be replaced by a standardized motor in the sound era, allow Keaton to express his fascination with film and, perhaps, a preference for hand-made projects.
Directed by Edward Sedgwick
Preceded by a Charlie Chaplin short:
BEHIND THE SCREEN (1916) 25 ½ minutes
Charlie plays a beleaguered propman in a silent movie studio, satirizing filmmaking in general and Keystone-style comedy in particular, leading to an extended pie-fight.
Makia Matsumura will accompany both films.
Doors at 5:30PM and screening at 6PM.
*Please note that children under the age of six will not be admitted to the screening.
Returning after a long hiatus, the silent film series curated and hosted by Ken Gordon celebrates its 18th year. The series has a new name, Silent Film Mirror, and this season's themes are SWAN SONGS and the SILENT RITES OF SPRING & SLAPSTICK. All 3 of the features celebrate spring by taking us to Coney Island, Yankee Stadium and the Circus, and all are Slapstick-based. Additionally, each feature is preceded by a short comedy that explores slapstick tropes like chases and pie-throwing. The features are also Swan Songs of sorts, the last great silent films by Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin to be released in the silent era, which is said to have ended by about 1929.
Brooklyn Public Library - Central Library, Dweck Center MM/DD/YYYY 60