The Navigator (1924)

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Very well executed

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

THE NAVIGATOR (1924) tells the story of a bored, wealthy young man (Buster Keaton) who, after having his marriage proposal rejected, decides to go for a cruise. Unfortunately, he winds up on the wrong boat and sets sail on an empty ship that is headed for destruction. There he meets his would-be fiancée (Kathryn McGuire), whose father sold the ship to a small country at war, and whose enemies decided to set it adrift. Comic complications ensue. Directed by Buster Keaton and Donald Crisp.SCRIPT: THE NAVIGATOR is definitely one of Keaton's most entertaining efforts. The movie lasts barely an hour, but is full of comic invention and ingenuity. Among the highlights are Keaton's hilariously inept attempts to make breakfast on the ship, his battle with a swordfish, and their epic battle against cannibals. This movie gave my wife and me lots of laughs! SCORE: 9/10ACTING: Buster Keaton was known for his "stoneface" routine, remaining comically unflappable in the face of dire circumstances, and he does it well here. He does well at portraying the bored rich young man, and is also very athletic when the situation calls for it. Kathryn McGuire is also very good as his love interest. McGuire comically mocks the "damsel in distress" style of acting at times, and she's very game for all of the slapstick funny business as well. They are the two who are most prominent in the movie; in fact, they're the only people involved for long stretches of the film, and their chemistry and talent help keep things afloat. SCORE: 9/10CINEMATOGRAPHY/PRODUCTION: This film was expertly shot by Byron Houck and Elgin Lessley. In many cases, all they have to do is just set the camera up and let it roll to capture Keaton's stunningly inventive gags, but there are nice tracking shots and underwater camera-work as well. Also, the battle between Keaton, McGuire, and the cannibals is given the right epic feel while still being quite funny. Solid work overall. SCORE: 8/10SUMMARY: THE NAVIGATOR is great fun, with lots of inventive gags and great comic chemistry between the two leads. It's one of Keaton's best films, and it stands the test of time as a wonderful example of the imaginative richness of silent comedy. SCORE: 9/10

Perhaps not the greatest Keaton but probably my favourite. A likable film. Are there though different versions? I am sure I have seen a version where all the cabin doors swing open early on, in fact when Buster first starts to explore the Navigator. In my DVD though the scene occurs later on when Buster and the girl are worried about possible intruders.Again the DVD doesn't have the scene where the girl pumps too much air into Buster's diving suit. The suit is blown up like barrage balloon.In fact I believe I have seen two quite different versions of the scene in "The Boat" where the newly-constructed craft is launched and sinks like a stone.Has anyone else had these experiences?

The Navigator (1924)This short fun silent comedy is filled with gags and funny moments, but it's not Buster Keaton's best (in my view) being a little obvious and kind of more silly than original. It also has a grand climax that plays on stereotypes of naive and impressionable natives on some faraway island and it struck me as dated and (depending on the viewer, maybe) demeaning. This includes a comic appearance of Keaton in a deep sea suit from the water spooking the natives who apparently think he is a kind of monster or god. They later catch on and the chase begins again.The basis of the movie is the clueless rich young man (Keaton) trying to get the disinterested girl (Betsy O'Brien). And in a very very roundabout way he seems like he just might. You'll see.The Navigator is actually the name of a ship (a trick rather like how the name of his better and more famous film "The General" is the really the name of a locomotive). And it mostly takes place on board this abandoned vessel (which Keaton bought outright when it was being scrapped). The reason it is abandoned (in the movie) and set adrift seems like it might matter at first as a kind of political plot but this all ends up not really being part of the larger movie. It's just an excuse to have the two on a big ship alone, with all the likely things that might happen as a result.The grand finale of it all is a bit of a lucky farce, and a good laugh, though the natives, again, don't look too clever in it all. The gags that Keaton uses are slapstick and sight gags, with some of his trademark stunt work but not as much as usual. In fact, this might the most Chaplin-esque of all his films, even having a scene where submarine tilts its sense of "level" and reminds me a lot of Chaplin's "Gold Rush" in the cabin scenes. To note, however, this is one year before the Chaplin film. The scenes where Keaton is at his best are probably the underwater ones, with a lobster as a wire cutter and a sword fish as a weapon in an underwater sword fight. Hilarious.Keaton co-directs with Donald Crisp, who went on to a long acting career (starting years before "Birth of a Nation" and going into the 1940s with some general fame). It's thought that Keaton ended up directing most of it himself. It's a great fun ride, for sure, but just if you've seen other Keaton gems ("Sherlock Jr." and "The General" and "Steamboat Bill") you need to expect something less original.

Buster Keaton does a great job keeping the audience on the edge of their seats during this silent film. What the movie loses from lack of sound, it makes up for with Keaton's expressions and seemingly clueless looks. He does a great job of portraying the helpless rich man who obviously has never needed to lift a finger to do anything for himself. I felt that the scenes on "The Navigator" steamboat were very funny and showed the comedy from the time. The only thing i was not impressed with was the part involving the natives. I just don't think it went with the rest of the movie well, and that the "terrorist" group in the beginning should have been reintroduced. Though i wasn't impressed with the natives, I did enjoy the scenes where Keaton was underwater attempting to fix the ship (especially the scene he fences with the swordfish).