The Cameraman (1928)

[Scottie]

Confirmed via Lee Kline in the HTF podcast.

[captveg]

Confirmed a while ago via the theatrical tour, too.

Here's hoping they include Spite Marriage as a bonus feature, as I don't see it getting a BD release otherwise.

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by captveg

Confirmed a while ago via the theatrical tour, too.

Here's hoping they include Spite Marriage as a bonus feature, as I don't see it getting a BD release otherwise.

Yes. I believe the TCM release from a while back had that as the other feature. Good thinking. And they probably (hopefully) will.

[jacksparrow900]

info on the restoration work done

The 4K digital restoration of The Cameraman is the result of a unique partnership between Criterion Collection, Cineteca di Bologna and Warner Bros.
For this restoration, three elements were used: a 35mm MGM second-generation fine grain manufactured by MGM labs in 1957 from the 35mm original camera negative; a 16mm print from the Library of Congress, courtesy of Bruce Lawton and the Malkames Collection; and a 35mm duplicate positive from MGM’s Big Parade of Comedy. The film elements were scanned at Warner Bros Motion Picture Imaging in Burbank, and the digital restoration was carried out at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory.
FIAF archives and private collections around the world were combed to find the 291 feet of missing footage, unfortunately without success.
In a lengthy 1958 interview with Keaton, George Eastman House’s influential curator George Charles Pratt tells Buster: “There’s one unfortunate gap in our print. Apparently the negative has deteriorated. It’s the part where you go out the first day and everything goes wrong. There’s just a bit of that left…” and Keaton replies: “That’s a shame because some of the biggest gags are there”. Fortunately, only 30 shots are missing from reel 3, described as follows in the original MGM script continuity:
EXT Hotel: Buster sets up his camera in front of Hotel. Doorman exits Hotel, followed by Admiral and his staff and get into car. Buster takes pictures of the doorman, Buster walks away, then realizes he should be photographing the Admiral.
MS Yacht in dry dock, people in foreground. Girl standing by bow of boat with a bottle in hand to christen boat. Buster sets up his camera to capture image. The boat slides into water Buster and camera are on a plank tied to the boat and slide into water along with the boat (fade out).
CU of cannon firing, Buster photographs (fade out).
MS: MGM News Reel office: Buster enters carrying camera, shows a can of film to girl at desk, editor greets Buster who gives him reel of film and says (intertitle) “It’s great stuff, Sir! I hope you’ll look at it”. Office door opens and hits Buster, door closes as another cameraman comes through the door, breaking glass with his tripod.
LS Projection Room: Editor is talking with girl, Buster walks to foreground and sits in front row of the screening room. Shot of Editor looking mad and girl looking disappointed. MS of men on horses in a jumping meet. Buster had cranked camera backward, so horses are jumping in reverse. MCS of Buster in screening room looking very sad.
According to the archival records, the negative was shipped from MGM Culver City to Kodak on February 1951: upon inspection of the negative, Kodak notified George Eastman House and MGM of the missing footage from reel 3. There are no records confirming when the original camera negative was destroyed, and it is thought that it might have been in the 1965 MGM vault fire.
In 1968 Keaton films were in high demand and when MGM was unable to locate the studio fine grain it made a 35mm blow-up dupe from a 9.5mm print from Paris.MGM finally located the fine grain in 1991 – when film historian and collector David Shepard found it in Robert Youngston’s vast collection he had acquired – though it was missing footage from single reels 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A. The majority of footage removed from the fine grain was used to create the documentary MGM’s Big Parade of Comedy.
Film reconstruction carried out by Warner Bros. used Big Parade to recover as much of the cut section as possible. Film historian/collector Bruce Lawton’s 16mm print was used to replace the blow-up sections and any of the footage not found in MGM’s Big Parade of Comedy. This 16mm print was made for the George Eastman House in 1951 and was printed by the Eastman Kodak plant in Rochester.
Restored in 2018 by Cineteca di Bologna in collaboration with Cohen Film Collection at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory.

[evilive]

Count me in.

[Rzzzz]

I can't wait for this!

[bonehica]

Great news. Both Criterion and my collection need more Buster Keaton!

[Bpro-Elwin]

Originally Posted by Scottie

Confirmed via Lee Kline in the HTF podcast.

Been waiting years for a Blu Ray release, I even was a guinea pig in buying and finding out the blu ray that appeared some time ago (from Spain from what I remember) was real or not. It was a DVD blowup with terrible packaging and artwork.

So yes all this frustration aside, now finally the good news! And yes I also hope this gets Spite Marriage accompanied.

Any news on the release date?

[StarDestroyer52]

From James L Neibaur's Twitter.

I just finished being interviewed by Criterion as one of the special features for their upcoming blu ray release of Buster Keaton's MGM silents THE CAMERAMAN and SPITE MARRIAGE. We covered Buster's entire career. Stay tuned! #BusterKeaton

[MifuneFan]

Spite Marriage is confirmed, nice!

[captveg]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Spite Marriage is confirmed, nice!

Nice indeed. I can officially place my TCM WB DVD release in the "to sell" pile.

[happydood]

Such great news: the last great Keaton with a seriously under-appreciated one in Spite Marriage.

[Ned Brainard]

Great news!

Originally Posted by captveg

Nice indeed. I can officially place my TCM WB DVD release in the "to sell" pile.

I take it that you're not a "Free and Easy" fan then.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by Ned Brainard

I take it that you're not a "Free and Easy" fan then.

Is anyone?

[Shanghai Express]

Miss Criterion coming for blood in 2020

[Stargrove]

I can finally delete the TCM recording that I've been hoarding on the DVR. Absolutely love this silent classic.

[Ned Brainard]

Originally Posted by captveg

Is anyone?

HA!
To be fair to the film, it is interesting to watch it as a "behind the scenes" look at the sound transition era. It's no wonder why clips are frequently used as stock footage in history of film documentaries. As a Keaton film, it's poor, but it does have a few flashes of the man's talent, and the decidedly pre-code musical sequence is surprisingly fun and makes me wish that Keaton would have had a few more opportunities to sing in his later film appearances. That said, you probably need a few stiff drinks to make it through the film. Full disclosure: I actually purchased the WAC DVD-r reissue because it included the separately filmed Spanish language version, and I've actually watched it. Thus, I've seen both surviving versions of this clunker. This particular Keaton completionist is a glutton for punishment.

So, to get back to the more important discussion, will "Spite Marriage" be a distinct spine number or will it be a supplement for "The Cameraman"? Either way, I'll be happy because my silent Keaton features collection will finally be complete in HD.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by Ned Brainard

HA!
To be fair to the film, it is interesting to watch it as a "behind the scenes" look at the sound transition era. It's no wonder why clips are frequently used as stock footage in history of film documentaries. As a Keaton film, it's poor, but it does have a few flashes of the man's talent, and the decidedly pre-code musical sequence is surprisingly fun and makes me wish that Keaton would have had a few more opportunities to sing in his later film appearances. That said, you probably need a few stiff drinks to make it through the film. Full disclosure: I actually purchased the WAC DVD-r reissue because it included the separately filmed Spanish language version, and I've actually watched it. Thus, I've seen both surviving versions of this clunker. This particular Keaton completionist is a glutton for punishment.

I watched it once on the DVD set. Ugh. There are far, far better films that can represent the sound transition era for me going forward.

Originally Posted by Ned Brainard

So, to get back to the more important discussion, will "Spite Marriage" be a distinct spine number or will it be a supplement for "The Cameraman"? Either way, I'll be happy because my silent Keaton features collection will finally be complete in HD.

My guess is it's a bonus feature or they are presented as a two-film release along the lines of "Buster Keaton Silent's at MGM". I just can't see much demand for Spite Marriage as a separate release, though I do like the film despite the fingerprints of the studio all over it.

[Egbert Souse]

Great to find out Spite Marriage is included.

And not including Free and Easy would be a bonus feature. It's such a dire, unfunny movie and Keaton looks miserable in every single scene.

[Ned Brainard]

Originally Posted by Egbert Souse

Great to find out Spite Marriage is included.

And not including Free and Easy would be a bonus feature. It's such a dire, unfunny movie and Keaton looks miserable in every single scene.

If it can be believed, he doesn't look as miserable in the Spanish version. His subsequent MGM talkies aren't nearly as bad. A few of them even manage to be surprisingly decent, and even Keaton himself said as such. Still, I have them all in their WAC DVD-r releases, and I don't really need to see them upgraded. WAC has bigger fish to fry.