User reviews

This story of a helpless, spoiled rich boy set adrift upon a giant ship with his equally helpless girlfriend has a clever story line and a series of excellent gags, but the plot is slow to develop. It is held up by some slow-moving scenes which are not as funny as they try to be. Although the sequence of events which result in the stranding of the couple upon the sea are highly improbable, they were well-executed and the humorous possibilities to be explored make that easy to overlook. Most of the attempted humor pays off, but somehow the movie drags a bit. I especially found the underwater scene to be too long and was an anchor to the movie's momentum. However, it did lead to some very humorous moments when Keaton made it ashore. Keaton's trip back to the ship from the island may have inspired the scene in Woody Allen's Sleeper in which Allen and Diane Keaton escaped from the futuristic police by using an inflatable suit to float across a lake. Whatever one's opinion of the bulk of The Navigator, the ending is unquestionably inspired. This is a great example of Keaton pulling a rabbit out of a hat to the surprise of the audience. It's a great audience pleaser. I would not recommend this movie as an introduction to Buster Keaton, but if you're already a fan, then you have to see it.

Wealthy Rollo Treadway (Buster Keaton) preposes to his neighbor across the street, Betsy O'Brien (Kathryn McGuire), and sends his servant to book passage for a honeymoon sea cruise to Honolulu. Surprised that she would reject such a wonderful guy as himself, he decides to go on the trip anyway. Because the pier number is partially covered and it is nighttime, he ends up on the wrong ship, the Navigator, which Betsy's rich father (Frederick Vroom) has just sold to a small country at war. Agents of the other small nation set the ship adrift that night. Betsy boards the ship to rescue her father, thinking he is aboard, prior to the ship being cut loose.

So McGuire and Keaton are both onboard the same ship, alone except for each other, and don't know that the other is there. How they find each other is part of the fun. How they manage to grasp the simple things like making coffee and using a can opener - with great difficulty -is a running commentary on the idle rich of the roaring 20s since these two have always had servants to do every simple task for them.

The Navigator makes the gutsy choice for its time to allow African American actors the chance to be spear-chucking cannibals since such roles normally went to white actors in black face. It's also notable that these actors were performing their own stunts like the rest of the cast with Keaton, as always, taking the biggest risks with the most physically demanding stunts.

Donald Crisp, the co-director, was hired to direct the dramatic (non-boat) scenes, and was removed when he tried to direct the boat scenes as well. Keaton took over. In the gag where McGuire tosses the portrait that ends up dangling outside Keaton's window to frighten him, the portrait of the scary man is Crisp.

The scene where Buster and his girl, two rich youngsters who are stuck together alone on a ship, attempt to feed themselves is one of the funniest scenes I've ever watched. For about 10 minutes, I could not stop laughing. After that scene, the comedy is, well, I was going to say hit and miss, but that's not right. No joke really misses. It's just the difference between a smile, a chuckle, and a guffaw. I would say that, especially compared to my two favorite Keaton films, Our Hospitality and Sherlock Junior, The Navigator is considerably less funny (though almost anything is considerably less funny than those two films). Plus, the film never reaches a solid conclusion. A situation was set up at the film's start which was never advanced at all. Still, The Navigator beats out most modern comedies. Nothing can really beat Buster Keaton. I would give it a 7/10 if it lacked the food sequence, but I'll add 1 point for that, so a total of 8/10.

While it might not be one of Keaton's very best movies, "The Navigator" is a good comedy that has some great scenes. It never quite hits high gear the way that some of Buster's masterpieces do, but there is a good variety of material, and it is pleasant and funny to watch.

Keaton and Kathryn McGuire work together well, and their scenes together make up most of the movie, including some of the funniest parts. Their scenes in the ship's kitchen are especially good. The well-known scene of Buster going deep-sea diving is also very entertaining, and must have taken some real skill to film at the time.

This is one that any fan of Keaton or of silent comedy should enjoy.

Of all the Buster Keaton films I have seen it is certainly not the best, but it is also not the worst. The story of a spoiled man (Rollo) who falls head over heels in love with a helpless woman (Betsy) seems as if it would be easy to hit the audience with punch line after punch line, but the jokes come out at such a sloth worthy pace that it is painstakingly obvious what will happen next. There are some scenes that made me laugh so hard my sides began to ache, but others barely warranted a smirk. It did show off Keaton's incredible nac for physical comedy. The circumstances leading to getting on the ship, the bad coffee, and the experiences after he is off, all show why he was ahead of his time in the movie industry.

Through a series of mishaps, a pampered rich boy (Buster Keaton) and his unrequited love find themselves the only two passengers on a huge steamer adrift in the middle of the ocean. Wouldn't be so bad, if they did not come across an island of cannibal savages who want to invite them to..ahem...dinner.

"The Navigator" breezes by quickly and easily, offering many chuckles and few outright chortles. There are some marvelous set pieces, like an underwater scene involving Keaton in diving gear, some swordfish, and an octopus. And there are other smaller but just as funny moments, like the scene where these two socialites who've never lifted a finger for themselves decide to cook dinner in a kitchen designed to make meals for hundreds. The depiction of the island savages is predictably cringe worthy in a film from 1924, but you just have to suck it up and get past it, accepting it as a product of its time. If you can get past that, there's much to enjoy here.

Grade: A-

Lifestyles of the rich and famous are satirized in The Navigator, a silent film starring Buster Keaton and Kathryn McGuire, and interestingly enough, directed by Buster and Donald Crisp! Buster and Kathryn wind up stranded together on a ship with no crew or outside help, and as they try to fend for themselves, they give the audience plenty of chuckles. Kathryn picks out a few individual beans to brew their coffee, then ties a raw slab of bacon into a knot to make it look pretty. Buster repeatedly breaks eggs by trying to fish them out of boiling water without a spoon. Since they're that clueless, it's no wonder they have no chance of surviving! And to make matters worse, they're ex-sweethearts; at the start of the movie Kathryn rejects Buster's proposal.

There are a few cute moments to this movie, but there's also a large chunk of the movie that focuses on their dealings with island cannibals. That portion hasn't stood the test of time very well, but if you can put it in the back of your mind, you'll be in a better position to appreciate the underwater scenes and marvel at Buster who fights with an octopus while running out of oxygen in his deep sea suit.

Buster Keaton's 'The Navigator,' as a film, doesn't feel quite as complete as many of his other works {'Sherlock Jr.' or 'The General,' for example}, but it remains an enjoyable hour-long string of amusing gags with an abundance of Keaton's trademark deadpan humour. The idea for the film emerged when Keaton heard of the imminent scrapping of the SS Buford, a former army troop transport ship turned passenger liner. Seizing the opportunity, the comedy star purchased the ship cheaply and built an original story around this mammoth film prop. Directed by Keaton and Donald Crisp, 'The Navigator' was released in the same year that produced his legendary 'Sherlock Jr.,' and these two pictures mark the only occasions on which Keaton co-starred with Kathryn McGuire. The two actors are virtually alone for much of this film, barring a multitude of native "cannibals," but they carry the film well, with an assortment of clever and impeccably-timed gags.

Rollo Treadway (Keaton) is a rich and arrogant young man who suddenly decides to marry his sweetheart Betsy O'Brien (Kathryn McGuire). Crippled by her immediate negative response of "certainly not!", Treadway embarks on the honeymoon by himself, but awakes the following morning to find that the passenger ship he boarded is empty and drifting aimlessly across the ocean. However, via a series of sinister events, it seems that Betsy has also stumbled aboard the doomed ship, and she and Treadway must work together if they are to survive. There are many moments in the film that will have you chuckling: the two hapless fools trying to concoct a suitable breakfast (especially Keaton attacking a tin of ham with a meat cleaver), their efforts to find a safe and comfortable place to sleep, the pair's encounter with a village of tropical island cannibals and Keaton's underwater fencing joust with a swordfish.

'The Navigator' is perhaps missing many of the mind-blowing stunts that make Buster Keaton's films so memorable, but there certainly are a few good ones in there. Perhaps unusually, the most hair-raising stunts are performed by the extras playing the cannibals (their leader portrayed by the prolific African-American actor Noble Johnson). The moment that springs immediately to mind was the collapse of an immense palm tree onto one of the tiny dugout canoes. Though the cannibal who gets crushed by the trunk is obviously a dummy (albeit, a convincing one), the extras who clambered out of the craft at the final moment were certainly placing their lives at risk. Overall, since it's powered by a very loose and poorly-developed narrative, 'The Navigator' is probably the weakest of Keaton's features that I've seen so far (following 'Sherlock Jr.,' 'The General,' 'Seven Chances' and 'Steamboat Bill, Jr.'), but that doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable. Also, for an excellent slapstick short that also features Keaton as a mariner, check out 'The Love Nest (1923).'

The Navigator was a cute and funny film that displayed Buster Keatons classic gestures greatly. One of his best scenes is when he tastes horribly made coffee on the ship. You don't need sound to be able to understand what is going through Keatons mind. It's classic scenes like that that really showcase Keaton's physical comedy and acting abilities.

The Navigator was rich with physical gags and facial gestures that Keaton is best known for. He was famous for mechanical comedy, such as using hilarious contraptions to do simple things like grind coffee. It did lack in drama, and it didn't really allow for Keatons real heart warming side to show up, like in The General.

It was a great film that was adorable to watch.

Rollo Treadway (Buster Keaton) is a very rich young man and he asks Betsy O'Brien (Kathryn McGuire) to marry him. She refuses, and, eventually, they both end up on a 500-foot yacht, the Navigator, alone. After an unintentional (and amusing) hide-and-seek, they find each other and learn to live without servants, miles from home. All goes rather well until land is sighted, for cannibals inhabit the island. After many attempts at warding them off, the man-eaters are closing in... You should definitely see this film if you are a fan of Buster Keaton or of silent comedy in general. In some scenes, I could not stop laughing. Surely, the same effect will be produced in future viewers.

I thought the whole set up and layout of the plot was very clever and engaging. I liked how early on, even though it is very simplistic, the audience can relate to the main character and become engaged in the story and the spectacle that much quicker. I also liked all the gags that were done, they were also very clever and well put together, I stood in awe at the fact that there was not only an underwater sequence but an important underwater sequence that was incredible to watch. There are not any characters that we are around so that leads to the few that we see to be very strong and not flat or clichéd and there relationship grows as the peril of the plot grows, it is very engaging.

Overall I'd say the pacing was very well done, though I found myself daydreaming once or twice, and technically very well put together. Bravo.

Buster Keaton's films are reliably, consistently entertaining, and 'The Navigator' is no exception. There's a considerable amount of plot in this adventure-tinged feature, and a fair bit of exposition before the comedy begins in earnest. Once it does, though, we get plenty of situational humor - in no small part a comedy of errors, filled as well with physical comedy and sight gags.

The movie is largely a showcase for Keaton and co-star Kathryn McGuire, as much of the runtime is dominated by these two actors alone. McGuire very capably keeps up with Keaton in all necessary expression and body language, and the lively energy the picture demands, and it's a joy to watch them both. Meanwhile, it's a blast just to read a little of the production history - with a whole ship at his command Keaton was able to do just about anything he wanted, and the result is undeniably a good time. That filming apparently went over budget with the underwater scenes - well, that's just an extra boon for the audience.

It's worth noting that the writing in late scenes employ some regrettable tropes, stereotypes arguably bordering on racism. Yet even as we need to acknowledge that caveat, the screenplay is wonderful, and all the while Keaton is clearly very practiced at arranging outstanding shots and scenes as director. I appreciate the costume design and broad attention to detail in every passing moment, with every last aspect building into the humor of the feature. What marginal imperfections there may be in the movie are overwhelmed and all but negated by the otherwise fabulous craft.

Even with a small asterisk, this is a fantastic, greatly enjoyable movie. Buster Keaton's films handily stand the test of time. Nearly 100 years later, they remain just as essential for a wide audience. 'The Navigator' absolutely joins that company with excellent humor complemented by expert film-making and storytelling. There's no more to be said - this comes with the highest recommendation, and is well worth watching wherever one is able.

010: The Navigator (1924) - released 10/13/1924; viewed 7/31/05.

The 1924 Summer Olympics roll through Paris. J. Edgar Hoover becomes the new head of the FBI. Calvin Coolidge signs the Indian Citizenship Act into law. Climbers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine disappear on Mt. Everest. The Geneva Protocol is adopted by the League of Nations.

BIRTHS: Dr. William Sloane Coffin, Dennis Weaver, George H.W. Bush, Audie Murphy, Eva Marie Saint, Don Knotts, Buddy Hackett, Jimmy Carter, Edward D. Wood Jr. DEATHS: Franz Kafka, Joseph Conrad.

KEVIN: Okay, Sherlock Jr. was great, but The Navigator actually feels more like a real movie. Sherlock had a lot of great gags, but they were all pretty random. The Navigator has some fantastic stunts and gags that all serve a much tighter narrative than we've seen from Buster Keaton before. As we kind of saw in Our Hospitality, the action scenes in this film flow into one another and build on each other in a very cool way, like going from the underwater scenes to the endless fight with the cannibals. Also in this film, we see Keaton both at his most deadpan and at his most expressive, as he stumbles through insane situations where even he can't keep a straight face.

DOUG: I remember watching a documentary about Jackie Chan, where Chan talked about how he tells his prop department to just fill the set with whatever, and then he comes in, looks over the place, and just makes up little bits with each item. I'll bet Keaton did something similar, just coming up with little comedic beats with whatever the prop department had put in. Playing cards? Eggs? Sardine cans? Diving suit? It's all simply brilliant. I suddenly realized while watching this movie that men wore all kinds of hats during this period. You had your bowler hat (Chaplin's pick), your straw hat (Lloyd), your flat straw hat (Keaton), along with your top hat, your fedora, and a myriad of choices for the ladies. In this case, the wind keeps blowing off Keaton's hat, and he has to keep grabbing a different one. This film is filled with some of Keaton's best beats. I love when he's trying to shuffle the soaking wet playing cards; it's like watching a car crash. My favorite stuff comes with him in the diving suit. You can tell he's really under water (unlike in Thief of Bagdad), and some very inspired bits of comedy occur as he fights off two swordfish. Then of course there's the scene when his girlfriend rows back to the boat to escape the cannibals, using Keaton and his suit as a raft!

Last film: Sherlock Jr. (1924); Next film: Seven Chances (1925).

The Movie Odyssey is an exhaustive, chronological project where we watch as many milestone films as possible, starting with D.W. Griffith's Intolerance in 1916 and working our way through, year by year, one film at a time. We also write a short review for each and every film. In this project, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the time period, the films of the era, and each film in context, while at the same time just watching a lot of great movies, most of which we never would have watched otherwise.

THE NAVIGATOR consists mostly of a series of running gags about two spoiled rich people aboard a deserted ship, BUSTER KEATON and KATHRYN McGUIRE and their efforts to fight the elements while struggling to survive as the ship drifts along toward an island inhabited by cannibals.

All of the sight gags are ingeniously handled with the usual split timing expected of Keaton. Especially good is the scene aboard the deserted boat when he realizes there's another soul aboard, and the two keep running around the various deck levels in search of each other. Great choreography and timing involved.

And also the scene where a portrait of the ship's captain (Donald Crisp, who co-directed the film with Keaton), keeps bobbing to and fro in front of a porthole where Keaton was awakened from slumber. All of these sight gags combine to make a fast moving comedy that involves a lot of physical agility on the part of Keaton and McGuire as they get doused by lots of water and much swinging from ropes, etc.

Funniest moment: When he's laying flat on the water in his diving suit and she straddles him with an oar to make her way back to the ship and away from the cannibals.

Summing up: Not the best of Keaton, but it will do.