Two spoiled rich people find themselves trapped on an empty passenger ship.Two spoiled rich people find themselves trapped on an empty passenger ship.Two spoiled rich people find themselves trapped on an empty passenger ship.
- Awards
- 3 wins & 1 nomination
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe underwater scenes of Buster Keaton trying to repair the ship in full diving gear were originally intended to be filmed in the local municipal swimming pool in Riverside, California. However, the pool was not deep enough, so higher retaining walls were built around the edges, to hold more water. Unfortunately, the weight of the additional water broke the bottom of the pool, and Keaton had to pay for the repair. The production was moved to Lake Tahoe, where the water was very clear, but so cold that Keaton could only stay under for ten minutes at a time. The camera crew was sent down in a watertight box, with ice packed around the camera to keep the lens from fogging over.
- GoofsRollo Treadway (Buster Keaton) is supposedly boiling eggs in a large pot, but he grips the edge of the pot, as well as a utensil that's been hanging inside the pot, without burning himself.
- Quotes
[title card]
[title card]: Rollo Treadway - Heir to the Treadway fortune - a living proof that every family tree must have its sap... Buster Keaton.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Golden Age of Buster Keaton (1979)
Featured review
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.
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.
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Navigator
- Filming locations
- Lake Tahoe, California, USA(underwater sequences)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $220,000 (estimated)
- Runtime59 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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