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

No, it's not Buster Keaton's first movie, or his greatest, but "The Navigator" is something quite wonderful: A primer in motion as to who he was and how he left so indelible an impression.In a way, "The Navigator" synthesizes the different facets of Keaton from each of his three prior features: There's the goofball war with nature seen in "Three Ages," the stoic but hapless victim of "Our Hospitality," and the anything-goes surrealism of "Sherlock Jr." Yes, the plot is weak, there are a couple of forced gags, and a cop-out ending, but try not to laugh watching this wonder of silent comedy.You can even call this a sort of sequel to Buster's first feature, "The Saphead." Buster again is a rich, sheltered playboy, one Rollo Treadway, who we are told right away is "living proof every family tree must have its sap." Rejected by his girlfriend Betsy (Kathryn McGuire) when he proposes marriage, Rollo defiantly decides to board their honeymoon ship alone, doing so the night before because he can't bear the thought of getting up in the morning. When the vessel is set adrift that night, it leaves Rollo alone - until he discovers Betsy there, too.I tried to shorten that synopsis, but it was tough. The best thing you can say about the convoluted plot is the film wastes little time getting you past it and into the action on board with Rollo and Betsy. Everything about "The Navigator" is so economic, yet the film is dense with gags, so many it's easy to find new ones with every new viewing.There are great comic sequences, each showing a different side to Buster's talent. The great opening on the ship, where Rollo and Betsy run around trying to find each other, is a masterpiece of comic timing, with each popping up just as the other disappears from the frame. It only works in a silent movie, where you can't hear the patter of their running feet which would clue them into the other's whereabouts in a trice. You laugh not just because it's funny, but for the thrill of the inventively weird symmetry on display.Then there's a kitchen sequence where Rollo and Betsy try to prepare food, each not knowing much about how it is done from being waited upon all their lives. So she makes coffee with three whole beans and a pitcher of seawater, while he tries to open a can of condensed milk with a drill. Then they sit down and try to eat what they have wrought.The knock on "The Navigator" is that it lacks a bit for heart, playing more like an extended short. The substance and depth are entirely in the gags, which is great when they are so good. Buster was said to have issues about the film, namely the work of his co-director Donald Crisp. But how about poor Frederick Vroom, playing Betsy's father! He's the third-billed actor, gets a couple of scenes, and then is literally dumped ten minutes into the movie, his fate left up in the air. He plays a war profiteer, sure, but they don't even bother to spell his name right in the credits!I'm not wild about a couple of bits, one involving a menacing portrait (said to be of Crisp, though it looks more like Mussolini) and the other when a record suddenly plays "Asleep In The Deep." They get chuckles but feel contrived, unlike everything else in the gag department here. Buster is brilliant here, either on land or in the water, and he's matched by McGuire, who executes her pratfalls with exquisite timing and no small amount of daring.No, I wouldn't call this the greatest Keaton film I've seen. It's just timelessly funny and completely disarming. Most importantly, it's a great introduction to newcomers of what Buster brought to the table that made him so unique. Worth a viewing, and worth another and another even more.

This film is about a very silly love story between a pampered you man and a naïve young woman. Like many of Keaton's other films, it is always moving. The Film doesn't let you get bored. It keeps you interested with all the things that keep making a hilarious situation even more ridiculous, which only makes it all the more funny. The music adds to the entertaining stunts making them even more amusing. Toward the end of the film, the two ignorant individuals have become a fully functioning couple. In the end of the film Keaton saves the girl from cannibals and all is well. I decided to give this film an 8 out of 10 because it is a very funny film, definitely one of Keaton's better productions.

This was the second silent film that I have ever watched and I found it to be a great movie and well thought out. This movie was very funny and had quite a few scenes that had me laughing so much not only because how funny it was but because it was just so ridiculous that you couldn't help to laugh. There were two scenes that stuck out to me th most. The first was when Buster Keaton and the girl on the boat were trying to find each other and were running around in circles on the boat for almost five minutes. The second part the was laugh out loud funny was when Buster Keaton was in the kitchen trying to cook eggs and open cans but was having the hardest time. This movie was a fantastic movie and i would recommend anyone who has to watch a silent film or just wants to to see this one