The Navigator—Silent Buster Keaton Film with Doug Protsik on Piano

Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

The Arts Institute of Western Maine presents the Navigator, a Buster Keaton movie, with Doug Protsik on piano at The Emery Community Arts Center on Saturday, January 28 at 7 p.m. Admission $10 for adults, free under 18 and UMF students with student ID.

Time will go back to 1924 with the showing of THE NAVIGATOR, one of Buster Keaton’s biggest hits, accompanied on Old Time Piano by Doug Protsik. The events in this hour long movie are hilarious.

Master pantomime actor Buster Keaton takes on the role of Rollo Treadway, a wealthy and naïve, impulsive young man who suddenly decides to propose to his neighbor Betsy across the street (Kathryn McGuire). He sends his servant to book passage for a honeymoon cruise to Honolulu but is refused by Betsy. He decides to go on the trip anyway. A string of unlikely, charming events ensue, as only can happen in silent movies of that era.

The ship used for the movie was originally the USAT Buford, a 500 foot passenger/cargo liner which was going to be sold for scrap metal. Buster Keaton felt inspired by it, bought it and had it sailed to Los Angeles. And so The Navigator came to happen! The movie was an immediate hit when shown at the Capitol Theater in New York in 1924. (Unrated)

Doug Protsik, a pianist and composer of Old Time Piano scores for silent movies, is a lifelong musician and music educator well known in the folk music world. He is director of Maine Fiddle Camp.