Watch The Navigator

In the 1924 silent film The Navigator, Buster Keaton plays Rollo Treadway, a wealthy young man who has never had to lift a finger in his life. He's so helpless, in fact, that his butler has to dress him in the morning. Despite his remarkable lack of skills or independence, Rollo is determined to impress his sweetheart Betsy O'Brian (played by Kathryn McGuire), so he decides to charter a luxury yacht for the two of them to take a romantic cruise to Hawaii, despite the fact that neither one of them has ever been on a boat before.

As luck would have it, while the yacht is out at sea, the crew all become ill with food poisoning and abandon ship, leaving Rollo and Betsy completely stranded, with nothing but the vast ocean around them. Despite their initial panic, Rollo and Betsy eventually realize they must work together to survive, so they start exploring the yacht and trying to learn how to operate it. This leads to some hilarious scenes as the two of them bumble around, attempting to light the stove and make coffee, or trying to figure out how to navigate the vessel.

'As Rollo and Betsy's voyage progresses, they encounter various challenges and obstacles, including a shark attack and a run-in with a hostile tribe on a deserted island. Throughout it all, Keaton's intricate physical comedy and McGuire's clever acting make for a delightful pairing that keeps the audience entertained from start to finish.

One of the standout moments of the film is a sequence in which Rollo and Betsy are attempting to flush out some intruders who have boarded the yacht. They end up running through a seemingly endless series of identical rooms, with a series of doors and hallways leading to more identical rooms in an ever-escalating loop. This sequence showcases Keaton's trademark visual gags and clever set design, making it a classic example of his unique brand of comedy.

Ultimately, the film concludes with Rollo and Betsy successfully navigating the yacht back home, overcoming their initial weaknesses and emerging as stronger and more capable individuals. The Navigator is a delightful and inventive film that showcases Buster Keaton's talent as a comedian and actor. Its creative use of visual humor and clever storytelling make it a timeless classic that is just as enjoyable to watch today as it was nearly a century ago.'

The Navigator is a 1924 comedy with a runtime of 59 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.5.