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CHALLENGE #3

The Cameraman
Directed by Edward Sedgwick
and Buster Keaton
1928 - United States - 75 min

Summary:
Tintype photographer Buster falls in love with Sally, a secretary for the M-G-M Newsreel, and pawns his still camera in order to buy an antiquated movie camera. At Sally's urging, Buster photographs news events that may be of interest to M-G-M, but all of his attempts turn out badly. Sally tips Buster off about an impending tong war in Chinatown, and he covers all the dangerous action only to find that he had no film in his camera. The following day, Buster is filming a regatta and Sally falls overboard from the boat of Stagg, a cowardly M-G-M cameraman who deserts her to save himself. Buster rescues Sally and wins her undying love.


POEMS FROM THIS CHALLENGE:



UNTITLED
By Tom Mallouk

Now, he carries his camera, sets it up for looking
and the man in charge is there to take care of watching.
Everything is in place. Secure, so that nothing can happen.
Everything will be there when he returns. It is safe to travel.
He leaves and takes up his place, all his places
even those he has not visited since he was a boy
and knew nothing of the larger watching world.
All there was the game.
He could lose himself even before he had a self that was watching.
Finally, he races around the bases
forgetting, leaving himself behind.

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SERENADING CAMERAMAN
By Cassiopeia Lloyd Perrin

Serenading cameraman
Bites the dust his lady asks,
Spending energy on his run.
Disappointed cameraman
Wins his day but not his girl,
As the Yankees are not there.
Fat man is though,
Wrapped warm in ribbed wool
lens.

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BALLOONS
By Hanoch Guy

Our four year old son
runs around the track
in his new sailor suit.
You couldn't keep up with him.
Red blue balloons took him up
Your horse galloped
You fell, your white skirt torn
by the barbed wire.
Both of you gone.
I'm all alone I pawned my camera
bribed the cop
to let me in,
beg for a balloon
Like a madman I sift the sand.
Scoop the mud.
The crowd is cheering
I jump into the river.

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NUTS AND THEIR PRIZES
By Seth Rosenman

Have you thought
of the simplicity
in “wet or dry?”

We’re a tropical country
looking at silver stars
to plan for a game.


Isn’t “Act your age”
the most unpatriotic thing
you’ve ever heard?


Because the day
is not the temperature,
and life doesn’t have a clock,
a journeyman can win the Series
with a pinch-hit home run
and become immortal.


And love?


The answer is yes,

a boy can always dream.

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