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The Navigator (1924)
The Navigator (1924) poster

The Navigator (1924)

Comedy, Action, Adventure, Romance • 59m

Directors: Buster Keaton & Donald Crisp

Cast: Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Frederick Vroom, Clarence Burton, H.N. Clugston, Noble Johnson

Best English-friendly & video release

Video notes:

France Lobster Films Blu-ray though a very weak encoding caps, is a newer master (4K scan of MoMA first gen nitrate print) than Cohen/MoC, which are themselves a newer master than Kino Lorber.

Lobster Films > Cohen/MoC > Kino Lorber

Updated 9 months ago


About the film

The wealthy and impulsive Rollo Treadway decides to propose to his beautiful socialite neighbor, Betsy O'Brien. Although Betsy turns Rollo down, he still opts to go on the cruise that he intended as their honeymoon. When circumstances find both Rollo and Betsy on the wrong ship, they end up having adventures on the high seas.

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National Film Registry

Year of Induction: 2018

TSPDT
2026: #681
2025: #663
2024: #675
2023: #677
2022: #677

Featured in National Film Registry

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Director: John Boorman

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

2027 Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1984 WB LaserDisc

Director: John Schlesinger

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

2027 Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Included Imprint Blu-Ray also has markedly better image compression than the Criterion Blu-Ray, though do note the Imprint has some adjusted color grading within roughly the first five minutes of the film

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=16775595&postcount=450

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24237074&postcount=73

Director: Arthur Penn

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K transfer

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Universal release without the filtering.

Audio Notes:

DTS:X mix on Universal 4K Blu-ray most closely approximates original surround mix

Additional Info:

Criterion DVD and Universal 4K Blu-ray has additional features not found on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering, 1.85 ratio restored for US Cut; both US and International Cuts are 4K.

Best Audio:

US Cut: 1999 WB DVD/Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

No Blu-ray or DVD release until the Criterion 4K Blu-ray has presented the US in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The International Cut has never been presented in it's OAR of 1.66:1 in any home video releases.

The packaging on the back of the WB 4K Blu-ray incorrectly states it as 1.85:1 when the movie is actually 1.78:1 as is the original Blu-ray. 

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray 

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Sony release without the filtering; Comparison between Sony and Criterion.

Best Audio:

Mono: 1994 LaserDisc (marginally, unfiltered) or Criterion 4K Blu-ray (filtered)
5.1 Remix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering Comparison between the Criterion and WB.

Best Audio:

5.1: WB 4K Blu-ray, a remix but has higher fidelity

Mono: Criterion 4K Blu-ray (restored for the box set)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering; WB 4K early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed. Comparison between Criterion and WB.

Best Audio:

6-Track 70mm mix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray (restored for the box set), 1997 MGM LaserDisc, 1998 MGM DVD
35mm Mono Mix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Matrixed Stereo Remix: MGM Japan LaserDisc (1985) [G158F5509]
5.1 Remix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Director: Steve James

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray and UK Dogwoof Blu-ray probably similar

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Victor Fleming

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

2D: Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray

3D: Warner Bros 3D Blu-ray or Apple Vision Pro

Best Audio:

1989 MGM LaserDisc

Audio Notes:

(caveat: "there's" in first "there's no place like home" utterance in final Kansas scene truncated)

More from Buster Keaton

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Directors: Charles Reisner & Buster Keaton

Best English-Friendly:

MoC or Cohen Blu-ray

Best Video:

MoC/Cohen

Video Notes:

MoC/Cohen > Kino Lorber

Directors: Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Eureka MoC 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Probably. No comparison with French Factoris Films 4K Blu-ray, but former has Dolby Vision and higher bitrate.

Additional Info:

For standard Blu-ray, the MoC/Cohen are a 4k transfer https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=112722&page=5

Directors: Buster Keaton & Edward F. Cline

Best English-Friendly & Video:

MoC or Kino Lorber Buster Keaton: The Complete Short Films 1917-1923 boxset Blu-ray

Video Notes:

No comparison available

Directors: Edward F. Cline & Buster Keaton

Best English-Friendly:

MoC Buster Keaton: The Shorts Collection 1917-1923 Blu-ray boxset

Best Video:

MoC or Kino Lorber Buster Keaton: The Shorts Collection 1917-1923 Blu-ray boxset

Video Notes:

(a newer restoration by Lobster Films compared to the older 1920-1923 boxset)

No comparison between MoC and Kino Lorber available

Additional Info:

MoC boxset has more extras and commentary tracks, while also providing a 184-page book, a substantially better extras package compared to Kino Lorber

Director: Buster Keaton

Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber new Seven Chances / Sherlock Jr. Blu-ray?

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

> Cohen/Eureka https://slow.pics/c/3KWXoMyR The new Kino Lorber's Seven Chances / Sherlock Jr. might be using the same restoration as Lobster Films

Directors: John G. Blystone & Buster Keaton

Best English-Friendly:

2019 Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Best Video:

2019 Kino Lorber

Video Notes:

2019 Kino Lorber > MoC/Cohen > 2011 Kino Lorber

Director: Buster Keaton

Best English-Friendly & Video:

MoC/Cohen Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Eureka/Cohen newer restoration than Kino Lorber

Directors: Edward Sedgwick & Buster Keaton

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray, 4k transfer

More from Lobster Films

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Director: Marcel L'Herbier

Best English-Friendly:

Flicker Alley Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Same 4K restoration but no comparison available

Director: Frank Urson

Best English-Friendly:

Older Restoration: Flicker Alley Blu-ray

2026 Restoration: YouTube 4K Streaming

Best Video:

Older Restoration: Lobster Films DVD

2026 Restoration: YouTube 4K Streaming

Video Notes:

Older Restoration: Lobster Films DVD > Flicker Alley Blu-ray (Flicker Alley Blu-ray/DVD has every 25th PAL frame deleted)

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

2022 Lobster Films

Video Notes:

2022 Lobster Films has a newer 2020 4K restoration, their encoding is often bad, but no caps to verify yet. Criterion is older 4k restoration

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Researched and maintained by

M_Avanshady

· last reviewed 9 months ago

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