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Reviews (5)
Feb 17, 2010
American Slapstick Vol. 2
This 3 DVD set continues (from American Slapstick 1) the vintage movies that we silent movie buffs would never get to see. The works of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd are well known as are some of the others, but the material on these discs are mostly from almost forgotten stars who were well-known in their time. It also contains some lesser known works of Harold Lloyd, his very earliest movies were a takeoff on Chaplin called Lonesome Luke. Very few of these survive. You can also see Oliver Hardy in some early appearances.
The stars that are on this set include Billy Bevan, Alice Howell, Syd Chaplin, Gaylord Lloyd, Louise Fazenda, Billy West, Mack Swain, Leo White, Jack Duffy, Larry Semon, Anne Cornwall, Snub Pollard, Lloyd Hamilton. There are two early "talkies" included also, I would not consider these up to par with the silents, though. There are many more I have not mentioned.
As far as favorites, I would have to say Syd Chaplin (Charlie's half-brother) in Charlie's Aunt is one of the best silents I've seen. Don't miss this one. The other actors that I enjoyed are Alice Howell (she is terrific) in Cinderella Cinders (the only complete film of hers that survives.) and I loved Snub Pollard. His comedy is ... well undescribable, but I loved it. Larry Semon, a very odd-looking man, stood out too...he was very funny too. Billy West was a Chaplin imitator when he started out and he is just fantastic. Perhaps not original, (the movie he stars in on these discs is "The Hobo") as Chaplin himself stated, but he is quite fantastic for the detail of his Chaplin impression. I liked him very much.
Not all of the movies were comedy gems, but they are interesting as history. Some of the actors or bit players can be watched for in more famous movies. Snub Pollard shows up in many Harold Lloyd comedies and in Charlie Chaplin's "Police" and his much later "Limelight." Syd Chaplin of course turns up in many of his brother's films, as did Mack Swain and Leo White.
Anyway, my advice is, if you like silent movies, don't miss American Slapstick 2 (or 1 for that matter).
Feb 27, 2010
American Slapstick - 3 DVD set
This is a great introduction to the world of silent slapstick as it was preserved on film nearly 80 - 90 years ago. The early film makers were quite innovative. Many of the actors had learned their skills either on the stage or in vaudeville or the English music halls.
The set starts with two of Charlie Chaplin's early Keystone movies, "Caught in the Rain" and "Laughing Gas". These are not anywhere near his best, but you can see the seeds of his later greatness. His brother Syd is featured in "A Submarine Pirate" and imitator Billy West is featured in "Cupid's Rival". Billy was originally from Russia and he is the best Chaplin imitator of his time. Chaplin himself told Billy that he was a very good imitator, but not very creative. Well, for modern audiences like myself, I was extremely impressed with Billy's very detailed impression, including the funny walk and facial expressions. The set concludes with Chaplin's "The Bond", a WWI ad for buying war bonds.
Disc 2 includes Larry Semon in "Golf". I had never seen Larry before, he was an odd-looking man who seemed to like explosions, etc. Billy Bevan stars in "Lizzies of the Field," and 3 chubby comedians, billed as "Tons of Fun" star in "Heavy Love" - this one is pretty funny. Jack Duffy stars in "Uppercuts," Perry Murdock in "Beauty and the Bump" and the disk concludes with Frances Lee as "Reckless Rosie." This last is quite funny, concerning what seems to have been a very racy subject in 1929, stolen underwear.
Disc 3 begins with two Harold Lloyd shorts in which he plays Lonesome Luke, a sort of Chaplin rip-off trampish character (but very cute and well done). The next is "Non-Skid Kid" with Eddie Boland. "Sold at Auction" stars Snub Pollard, who was in many films with Harold Lloyd. In this one, he stars by himself. His particular kind of comedy, I found to be uproarious...he's terrific! "Smithy" stars a young Stan Laurel before he teamed with Oliver Hardy. The disk concludes with "Forgotten Sweeties" starring Charley Chase. This man is somewhat forgotten now-a-days, but he was a great comic who deserves a look by modern audiences.
Don't be put off by the names you may have never heard. Give a look at these somewhat forgotten people who were stars in their own time. Some have been forgotten because their mosat of their films have not survived physically, fires or just deterioration destroying them. Many times the film studios cut apart some of the films to make "new" films and make more money by redistributing them. However, this accounts for the story lines being trashed, bad quality of editing, and intertitles being replaced or removed.
Also, don't be put off by the title "silent films." These films were hardly silent. Originally, they came to the theatres with a set of "cues" to be performed by the pianist, organist or small orchestra, depending on the size of the theatre. Recently, with restored films, music has been added which provides a background highlighting the action, as was intended when the films were new. They need to be watched more carefully, perhaps, than "talkies" because you don't want to miss the subtle or non-subtle actions.
This 3 disk set (and its follow-up, American Slapstick II) is a must-see for anyone interested in early film, silents, or early comedy.
Feb 27, 2010
Buster Keaton: Tempest in a Flat Hat (biography)
I decided to buy this book because I am interested in early film and the silent comic stars in particular. The book was selling for a good price, and it is a hardcover edition to boot.
I loved reading this book! It is a very affectionate, but factual story of the great Buster Keaton's life. It paints an excellent picture of his parents and the vaudeville atmosphere he grew up in which prepared him for working in film. The book describes his many associates and goes through Buster's major (and some not major) films, pointing out, without prejudice, the good and not-so-good points of each.
The book gives us wonderful anecdoes about Buster while relating the story of his personal life, as well as his life in film making.
I enjoyed this book whole-heartedly. If you want to know more about the life of one of the great early film makers/comic actors, this is a good place to start!