Comedy Classics, Vol. 2

Starring:Comedy Classics
Studio: Platinum Disc
Product Type: DVD

The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy: The Complete Collection, Vol. 2

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More rare and mostly wonderful Laurel and Hardy silents
Interesting mishmash
STUNNING!
More Laurel & Hardy silent shorts from the late 1920's
SOME CORRECTIONS REGARDING THIS DVD

The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy: The Complete Collection, Vol. 2
Starring: Stan Laurel , Katherine Grant , James Finlayson , George Rowe , and Oliver Hardy
Director: Ralph Ceder , Fred Guiol , and Leo McCarey
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy: The Complete Collection, Vol. 3
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The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy - The Complete Collection, Vol. 5
The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy: The Complete Collection, Vol. 4
The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy: The Complete Collection, Vol. 9

ASIN: B00000FE37
Release Date: 1998-12-12

Amazon.com

More rare silents on DVD capturing Laurel and Hardy at their physical best. In Early to Bed, the Boys are totally out of character, as Ollie inherits a fortune and Stanley becomes his butler; in Double Whoopee, they're in perfect form, ripping the dress off teenager Jean Harlow (it's all harmless fun, of course); in Sugar Daddies, an early teaming, they wind up in a historic Long Beach Fun House to get out of a jam; and in Angora Love, their last silent, a goat follows Stanley home with disastrous results. The volume features two more early Laurel solo efforts. In Oranges and Lemons, for instance, he's still in search of a persona, borrowing a little from Chaplin in destroying an orange processing plant. --Bill Desowitz

Description

Mastered from the original 35mm material, this second volume of lost films from the great comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy includes: "Double Whoopee" (1929, 20 min., silent) featuring Jean Harlow, "Early to Bed" (1928, 20 min., silent), "Angora Love" (1929, 20 min.) and "Sugar Daddies" (1927, 19 min., silent), plus the Stan Laurel solo shorts: "Roughest Africa" (1923, 24 min., silent) and "Oranges & Lemons" (1923, 15 min., silent).

Customer Reviews:

More rare and mostly wonderful Laurel and Hardy silents.......2007-03-26

THE LOST FILMS OF LAUREL & HARDY: VOLUME TWO is part of a ten volume DVD series that presents the silent slapstick comedy work of Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, and friends like Charley Chase and Jimmy Finlayson in magnificent 35mm original nitrate negatives and with playful Jazz Age scores.

The crown jewel of Volume Two is a restored nitrate camera negative of DOUBLE WHOOPEE (1929). It is hilarious, with Stan and Ollie as hotel bellboys, Erich von Stroheim's stunt double constantly falling into a greasy elevator shaft, and a teenage Jean Harlow losing her dress as she gets out of a taxi and non-chalantly walking across the lobby. It is a single set comedy and very funny.

My least favorite of this set is EARLY TO BED (1928). Hardy may or may not have inherited a fortune and pretends he is a millionaire, with poor Laurel as his put-upon butler. The action takes place all night all over an empty mansion and is definitely a product of the late Jazz Age. As such, it is worth seeing as a curio. It is shocking how poorly Babe treats Stan throughout.

ANGORA LOVE (1929) has an amiable goat befriending Stan and Babe. With the goat following them back to their rooming house room, the boys constantly need to hide him from landlord Jimmy Finlayson.

SUGAR DADDIES (1927) is another gem with Jimmy Finlayson top-billed and learning one morning that he got drunk and married the night before. The bride and her brother are both comic grotesques. Stan is Finlayson's lawyer and Ollie is his butler, and the nostalgic climax takes place all over the wonderful, long-gone Long Beach Amusement Park. This one is a real treat, especially the climax.

ROUGHEST AFRICA and ORANGES AND LEMONS (both 1923) are both uproarious shorts with just Laurel before he teamed with Hardy. AFRICA is a devastating and witty parody of Frank Buck true-life wild animal adventures. ORANGES has Stan working at an orange picking and packing company, and getting into all kinds of hilarious mischief.

These films run about 20 minutes each, were photographed by legendary later director George Stevens, are in gorgeous studio vault print editions with some restored footage, and have unusually fun new Jazz Age music and sound effects. Total running time is about 125 minutes a volume. I recommend this whole series highly to lovers of silent slapstick comedy and also to younger viewers who are not sure if they like Jazz Age comedy.

Interesting mishmash.......2005-08-02

This disc contains a little of everything, the typical makeup of these discs. Here in particular we have three L&H shorts proper, two of Stan's solo shorts, and one short where they're together but not yet a team. Two of the shorts they made as a team, 'Angora Love' and 'Double Whoopee,' are very funny, showing how quickly they became a real team after finally being officially paired, although it still feels as though something is missing, not being able to hear their voices, since that's a large part of what makes them so funny, how their voices match their onscreen personas and everything that's going on onscreen to a tee. The other team short, 'Early to Bed,' is unusual in that they're a team but have a somewhat different relationship than they usually have, where they're largely at odds with one another, one of the few times Stan actually stands up for, asserts, and defends himself, pretty much coming across as the smarter superior one. The short in which they're together but not yet a team, 'Sugar Daddies,' is very funny, one of their best pre-teaming efforts, since they're acting more and more like a team instead of just happening to be in the same film, sometimes not even in any scenes together. It's also very nice to see Jimmy Finlayson as their friend and equal instead of their foil, and though the repeated gag in this film, of Stan sitting on top of the hunched-over Jimmy as they're disguised as Ollie's wife, is also used in 'Love 'Em and Leave 'Em' and 'Chickens Come Home,' it's so funny and brilliant it doesn't seem old or tired. It's also nice to see the now-largely-forgotten Noah Young as the heavy (i.e., villain) in this film. We just don't make character actors like that anymore.

The two Stan solo shorts included, 'Oranges and Lemons' and 'Roughest Africa' (which also co-stars Jimmy), are two of my favorite of his solo shorts, though they're also both included on 'The Stan Laurel Slapstick Symposium,' and a lot of people might not like the idea of having to purchase two copies of two of the same films. It's an interesting change of pace to see what Stan did in his solo days, and how positively young he looks, how different his hair was before it was shaved for the 1927 L&H short 'The Second Hundred Years,' after which it grew back in a very comic way. Still, it's clear he hadn't yet fully developed a comic persona, had more of an edge (even a meanness, sometimes) to him than his sweet innocent overgrown man-child character we know and love did. He's funny in his solo work, just not very distinct from any number of aspiring comic hopefuls of the era.

STUNNING!.......2005-03-16

I will not go into a synopsis of the material as that is readily available but will comment on the series itself having viewed them all.

This is a stunning collection of the early work of the `boys` and is presented from restored 35mm material much of which is taken from the original surviving negatives. Several of the titles in the series, have until fairly recently, been considered lost forever.

Each disc has detailed information on the titles and every film is presented with either the original vitaphone sound on disc (again recently discovered) synchronised with the picture or with a composite vitaphone soundtrack.

Even for those who don`t normally view `silent` movies these are astounding prints of what is now the historic formation of one the most inventive and forever lasting comedy teams ever to grace the silver screen.

Each disc deserves five stars for content, quality and value.

More Laurel & Hardy silent shorts from the late 1920's.......2001-05-11

Volume 2 of this series includes four silent two-reelers for Hal Roach-MGM in the late 1920s. "Double Whoopee" was directed by Lewis Foster in 1929, with a story by Leo McCarey and a notable "appearance" by screen siren Jean Harlow (she loses the back half of her dress in a cab door). Laurel & Hardy arrive at a swank New York hotel and are mistaken for visiting royalty until they are revealed to be just doormen. Once they set to work they offend all of the guests, the local cop and a visiting prince. Hardy gets most of the good gags although the best is when Laurel is stripped to his underwear and starts ripping off everybody else's clothes. "Early to Bed," directed by Emmett Flynn in 1928, is an atypical Laurel & Hardy outing because this time the boys go after each other. Hardy inherits a fortune, gets himself a nice new mansion and hires Laurel as his butler. For once, Stan is conscientious about his job, but Ollie decides the best way to enjoy his new wealth and power is to torment his friend, especially when Stan is asleep. Finally fed up, Stan proceeds to destroy everything in the house while Ollie tries to protect his huge vases and other breakables. This is not a great Laurel & Hardy film, but the final routine certainly ranks as one of their best: Hardy takes refuge in an elaborately decorated garden fountain, pretending to be one of the little cherub heads spewing forth water.

The other two shorts are notable simply for the fact George Stevens was the cameraman, on his way to be a celebrated Hollywood director. "Angora Love." aptly enough, involves a stray goat that has attached itself to the boys who take it back to their room despite the "No Pets" rule. This 1929 comedy directed by Lewis Foster from a story by Leo McCarey has the distinction of being the last complete silent film by Laurel & Hardy. The best sequence is when Ollie gives the goat a bath. "Sugar Daddies" is the oldest of the two-reelers, directed in 1927 by Fred Guiol. James Finlayson is a newly-rich oil tycoon who wakes up one morning and is casually told by his butler (Hardy) that he was married last night. Finlayson calls his lawyer (Laurel) and then things get a tad confusing (somehow a blackmailing ring gets involved in this mess). There are two chase sequences, involving a dance hall and an amusement park. Finlayson is really the star of this comedy and the most interesting parts take place in the amusement park, where the routines involve various types of rides that have long ago disappeared. This volume also includes a pair of Stan Laurel solo shorts from 1923, "Roughest Africa" and "Oranges & Lemons" that are interesting curiosities. "The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy" series is apparently committed to bringing us all of the boys' silent work for Hal Roach-MGM, so we can expect the great, the good and the better luck next time with each disc.

SOME CORRECTIONS REGARDING THIS DVD.......2000-01-15

Just to correct some information regarding Laurel and Hardy Volume Two: The Production Company is Hal Roach Studios, not Image Entertainment. (That's why they had access to the original 35mm camera negatives and sound discs.) The DVD is NOT REGIONALLY ENCODED and will play on any DVD machine (as it states on the package).

The Charley Chase Collection, Vol. 2 (Slapstick Symposium)

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Pure vintage Chase
Charley Chase
The library won't be complete without it ... and even now it's incomplete!
Great entertainment from a neglected comedian

The Charley Chase Collection, Vol. 2 (Slapstick Symposium)
Starring: Charley Chase , Katherine Grant , Gale Henry , Fred DeSilva , and John Cossar
Director: Leo McCarey
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Charley Chase Collection, Vol. 1 (Slapstick Symposium)
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The Forgotten Films of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle

ASIN: B000AM4PJK
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Customer Reviews:

Pure vintage Chase.......2007-06-07

This volume brings together 5 wonderful Charley Chase shorts that showcase his comedic genius, as well as a rare short from his brother James Parrott (who went by Paul onscreen) and a very brief biography narrated by Serge Bromberg, the founder of Lobster Films (the company that puts together this great Slapstick Symposium series). Charley might not have been one of the top-ranking clowns of the silent and early sound era, but he was every bit as talented as the Big Three, and as more of his surviving work continues to be released, it seems as though more people are rediscovering him and realising just how talented and funny he was. Those who falsely associate silent comedy with nothing but pie fights and police chases will be pleasantly surprised at how sophisticated, polished, and inventive Charley's scenarios and gags were.

'His Wooden Wedding' (1925) features Charley as a man who is led by a bootlegger into believing the woman he's about to marry has a wooden leg. Little does he know this man's true intentions in telling him this lie, to gain for himself the heirloom diamond ring he gave his intended. The two end up on a cruise ship, where hilarity ensues, particularly as they fight to get the diamond back and the truth is slowly discovered.

'Isn't Life Terrible?' (1925) has Charley as a rather henpecked husband desperate to go on a summer vacation with his wife and daughter, with his leech of a brother-in-law Remington who lives with them (Oliver Hardy minus his moustache) tagging along for the ride. He had his heart set on going camping, but his wife and Remington changed their minds upon seeing an advertisement for a contest sponsored by a pen company, with the winner to get a free cruise. Though he wins the contest, everything that could possibly go wrong on this cruise does, and the troubles start even before the ship sets sail.

'Innocent Husbands' (1925) features Charley as Melvin (one of the few times he went by a name not his own after becoming a star), a husband with an even more difficult wife. His wife is convinced he's up to no good, even without any real evidence, and is prevailed upon by her catty friends to hold a séance so they can discover all of his alleged misdeeds. Things get complicated when the séance relocates to his own apartment, while he's trying to get an unwanted female admirer, his buddy who lives across the way, and his buddy's date out of there undetected.

'Dog Shy' (1926) has Charley as a man who's been deathly afraid of dogs since boyhood. He's chased into a phonebooth by a dog and ends up on the phone to a lovely young lady who's being forced to marry some repugnant nobleman, the man who just stormed out of the booth. He ends up being mistaken for the butler who has been sent to work at his new sweetheart's mansion, and in the course of his first day there has to conquer his old fear of dogs when called upon to take care of The Duke, the family's pet dog. The hilarity reaches a high point when six different people hatch three different plots that all take place at midnight, unbeknownest to the others.

'Bromo and Juliet' (1926) was previously released on Vol. 3 of 'The Lost Films of Laurel and Hardy,' and was my introduction to Charley. Here he's a young man roped into playing Romeo in his girlfriend's charity production so that she'll agree to marry him. Unfortunately, her drunken father is also appearing in the show, and Charley has to find a way to get him to the show on time. This task turns out to be anything but routine, as an irate cab driver whom the old man owes $40 to (Oliver Hardy) and a cop whose suspicions are aroused by the behavior of Charley, who has gotten drunk himself, are hot on their heels and tag them all of the way to the playhouse, all while the show is trying to go on.

'Shine 'Em Up!' (1922) stars Charley's brother James (Paul) as a shoeshine man who gets mixed up with a bunch of escaped convicts who eventually end up trying to rob the safe at the train station where he has just gotten a job. He also finds time to have a romance with the station master's daughter Okra (Jobyna Ralston, who became Harold Lloyd's leading lady a year later). It's enjoyable and entertaining enough (and James looks practically like Charley's identical twin), but his character just doesn't seem as real or endearing as his brother's. He seems more like just another comedian of the era, not a distinct personality whom the viewer connects with and grows to care about.

The disc is topped off by a 5-minute bio of Charley's career, starting with his days at Keystone in the Teens, moving forward to his glory years, and eventual decline, at Hal Roach Studios, and ending with his final years at Columbia (unfortunately we're not shown any clips of the shorts he made while there, and, oddly, while it's mentioned that he directed a number of Three Stooges shorts, the one we see a clip from, 'Disorder in the Court,' was not one of the ones he directed).

Overall, it's a great introduction to this long-forgotten and neglected comedian for those who might not already be aware of his wonderful body of work; the only downside is that there are only 5 of his shorts, whereas most of the other volumes in this Slapstick Symposium series contain more.

Charley Chase.......2007-05-19

Some good examples of this neglected comedian, who has a pleasing personality and a command of visual gags. An excellent biography is an extra, as well as an ingenious film by Paul Parrott.
But my disc was defective, which meant one film was hard to view, and the damage was clear on the disc. UK buyers should beware that they will be subjected to customs and post-office charges for handling over and above what are listed in the Amazon bill that can amount to almost as much as the product.

The library won't be complete without it ... and even now it's incomplete!.......2007-04-07

I'm writing this review more or less to simply confirm my fellow-reviewer's conclusion. This second volume of Charley Chase-comedies is overall as satisfying as the first. As with any other comedian, some of Chase's movies work better than others (to be funny can be very unfunny at times!), but the best are downright hilarious and besides very well structured, and even the weaker include amusing moments.

I too would like to add DOG SHY and HIS WOODEN WEDDING as my favorites included here. In contrast to what most of his colleagues are concerned (even the most gifted ones, that is), Chase's gags are always well placed in context to the story and never waste any time. Fans of Chase will also find it interesting to see one of the few surviving films starring his brother James, SHINE 'EM UP -- it offers nothing extraordinary but is good fun nonetheless.

My complaint concerning this sampling of shorts is that his last silent effort MOVIE NIGHT, which marked my introduction to Chase and was one of his highlights, is left out in both volumes. I also think the featurette covering Chase's life could have lasted far longer -- thankfully, a very insightful and well researched biography entitled SMILE WHEN THE RAINDROPS FALL is available here on Amazon, which gives a unique portrayal of Charley the comedian as well as Chase the man.

However, THE CHARLEY CHASE COLLECTION VOL. 2 is recommended from me throughout to buffs of silent comedy and to you who somehow have got the strange impression that the mentioned genre is just "pies and knock-about." It's delightful to witness a comic genius finally being recognized!

Great entertainment from a neglected comedian.......2005-09-17

It's wonderful to see that Kino Video is providing us with more great comedy from the silent era, especially of stars most of us might not be too familiar with. I was pleasantly surprised by this DVD right from the start: each of the six comedy shorts (averaging around 20 minutes in length) has very high production and picture quality, and I especially enjoyed the clever gags and ideas. Although this Kino Video series is called "Slapstick Symposium", I would rate Charley Chase's comedy as somewhat more 'high brow' than the everyday slapstick most of us are familiar with such as Keystone, early Chaplin and Arbuckle, for instance. So if you are no great fan of these silent comedians, then perhaps Charley Chase would be more to your taste. Personally, I got a lot more genuine good chuckles and plenty of smiles out of all 6 Chase shorts on this DVD than most Chaplin or Arbuckle. Not only are the gags quite original and clever, the overall editing and acting by Chase also add quality to these comedies. Unlike Chaplin, Arbuckle and others who played a clown-like character, Charley Chase is just a normal guy - much like Harold Lloyd - who finds himself in hilarious situations. His acting style is not excessive in any way, nor does he stand out, but the end product is always a satisfying and entertaining little comedy. Chase was more than just a comedian, however; he was also involved in writing, directing and of course, thinking up his own funny gags, and this DVD has a nice selection of good quality ones. My favourites are "Dog Shy" and "His Wooden Wedding" (in the latter he is misled into thinking his fiancee has a wooden leg) but Chase's appearance as Romeo in "Bromo and Juliet" as he pads his tights because his legs appeared too thin is also worth a couple of laughs. All up, this is about 2 hours of really good entertainment - perhaps nothing extraordinarily hilarious or unusual, but overall enjoyable. I was just a bit disappointed that the special feature biography on Charley Chase is only 8 minutes long, as I'm sure he deserves a much longer and thorough bio. Good fun for silent comedy fans, especially those who prefer the likes of Harold Lloyd.

The Harold Lloyd Collection, Vol. 2 (Slapstick Symposium)

Average customer rating:

The evolution of a character
Treasure Trove of Wonderful Visual Humor
More Harold Lloyd, at last!
From slapstick to comedy
Great old films with brand-new music

The Harold Lloyd Collection, Vol. 2 (Slapstick Symposium)
Starring: Harold Lloyd , 'Snub' Pollard , Bebe Daniels , Helen Gilmore , and William Blaisdell
Director: Gilbert Pratt , and Fred C. Newmeyer
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Harold Lloyd Collection, Vol. 1 (Slapstick Symposium)
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Industrial Strength Keaton

ASIN: B000AM4PJ0
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Customer Reviews:

The evolution of a character.......2007-05-28

This two-disc set contains four one-reelers, two two-reelers, and four three-reelers, dating from 1918 to 1921. While I've always preferred Harold's later features and three-reelers because they have more polish, sophistication, maturity, and development than his earlier one- and two-reelers, I have to admit that his early films from the Teens have a special charm and sweetness to them. They might not have as much plot and character development as his later works, but it's always fascinating to see how a comedian such as Harold developed, both as a performer and character-wise. And there is a marked difference between the first few one-reelers and the final three-reelers, showing a lot of growth in just those few years. It's also great to see the very natural interplay between Harold and his original leading lady Bebe Daniels, who were romantically involved in real life at the time. They were really one of the great screen couples of early film. 'Captain Kidd's Kids' even has a kind of bittersweet feel to it, knowing that this was his last time with Bebe as his leading lady. (The six shorts on the first disc are also notable for dating from before the accident that almost claimed his life, and to be able to see him with two full hands instead of wearing a prosthetic glove over his right hand.)

With the four three-reelers on the second disc ('High and Dizzy,' 'Never Weaken,' 'Now or Never,' and 'Among Those Present'), there's more time to develop a full story and to explore Harold's screen persona, instead of having to wrap everything up in only a reel or two. We start to see more mature stories and plots, and, since they have longer running times, a lot more gags. 'High and Dizzy' and 'Never Weaken' are also among his first thrill comedies, harbingers of what was to come in 'Safety Last!' Once Harold really hit his stride and fully came into his own, he just got better and better, and never really made a bad film, just ones that weren't as top-notch as others.

As wonderful as the films on here are, both entertainment-wise and for historical reasons, however, I do have to agree that the timing of this release was rather poorly-planned. It was released only two months before the seven-disc boxed set containing all of Harold's silent features, his best talkies, all of his three-reelers, and a number of his earlier shorts. Hence, there is partial overlap between the two sets; the only films on this set which aren't included on the boxed set are the five early shorts, 'Two-Gun Gussie,' 'The City Slicker,' 'The Non-Stop Kid,' 'Ring Up the Curtain,' and 'Captain Kidd's Kids.' Given the choice between the two, it seems obvious that the average person will be more likely to go for the boxed set instead of the two-disc collection. Perhaps if half of the material hadn't been duplicated, fans would be more likely to want both.

Treasure Trove of Wonderful Visual Humor.......2006-01-04

This two volume collection of Harold Lloyd shorts and "short features" (made between 1918 and 1921, just prior to his shift to full feature length movies) illustrates the emergence of the comedian as a highly original and major creative force, equaling, if not surpassing, the skills of Chaplin and Keaton. Indeed many of the gags or situations in these films suggest those that would later be used by the other two. There was no doubt a great deal of mutual cross-fertilization among the 3 comic greats during this period, as each refines and builds upon the gags introduced by the others. Still, one cannot escape the impression that it was Lloyd that during this period was the most prolific creator of new comic ideas. In From Hand to Mouth (1921), for example, there are scenes that suggest Chaplin's The Kid (Homeless Harold befriends an equally homeless waif) and Keaton's Cops (Harold is chased by a large numbers of cops).

None of the films in the collection stand out among the others as being far superior in quality; they all are consistently entertaining, fun to watch and instructive to fans of Lloyd's more mature features of the later 1920s, insofar as they show the hard work that went into refining and perfecting the stories, the "glasses" character, and the visual timing of the gags. The earlier character, as illustrated in the one-reeler The City Slicker (1918) tends to be more outwardly brash and self-confident, as his character sets out to modernize a rural hotel whose lobby is occupied mostly by elderly locals. He flirts with Bebe Daniels, his love interest, by snuggling up next to her on the front desk as she is registering. There are many amusing sight gags (also suggesting Keaton) including an push-buttoned hotel room.

By 1921, in High and Dizzy and Never Weaken, Lloyd starts to develop the daredevil-based humor that was to be perfected in Safety Last. His glasses character also starts to become more complex, less self-confident, more shy and full of personal frailties that need to be overcome by his stubborn determination in order to win his beloved Mildred. The visual gags also are less slapstick-based and more purely visual -- for example, the disguises Harold the doctor dons in High and Dizzy to convince his lone patient that he is successful are absurdly funny. By the time of Among Those Present (1921) the visual humor has been refined to social satire, as Harold's character demonstrates that the clueless upper crust can be easily conned by a clever impostor. The main highlight is Harold's telling of increasing absurd hunting stories, involving foxes, bears and lions, as he becomes increasingly drunk on the host's wine. By the time of Now or Never, the latest film in the collection, Harold has clearly graduated to feature length stories that develop plot and character.

This collection is a treasure trove of wonderful visual humor, and a glimpse into the comedy laboratory in which Harold Lloyd refined his genius.

More Harold Lloyd, at last!.......2005-10-07

This is yet another fine Kino Video production of a deluxe 2-disc edition featuring more silent comedy by one of the era's foremost comedians, Harold Lloyd. It follows the first excellent Kino Video DVD, "The Harold Lloyd Collection" (Vol 1) which features the one-hour "Grandma's Boy" and seven shorter comedies. In this second volume there is even more to enjoy, with six short pre-1920 comedies on the first disc, and four longer films on the second disc from 1920-21 which show Lloyd's quick development in a few short years; each film being different in its own way, and showcasing the versatility and wide range of themes Lloyd offered his audiences. Although ranked alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, it was Harold Lloyd who attracted the biggest audiences and box office successes in the early 1920s, and it's high time, therefore, that his films are finally seeing the light of day again.

For those who don't already know: Harold Lloyd is pretty much an ordinary guy - unlike Chaplin whose trademark was his clown-like Tramp image, for instance, and his style is less slapstick than Chaplin and Arbuckle, but like Keaton and other silent film comedians, his strength also lies in athletic and even acrobatic ability. Being silent films, early comedies relied heavily on physical action and gags, and Harold Lloyd set a pace to rival Keaton and others, especially in the action-packed films on disc 2 like "High and Dizzy" and "Never Weaken". Some of the scenes taking place on high-rise ledges and scaffolding kept me on the edge of my seat holding my breath, while at the same time admiring the skills required to do such thrilling scenes in the early 1920s. There are many other thrills and surprises, and I particularly appreciate Kino Video's choice of films, presenting great variety on each disc: from barroom action in a Western ("Two Gun Gussie") to backstage antics in "Ring Up the Curtain" and adventures on the high seas on an all-girl pirate ship in "Captain Kidd's Kids". All of these films have the classic silent comedy formula of a boy, (Lloyd) a girl (Bebe Daniels in the early films, then Mildred Davis) and a third person; either a rival or a bad guy, and while this format is usually predictable, the rest of the plot is always a surprise. All these films are a real pleasure to watch all these decades later, especially due to very good picture quality and outstanding original piano score by Donald Sosin, whose silent film accompaniment is always a cut above the rest.

From slapstick to comedy.......2005-09-24

Indeed, why bother buying this release when 28 films by the late Harold Lloyd are just about to be released, complete with seal of approval by Suzanne Lloyd? Well, the antics of the somewhat dated duet Pollard/lloyd are certainly not up to standard with the tightly-scripted, gorgeously-photographed and carefully-preserved features New Line is about to provide us as part of their impressive 7-DVD set, yet this massive offering was obviously conceived as a tribute to the stellar aspect of the comedian career, and the crude beginnings of his bespectacled persona have been carefully ignored. This Kino release shows us how Lloyd evolved from the madness of his post-sennettian style to the more subtle touch of his first three- and four-reelers; as such, and while it is admitted that the box set is indeed indispensable, this is a slice of history, not tampered with, for better and for worse.

Great old films with brand-new music.......2005-08-29

OK, I'm prejudiced. I wrote the piano music for this Kino release. It's all in the style of the late teens and early 20's and I am told it's fun to listen to by itself. So let your ears be your guide as well as your eyes when you enjoy this wonderful set of early Harold Lloyd shorts, including the zany action of TWO GUN GUSSIE, HIGH AND DIZZY, and THE NON STOP KID.

I am sure the New Line set coming in November will be fascinating, but I wouldn't let that stop you from purchasing this one with all new music composed specifically for the films, not just mono needle drops from old 78 transfers.

Average customer rating:

This DVD was great, but the new restored 90th Anniversary Edition is better.
Quite a dvd!

The Chaplin Mutuals, Vol. 2
Starring: Albert Austin , Henry Bergman , Leota Bryan , Eric Campbell , and Frank J. Coleman
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Chaplin Mutuals, Vol. 3
The Chaplin Mutuals, Vol. 1
Chaplin's Essanay Comedies, Vol. 02
Chaplin's Essanay Comedies, Vol. 01
Chaplin's Essanay Comedies, Vol. 03

ASIN: 6305075530
Release Date: 1997-11-19

Amazon.com

Charlie Chaplin refined his trademark character the Little Tramp through his short films at Mutual Studios with the help of his two key costars: burly, barrel-chested Eric Campbell, his hulking physical opposite who forever played the bullying nemesis (often behind a positively demonic beard), and sweet-faced Edna Purviance, the alternately demure and plucky innocent he's forever courting, saving, or simply mooning over. In The Count, Chaplin and Campbell crash a society bash under false identities to woo a rich lovely, but Chaplin soon reverts to his impulsive instincts and turns the posh gathering into an anarchic free-for-all. The Vagabond, Chaplin's second Mutual short, is a rural melodrama of a young girl saved from abusive guardians by the resourceful Tramp. Favoring pathos over slapstick, it looks forward to the sentimental melodrama of his features to come. As a lowly menial in The Fireman, Chaplin is cheerfully oblivious to the chaos he causes to the ordered firehouse and still manages to emerge a hero. Finally, Behind the Screen thumbs a nose at the movies in general and Mack Sennett (Chaplin's old boss) in particular with a lampoon of the studios that concludes with the invention of the pie fight ("I don't like this highbrow stuff," comments one victim). Equal parts class clown, downtrodden social outcast, and sentimental softy, Chaplin's continued appeal lies not merely in his comic invention but his dogged defiance of authority, class, and convention, and these classic shorts preserve the edginess he smoothed out in later features. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Features four films made for the Mutual Film Company: The Count, The Vagabond, The Fireman, and Behind the Screen. Includes new digital stereo scores by Michael Mortilla.

Customer Reviews:

This DVD was great, but the new restored 90th Anniversary Edition is better........2006-06-25

Up until 2006, these were the best copies on DVD. But now David Shepard and Image Entertainment have restored the missing footage and re-mastered the films , addressing the complaints mentioned below.

So buy the "Mutual Restored 90th Anniversary Edition" instead of this edition.

Quite a dvd!.......2002-03-05

First of all, I am actually reviewing The Chaplin Mutuals, Vol. 2 DVD, not a vhs tape or collection. I'm expecially NOT reviewing any videotapes by the Madacy corporation, which are very poor quality, difiicult to watch, and an embarassment to the Chaplin legacy.

Anyways, to the DVD in question. These four short films have been carefully restored by Davis Shepherd, and it shows. The prints are well done, there is footage restored that had been missing for years, the image is sharp, and most of the film flaws have been minimized as much as humanly possible without detracting from the film itself.

Sadly, these are amongst the first dvds produced, and the quality of the video compression leaves something to be desired. Zooming in on the image at all produces an appalingly distorted picture. People with high-definition tv sets may notice a lot of compression artifacts in the picture. These faults are not the fault of David Shepherd - the discs simply need updating, which is sadly unlikely since they probably don't sell that well.

But the material on the dvd is fantastic. The films are mostly very funny, though you have to adjust your tastes a bit for the humor of 1916 - 1917.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2005-12-21

Between vols. 1 and 2, we have 32 of the cartoons. As most fans know, there were 156 of them, and 39 original wrap-arounds. I wonder if the rest will be released on DVD!

Woob! Woob! Woob!.......2003-04-24

Here we have the 2nd volume of The Three Stooges in animation. When it comes to slapstick they did it better than all the rest. At the beginning and end of each cartoon Moe, Larry and Curly Joe appear in classic "wraparounds" (cartoon titles precede live-action wraparounds in parenthesis).

Show #5
17. Thru Rain, Sleet and Show (Buried Treasure)
18. Goldriggers of '49 (Outdoor Breakfast)
19. Ready, Jet Set, Go (Setting Up Camp)
20. Behind The 8 Ball Express (Rare Bird)

Show #6
21. Droll Weevil (Caretakers)
22. To Kill A Clockingbird (Golfers)
23. Who's Lion (Flat Tire)
24. Fowl Weather Friend (Caretakers)

Show #7
25. Wash My Line (Seasick Joe)
26. Little Cheese Chaser (Fan Belt)
27. The Big Windbag (Weighing In)
28. Baby Sitters (Outdoor Sitters)

Customer Reviews:

Okay if the price is right.......2004-05-30

This dvd is okay if you can get it for under $5 like I did. If I'd have paid any more for it I would have felt cheated. Turn the sound down, though- the music they stuck on these has NOTHING to do with the movies.
For the most part the picture quality is quite good, although I noticed in The Blacksmith some seriously deteriorated frames.

Loved the Movie - So sad they've changed the music.......2004-02-18

We rented "The General" and LOVED IT! I bought this version and when I watched it I discovered they've changed the musical score. Can you imagine changing the musical score on a silent movie?!!! The music was changed to a classical instrumental score. My 10 year old son, for whom this movie was purchased, was very upset and we haven't watched the nasty thing since. Hello, in a silent movie the music is one of the characters and is just as important as anything you see on the screen!

It was disappointing!

A General disappointment.......2004-01-07

We have seen this movie as released by other distributors and found it to be one of the greatest comedies we'd ever seen. This version is completely ruined by its soundtrack. Whoever produced this version simply put generic classical music in the background (part of which even includes "pomp and circumstance." May be appropriate for my high school graduation, But not for one of the film greats.) I want my money back. And I want to find the version with the "original" single-piano musical score.

Buster Keaton Triple Feature.......2003-12-10

This is very cheap and when you see it you'll know why.
The picture quality is o.k. but the main film Keaton's classic The General has been transfered at the wrong speed.
Everything seems to be happening in slow motion.
The other two films (The Blacksmith and The Paleface)seem to be at the right speed but The General is the main feature on this disc so I would advise looking for another copy of this classic film.

Average customer rating:

Camp Chaos at its best
A review by the Bastard...
Finally, a breath of fresh animated air!
Slightly disappointing
The CC Mafia Killed Me

Best of the Web (Vol. 2)
Starring: Best of the Web
Manufacturer: Multimedia 2000
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Customer Reviews:

Camp Chaos at its best.......2004-10-26

This DVD contains the best of Camp Chaos including the funny as hell Napster Bad serries, Even as a die hard metallica fan I find this side splitting funny. This DVD also includes many other sick and twisted shorts. This is a must have for any fan of web animation and/or spike and mike fan.

A review by the Bastard..........2002-02-01

This DVD, is my first DvD I have purchaced, and I am satisfied with it! Very funny, had some great episodes, great extra footage also. I hope CC has MANY more of these!

"An icon of pure evil......"

Finally, a breath of fresh animated air!.......2001-11-20

I loved this DVD. It's ireverant, funny and really diverse. Cesca is a star waiting to happen. The parodies of Mettalica are some of the best stuff I have seen in a long time. I would love to see more of his work, on TV. Wake up Media Suits, there is a new player to be discovered.

Slightly disappointing.......2001-11-09

I think the content included on the DVD was hilarious, but there are only a few of the "Napster Bad" series (noted by the review as the "best of Napster Bad." But why? There should have been plenty of room to include a COMPLETE "NB" series. Still, I'm happy I made the purchase, just bummed that they left some of the Napster stuff off. :-(

The CC Mafia Killed Me.......2001-10-30

The has to be one of the best DVD's of the year! I was really impressed with how much better the animations looked on my TV. I really enjoyed watching these toons in full screen with stereo sound. The special features alone are make this DVD worth owning. This is a must have for any animation or Camp Chaos Fan!

Average customer rating:

Laurel & Hardy Comedy Classics, Vol. 2
Starring: Laurel , and Hardy
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Average customer rating:

Only one real classic here

Comedy Classics, Vol. 2
Starring: Comedy Classics
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0002OXV14
Release Date: 2004-08-17

Customer Reviews:

Only one real classic here.......2005-09-21

This odd collection of comedy "classics" is rather hit-and-miss, as seems to be the case with many low-priced Platinum releases. It can be purchased on its own or with "Comedy Classics Vol 1," as part of the Comedy Classics bundle

Only With Married Men is a terrible `70s TV movie full of bad jokes and stereotyped characters, but for Michele Lee completists is the only title on the disc not currently available for separate purchase.

Rescue from Gilligan's Island is available in abundance on DVD and is an odd choice for inclusion on the set. Fans of the series will certainly already have purchased the 1978 TV movie in a different edition, and fans of "classic" comedy are probably looking for something different.

Peck's Bad Boy With the Circus is a typical and typically charming `30s kid picture, with Tom Sawyer's Tommy Kelly in the title role and George "Spanky" McFarland as his friend Pee-Wee. This film is available on its own from amazon ($6.98).

The English comedy of manners On Approval is the star of this set, and possibly the only film on the disc worthy of the distinction "classic." A charming and witty adaptation of Frederick Lowe's play, this film is also available on DVD from amazon, but for the rather inflated price of $22.49.

This disc is certainly worth purchasing if you're a fan of one or more of these films, or if you'd like to own On Approval for a reasonable price.

Average customer rating:

Laurel & Hardy Comedy Classics, Vol. 2
Starring: Laurel , and Hardy
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Comedy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00008G8RV
Release Date: 1999-06-29

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