The Symposium

Starring:Joe Salazar, Dann Seki, Michael Wisser, Anne Marie Selby, J.Martin Romualdez, Cheryl Bartlett, Michael Hennessy
Director: Michael Wurth
Studio: Scriptwise Partners LLC
Product Type: DVD

The Oliver Hardy Collection (Slapstick Symposium)

Average customer rating:

An interesting selection
Oliver's preLaurel & Hardy days
An answer for J. Black "Hull K.R. forever"
U.K. buyers - this Oliver Hardy DVD plays on region 2 machines!
Frenetic, not funny

The Oliver Hardy Collection (Slapstick Symposium)
Starring: Theda Bara , Ed Brandenberg , Rube Clifford , Joe Cobb , and Jackie Condon
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Charley Chase Collection, Vol. 2 (Slapstick Symposium)
The Harold Lloyd Collection, Vol. 2 (Slapstick Symposium)
The Stan Laurel Collection (Slapstick Symposium)
The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection Vols. 1-3
Industrial Strength Keaton

ASIN: B000AM4PJU
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Customer Reviews:

An interesting selection.......2007-05-29

These eight shorts showcase a sampling of what Oliver Hardy was like as a solo performer, before he was teamed up with Stan Laurel. However, since he wasn't really a star when they were made, he's generally acting in support of a more popular comedian, such as Larry Semon or Glenn Tryon. He also generally played heavies in his solo days, so he's not going to be the lovable familiar sympathetic Ollie character fans know and love.

In 'The Show' (1922), he doesn't really have much of anything to do until the film is about halfway through, and even then he's not the principle character. Ollie plays the scummy stage manager in some sort of theatrical or vaudeville house, and Larry Semon, whom he often worked with, is a stage hand who becomes smitten with one of the performers, and also plays a man in the audience. The film is really a showcase for Larry, who was often voted second only to Chaplin when it came to comedians back in his heyday.

'Stick Around' (1925) teams him with Bobby Ray, and is perhaps his most sympathetic role on this disc. They're a couple of paperhangers who are called in to paper a sanitarium, but nothing goes right on their way to the job, and even after they arrive, things continue to go comedically wrong. One can easily see this as a L&H short, though Ollie doesn't have nearly that much chemistry with Bobby.

'Along Came Auntie' (1925) was previously released on Vol. 3 of 'The Lost Films of L&H.' Ollie plays a comical musician who has to pretend to still be married to Vivien Oakland so that her old-fashioned aunt will still give her $100,000. Meanwhile her current husband, Glenn Tryon, has to pretend to be just a roomer. The premise is somewhat similar to that used in the L&H short 'That's My WIfe!' It's baffling as to why Hal Roach thought Glenn Tryon had what it took to become another Harold Lloyd or Charley Chase, the star of his own comedy series; his character just wasn't that memorable or distinct.

'45 Minutes from Hollywood' (1926) was previously released on Vol. 6 of 'The Lost FIlms of L&H.' It again is a showcase for Glenn Tryon, who once again is less than impressive and hilarious. This film is most notable for being the first Hal Roach film to pair Ollie with Stan (their first time being in a film together since 1919!), even though they never share a scene together. Other than that it's extremely unmemorable and probably the weakest short on here.

'Crazy to Act' (1927) stars Ollie as a scheming con artist who wants to marry an aspiring actress for her money. She agrees to marry him on the condition that he make her a star first, and he happily agrees to make a movie with her. However, he gets more and more angry and uncomfortable when it becomes clear that she's doing more than just acting in her romantic scenes with her leading man. There are also a number of topical jokes in this that a modern viewer unfamiliar with the stars of the silent era isn't liable to understand, such as when Ollie promises the young lady that he'll make her as famous as "Pola Pickford."

'The Sawmill' (1922) once again has him playing opposite Larry Semon, who is the star of the film while Ollie plays the heavy. Larry raises havoc at the sawmill Ollie is the scheming foreman of, and also will go to any lengths to win the owner's daughter for himself. Supposedly this was the most expensive silent comedy short ever produced. While the film is entertaining enough, it doesn't showcase Larry at his prime. It's too bad that most people only get to see him in films like these, made after his peak, and that most of his known surviving films from the Teens, his most representative period, aren't commercially available. He'd probably have a stronger reputation today if people could judge him on his best and not his weaker work.

'Should Sailors Marry?' (1925) was previously released on Vol. 4 of 'The Lost Films of L&H.' Ollie plays a shady doctor called in to ascertain that Clyde Cook, the sailor, will be able to work at the dangerous job he's being pushed into by his scheming new wife and her boxer ex-husband Noah Young. Clyde Cook, the star of this short, was a big star back in his native Australia, but his career never really took off when he immigrated. Like Glenn Tryon, it's hard to see exactly why Hal Roach thought he had what it took to become one of his next big comedy stars. His character just wasn't that distinct or memorable.

'Hop to It!' (1925) once again pairs Ollie with Bobby Ray, and this comedy also seems very much like a L&H short, only Ollie and Bobby don't share a huge amount of scenes together and are acting more in competition than as friends or a true team. Ollie's character also turns rather mean and sinister in this one, despite starting out as a seemingly good guy. The two play bellhops in a hotel and continually cause trouble, particularly Bobby.

Overall, while Ollie's character hadn't yet become the one we know and love, thus not doing a lot to raise these shorts beyond merely entertaining and historically interesting to truly memorable classics, these shorts are well worth a look for not only fans of his but also those who are interested in some of the lesser-known comedies of the silent era.

Oliver's preLaurel & Hardy days.......2007-03-18

Unlike Stan,Oliver Hardy didn't have a series of his own starring films prior to the Laurel & Hardy series.These are films that he costarred in with comedians like James Finlayson,Larry Semon and Bobby Ray.The latter is seen in a role not unlike that of Stan Laurel in the short Stick Around,where he and Oliver are wallpaper hangers,with Ollie's overbearing boss persona he'd later sustain once permenantly teaming up with Stan.This now famous characterization continues between Oliver and Bobby Ray in Hop To It,in the role of hotel bellhops.
Should Sailors Marry is another memorable short I recall seeing on TV years ago.Another classic I've seen on TV before is Along Came Auntie.

45 Minutes From Hollywood is Oliver's first collaboration with Stan under Hal Roach.The Little Rascals even have a brief cameo appearance in this film.
In some of these films Oliver is almost unrecognizable with so much more hair.

Highly enjoyable!

An answer for J. Black "Hull K.R. forever".......2007-01-06

The title "45 Minutes From Hollywood" doesn't refer to the running time of the film. It is actually a reference to the 1905 George M. Cohan show (and song) "45 Minutes From Broadway" which, in turn, refers to a small town's distance (in minutes) from Broadway.

U.K. buyers - this Oliver Hardy DVD plays on region 2 machines!.......2006-11-22

The good news for Oliver Hardy fans living in the United Kingdom is that this Slapstick Symposium DVD plays in region 2 coded machines without any problems whatsoever!

Lobster / Kino Video have clearly put a lot of time and effort into making this product worthy of Oliver Hardy and the other silent comedy stars who appear in this 8 movie collection. The DVD has a very impressive menu from which the movies and scenes are selected and, considering that the age of the source material is 80+ years old, the picture quality is absolutely fantastic.

The only curio is "45 minutes from Hollywood", which, like the Lost Films of Laurel and Hardy series DVD vol. 6, runs to 21 minutes - I'm sure that movie scholars will be able to state the reason why this is; perhaps part of the film is lost or the cranking speed has changed (which doesn't appear to be the case).

I have always found Amazon prices to be competitive and their international shipping extremely efficient indeed.

Finally, favorable £/$ exchange rates make this a worthwhile time to purchase what is a great DVD collection.

Frenetic, not funny.......2006-04-01

This collection of eight films features Oliver Hardy in a supporting role for different studios, directors, and silent film comedians between 1921 and 1926, before teaming up with Stan Laurel. None of the comic stars in this set, Larry Semon, Clyde Cook, Glenn Tryon, or Bobby Ray, approach the talents of Keaton, Lloyd, Chaplin, Langdon, or Arbuckle. Furthermore, most of the films approach humor by non-stop pure, mindless slapstick: chases, falls, and spectacular bits of comic violence. Don't expect refined visual humor here or you will be disappointed. Also disappointing is the fact that Hardy's considerable comic potential is not, on the whole, mined in these films. You will recognize his grace and agility despite his size, but not yet exploited are his subtle glances into the camera and coy smile of embarrassment at being so apparently clueless. Mainly in the movies in this set he is an unsympathetic heavy to an uninspiring comic hero. Don't expect much more.

One "historically" important film, and maybe the least funny in the set, is 45 Minutes from Hollywood, the first film containing both Laurel and Hardy, although they never share a scene. The most interesting and probably most entertaining film in the set is "Hop To It" from 1923. Hardy and Bobby Ray team up as bellhops in a hotel, and proceed to create turmoil by damaging luggage and abusing guests and the hotel manager. The formula played out in this movie could easily have been one in a Laurel and Hardy film (in fact, Double Whoopie could be mentioned in comparison). Hardy and Ray lack the chemistry of the more famous duo, and it's not surprising that this team has faded into near oblivion. Unlike the "coordinated cluelessness" of Stan and Ollie, Hardy and Ray are more often in competition with one another and the humor here is usually generated individually by each actor. However, the resemblance to the future team is fascinating, and one wonders the extent to which these early efforts laid the foundation for the inspiration to team Stan and Ollie.

Pass on this one.

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

Average customer rating:

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)
The Oliver Hardy Collection (Slapstick Symposium)
The Harold Lloyd Collection, Vol. 2 (Slapstick Symposium)
The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection Vols. 1-3
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 Charley Chase Collection, Vol. 1 (Slapstick Symposium)

Average customer rating:

Some great stuff
Mine Played Fine
Defective dvd don't buy
Silent Screwball Comedy
Charley's Back!

The Charley Chase Collection, Vol. 1 (Slapstick Symposium)
Starring: Charley Chase , William V. Mong , Martha Sleeper , Milla Davenport , and William Blaisdell
Director: Leo McCarey
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

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

ASIN: B0002CHIEC
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Description

Bringing a collection of seven 2-reeler comedies from the golden period of this acting/producer legend, the CHARLEY CHASE DVD is a fantastic introduction to the funny and frenetic world of Charley Chase and a rare chance to experience the work of one of the most influential short-film comedians of the late 1920s. The CHALEY CHASE DVD brings the following short films: MUM'S THE WORD (1926), APRIL FOOL (1926), CRAZY LIKE A FOX(1926), LONG FLIB THE KING (1923), MIGHTY LIKE A MOOSE (1926), and ALL WET (1924).

In a series of one and two reelers at the Hal Roach Studios, Chase elevated the style of situation comedy to an art form with his unique combination of madcap adventures, beautiful women and wild misunderstandings. After a decade of working in front of and behind the cameras (he was Director General at the Roach Studios), Charley Chase was persuaded to start a new series of one reel comedies in 1923. From the first release, Chase became a hit with the public--"America's New Joy Boy" was filling theater houses with laughter from coast to coast.

Chase discovered that by starting with a simple predicament that any average person could get into, the public could identify with him. Then, gradually, by building a once plausible situation into a fiascfiasco, he could take them to a riotous conclusion that is unbelievable, yet, somehow conceivable. Carefree, frivolous, wild and woolly, Charley Chase was the "Good Time Charlie" that we all wished we could be. Fortunately, due to film preservation, we still have him.

Customer Reviews:

Some great stuff.......2007-06-22

Though he was the biggest comedian working in short subjects in the mid- and late Twenties, unfortunately Charley Chase is largely forgotten today. Happily, however, as more of his work becomes available on DVD and released to the public, it seems as though more and more fans of vintage comedy are rediscovering just how talented and funny he truly was, right up there with the likes of Keaton, Chaplin, Lloyd, and Linder. This disc brings together six of his shorts, four two-reelers and two one-reelers.

'Mum's the Word' (1926) was previously released on Vol. 9 of 'The Lost Films of Laurel and Hardy.' Charley plays a young man who is coming home from school to visit his mother, who has just remarried. On the train home, he meets a young lady whom he, of course, falls in love with. It turns out that she's travelling to the same house he is, where she works as a maid, and that once home, he must pretend to be a new butler, for his mother hasn't yet told her new husband the rather important fact that she has a grown son. It also comes out that the new maid isn't being totally honest about her true identity either.

'Long Fliv the King' (1926) starts out with the not-so-original plot device of a young woman, Helga, having to marry by a certain date and time, but in this case she's not being rushed to marriage because she's got money coming to her--she's got a royal crown coming to her. She settles on Charley, who is in prison and scheduled to die soon. What the new queen didn't count on was that just after they were married and she left for her kingdom, Charley would be sprung from prison and cleared of the false charges against him. He trails her to her kingdom with his new friend/lackey Warfield, played by the wonderful Max Davidson, who is even more forgotten than Charley today. His own films aren't shown too often because of modern-day concerns and sensitivities towards the rather stereotyped Jewish characters he often was stuck playing, but in films such as this (though it does contain a few somewhat cringe-worthy moments), he was more or less allowed to just be himself and to be funny that way. Of course, complications arise when Charley arrives in Thermosa. Many people at court don't want some outsider on the throne, and try to overthrow him. Oliver Hardy also plays a small role in this one.

'April Fool' (1924) is from Charley's days playing a character called Jimmie Jump. Being a one-reeler, the plot is fairly simple and straightforward, people at his newspaper office playing tricks on one another all day, with his sweetheart, the boss's daughter, eventually getting in on the fun too.

'Mighty Like a Moose' (1926) was previously released on Vol. 9 of 'The Lost Films of L&H.' Charley, Mr. Moose, has horrible teeth, and his wife has a rather unfortunate nose. Unbeknownest to the other, they each get surgery, and are so unrecognisable to one another afterwards that they make a date to go to a party being thrown by their doctor. Since they both think they're cheating on the other spouse, a lot of comedy ensues as they're each getting ready for the date. Things get even more sticky when a picture of the two of them shows up on the front page of the paper after the party was busted for having alcohol.

'Crazy Like a Fox' (1926) was previously released on Vol. 6 of 'The Lost Films of L&H,' and co-stars Oliver Hardy in a minor role. Charley is very unhappy because he's being forced to marry a woman he doesn't know, and even more so after meeting and falling in love (or at least lust) at first sight with a young woman he meets at the depot. She too is being forced to marry against her will, but what neither of them know is that Charley is the man she's been matched with. Determined to avoid this marriage, Charley decides to pretend to be absolutely crazy when he arrives at the young woman's mansion. His riotous act may end up working a little too well, however.

'All Wet' (1924) is another Jimmie Jump comedy. Jimmie, who is staying at a boarding house, gets an important telegram telling him to be at the train station by 2:30 to pick up a litter of English Pitbull puppies. He happily dashes off to fulfill what he thinks will be a routine errand, but meets with nothing but car (and other) trouble along the way. Though he was really good in these one-reelers, he was just too funny and talented to be served well in such a short timeframe. He needed that extra reel to continue building up the storyline and his character.

Overall, this is a solid enough introduction to Charley's work for a new fan, though the one-reelers really aren't at the same mature polished level as the later four shorts. It's also unfortunate that fully one-half of this collection was previously released; it's not fair to fans to be asked to buy that much duplicate material just to see a few new shorts. Having three repeats from previous collections might not be that bad had there been more than just six shorts here, but since there are only six, it seems like it would have made more sense for there to be more newly-released material, no matter how great the three repeats are.

Mine Played Fine.......2005-10-15

Look right below me. Since when did this stop being a review symposium and start being the Complaints Department at Macey's? I'm here for the reviews, not for some dopey quality-control issue that should be brought up with the manufacturer and one that the manufacturer and distributer would certainly fix pronto. I hated Don Quixote because of a bad binding? I honestly expect more sense from a Top 500 reviewer. I just came from a review of a Hammer Film (The Devil Rides Out) where some loon from Italy goes on and on about all the DVDs that Amazon sends her are "100% Damaged" including the replacements!!! She's ordering DVDs from the US and she lives in Italy?! A Region Coding problem perhaps? Please visit the review and hit inappropriate, then go to her other reviews and do the same (They all complain about "100% Damaged" DVDs!!). Lets clear out the deadwood.

Anyway, I highly recommend this collection. Chase is a real surprise if you've been stuck with the usuals for silent comedy--his work almost seems like fun rips on Silents that would've been made in the Fifties for, say, "Singin' in the Rain." He especially had an acute eye for an outrageous site gag that somehow made sense. In one film (name forgotten) he's getting out of his car with his golf clubs and a women whizzes by him and nearly misses him. The golf clubs fly way too far up in the air and scatter ridiculously. It's a subtle bit of extra oomph that makes his work so enjoyable.

Thanks Kino--great job!!

Defective dvd don't buy.......2005-07-10

This dvd will only play the first short. There are no links to get to the other movies. The main menu only goes to one movie.

Silent Screwball Comedy.......2005-04-09

In the 1930s, most of the great US directors (Hawks, Hitchcock, Sturgess, Capra, Wilder) experimented with the "screwball comedy" genre. Although hard to define, a screwball comedy usually consisted of a witty middle class couple falling in and out of love and/or marriage, a series of madcap adventures, and witty dialog, often with sexual innuendo. Leo McCarey, who wrote and directed for Hal Roach, also made sound films in this genre (The Awful Truth).

This collection represents Leo McCarey's work with Charlie Chase for Hal Roach between 1924 and 1926. Charlie Chase invites more comparisons with the male leads in Screwball comedies (especially Robert Montgomery and Joel McCray) than with the great "clowns" like Chaplin, Lloyd and Keaton. Chase lacked the physical grace and the ability to create memorable visual humor of the big 3. Instead his humor tended to emerge from being thrown into and out of outrageous, awkward or embarassing situations, typically but not always involving a romantic partner. In "Mighty Like a Moose", both he and his wife try to surprise one another with changes in their facial appearance, then become attracted to each other in their "new look", without knowing their true identity. In "Long Fliv the King", Chase, a condemned criminal, marries a princess of a foreign country out of convenience, only to be pardoned, and thus faced with being King of his inherited land. Sometimes the situations work, but more often they are too outrageous to draw the viewer into the mayhem. Also, the witty dialog of the sound screwball comedies sometimes made up for the silly premises of the plot (think of "Bringing Up Baby"), but in the silent version, of course, such dialog was not possible. So these films, although interesting and mildly amusing at times, may be disappointing to many viewers. One gets the overall sense here that Roach and McCarey were part of an experimental lab for developing more sophisticated alternatives to the "slapstick" genre (so the title of the series "Slapstick symposium" is a little misleading). Like all lab experiments, sometimes they work, sometimes not.

Another interesting aspect of these, and other silent movies, is how often their gags were reused later on. In "Mum's the Word", Charlie and his step-dad perform a sight gag with a window shade that resembles the famous pantomime between Chico and Groucho in "Duck Soup" (also directed by McCarey). Also, there is the "woman making like a chair" scene that was repeated in Laurel and Hardy's sound feature "Blockheads".

In general, it would help to be both a fan of the screwball genre, as well as of the Hal Roach factory, to enjoy this collection.

Charley's Back!.......2004-10-04

It's really kind of sad to think that the name Charley Chase barely registers with anyone nowadays. Sad because in an era of great comics, he was one of the greatest. One of the reasons, probably, is the fact that Charley didn't have the clown persona of a Chaplin or a Keaton. He was much more of a regular guy type, comperable to Harold Loyd although I always thought that Chase's character was much more believable than Loyd's. The release of this DVD is a cause for celebration among all lovers of great comedy. I hope it's the first of many more.
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY

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

Average customer rating:

Slapstick at its best
Possible door in for new fans
Harold Lloyd, the GREAT
A Pair Of Glasses And A Smile
Now, this is FUN! Even my kids enjoyed Harold!

The Harold Lloyd Collection, Vol. 1 (Slapstick Symposium)
Starring: Sammy Brooks , Mildred Davis , William Gillespie , Helen Gilmore , and Estelle Harrison
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Harold Lloyd Collection, Vol. 2 (Slapstick Symposium)
Buster Keaton Collection (The Cameraman / Spite Marriage / Free & Easy)
The Charley Chase Collection, Vol. 1 (Slapstick Symposium)
The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection Vols. 1-3
Buster Keaton: The Great Stone Face of Comedy

ASIN: B0002CHIEM
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Amazon.com

This collection of vintage Harold Lloyd comedies is worth the price just for Grandma's Boy, a splendid hourlong feature from 1922. Lloyd plays a small-town fellow who lives with his frisky grandmother; convinced of his own cowardice, he yearns to compete for the hand of a pretty girl. His courtly call to the girl's home is the occasion for battle with a ridiculous "formal" suit, mothballs, and a litter of kittens attracted by the goose grease on his shoes. There's also a long (and quite funny) flashback to Lloyd's ancestor, tangled in a Civil War fracas. Lloyd, whose aquiline features were rounded off by horn-rimmed glasses, was more handsome and less clownish than many of his slapstick brethren, which made his acrobatic outbursts all the more surprising. That talent is well-displayed in the seven short (mostly between 20-25 minutes) films on this DVD, including Number, Please, which climaxes with a brilliant sequence involving a stolen purse, and His Royal Slyness, which also offers a look at Lloyd's brother Gaylord. --Robert Horton

Description

A standout contributor to the art of silent film comedy, Harold Lloyd (1893-1971) offers new generations a body of film work that is as fresh and entertaining as in its day. His roots were simple--born in rural Nebraska, product of a broken home, and initially destined for the legitimate stage--yet by the 1920s, Lloyd was both at the box office and in the polls, the most popular comic actor in the world.

His appeal was simple: through his Glass Character, which formed the basis of roles from 1917-1947, Lloyd was able to reach audiences as no contemporary could. He is regarded as the man who most greatly influenced eyeglass-wearing in America, and this single facet of Lloyd inspired youth worldwide. His screen normalcy--in look and demeanor--allowed moviegoers to relate to the Glass Character no matter how rich, poor, cowardly or flip he was. Included in this Kino collection are the feature Grandma's Boy (1922), plus the shorts Bumping Into Broadway (1919), An Eastern Westerner (1920), His Royal Slyness (1921), Just Neighbors (1919), I Do (1918), and Number Please (1920).

Grandma's Boy - 1922
One of Lloyd's personal favorites of his films, Grandma's Boy is a beautiful tale of self-discovery, with a bounty of comic overtones. Sonny is a self-professed coward, who balks at the sight of the town tramp (Dick Sutherland). Armed with a lucky charm given to him by his grandmother (Anna Townsend), he defeats the tramp and the town bully (Charles Stevenson), learning a very valuable lesson about himself in the process.

And among the many short films are:

Bumping Into Broadway - 1919
Harold Lloyd's first Glass Character two-reeler, Bumping Into Broadway stars Lloyd and Daniels as theatrical hopefuls - he as a playwright, she as a chorus girl. The action is fierce, as Harold attempts to save Bebe from a wicked society chap, and gets into lots of trouble in the process. Look for Our Gang favorite Gus Leonard in a most unique cameo: as a love-starved woman!

An Eastern Westerner - 1920
Rural comedy abounds in this romp, as young upstart Harold is shipped to his uncle's ranch out West. There, he meets Mildred, assists her in staving off the unwanted affections of rogue Young, and after a wild altercation with a gang of bandits, single-handedly saves the town from the Masked Angels.

His Royal Slyness - 1920
A special opportunity to see the Lloyd brothers - Harold and Gaylord - work together. Harold, a book agent, bears an uncanny resemblance to the Prince of Razzamatazz (Gaylord) - the two switch persons, and Harold travels to Thermosa, where he falls in love with a princess (Davis), and manages to lead the peasants' revolution to victory. His Royal Slyness marks Pollard's final film with Lloyd.

Just Neighbors - 1919
Domesticity turns to squabble-city, as the tranquil friendship of neighbors Lloyd and Pollard turns sour when Snub's chickens get loose in Bebe's garden. The barbs are fast and furious, until peace is restored, when Harold's dog saves Snub's daughter from traffic. A rare film in which Lloyd took co-directorial credit, Motion Picture News called Just Neighbors "...as clever a skit on suburban life as ever was fashioned."

Customer Reviews:

Slapstick at its best.......2007-03-09

My brother really enjoyed this. If your into slapstick get it

Possible door in for new fans.......2005-08-03

While most of the films on here are very strong and solid, I don't think they're guaranteed to turn every first-time viewer into a huge fan. When I rented this from the library to see what all the fuss over Harold was about, I kind of had mixed reactions. I really liked 'Grandma's Boy,' the very early short feature-length film, and also enjoyed, among the shorts, 'I Do' (which was my personal favorite), 'Just Neighbors,' 'Number, Please?' (except for the disappointing ending), and 'Are Crooks Dishonest?' Though apparently a number of people really like them, I wasn't that captivated by 'An Eastern Westerner,' 'Bumping into Broadway,' or 'His Royal Slyness.' Still, it did make me generally interested enough to want to see more, and the next time I had a chance to see more, during the mini-marathon Turner Classic Movies ran of Harold's films during April 2005, I did become a big fan based on seeing some of his great full-length features. I think the ideal introduction to a new fan would be a feature-length movie, like 'Grandma's Boy' on this disc; it really serves to establish Harold's screen persona of the shy awkward smalltown boy, having to overcome obstacles such as cowardliness, meekness, local bad guys, and people who don't take him seriously. He was one of those comedians who was more like just a regular guy (with the simple physical modification of glasses) who got into normal understandable situations and trouble and had to use his own wits and summon his own courage and strength of character to get out of them and save the day. Because most of the shorts on this disc are from so early in Harold's career (some of them even from before the accident that nearly took his own life in September 1919), they might not be appreciated for their humor and brilliance by a new fan who is probably more apt to want to see Harold at the peak of his creativity, not when he was still learning the ropes and developing his character more and more.

Harold Lloyd, the GREAT.......2004-09-27

Ah...this was back when they actually made films. Most people think of only 2 masters of slapstick back in the 1920's, Charles Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Well, Lloyd was as good as them, if not better. The cornerstone of American Comedy, Safety Last(1923) shows us is that Lloyd was more daring than his other 2 contemporaries, like in the scenes where he climbs the skyscraper and I'm sure everyone has seen the priceless scene where Lloyd hangs terrified from the hands of the big clock on the top of the skyscraper. Check this out and see true comedy.

A Pair Of Glasses And A Smile.......2004-09-02

At last - Harold Lloyd films on DVD; and about time too.
Excellent print quality throughout most of this DVD.
If only the musical accompaniment was supplied by "The Crescent City Jazz Band" as it was for the brilliant "World Of Harold Lloyd" series in the 1970's.
However, the comedy is what counts and I suppose I could always turn the sound off and play the music from the aforementioned series.
Now how about a DVD release of "Welcome Danger" which has never been shown in the UK.

Now, this is FUN! Even my kids enjoyed Harold!.......2004-08-30

OK, I've been a fan of Lloyd since age 11, too long ago for me to admit, and I am quite pleased to see at least a smattering of his work released on DVD. While the existing film quality of bits of two of the shorts exhibits nitrate deterioration, most of the material is almost pristine (even if the titles look to have been reshot and not original, for whatever reason). The humor, however, remains belly-busting funny, often with more laughs per reel, I think, than some of the better known Chaplin stuff (or maybe I am just getting Chaplined-out?) My kids, ages 12, 10 and 8, loved the more slapstick antics of Harold's various predicaments/solutions, in addition to cheering him on as he (eventually) prevailed in the feature "Grandma's Boy". I heartily recommend Lloyd to anyone looking for a fun addition to their DVD collection. If you have never seen a silent comedy, or have only seen Chaplin and/or Keaton, you are in for a treat. Now, if only Kino or the Lloyd Trust would get more of his work out on DVD and video!

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

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Harold Lloyd Collection, Vol. 1 (Slapstick Symposium)
The Charley Chase Collection, Vol. 2 (Slapstick Symposium)
The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection Vols. 1-3
The Oliver Hardy Collection (Slapstick Symposium)
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.

The Stan Laurel Collection (Slapstick Symposium)

Average customer rating:

Stan's preLaurel & Hardy days
Everything is funny, but Stan.
Solo Stan
A great comic in transition.
Fun but missing something

The Stan Laurel Collection (Slapstick Symposium)
Starring: Stan Laurel , Murray Rock , Tui Bow , Blanche Payson , and Julie Leonard (II)
Director: Harry Sweet , Joe Rock , and Ralph Ceder
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Oliver Hardy Collection (Slapstick Symposium)
The Charley Chase Collection, Vol. 2 (Slapstick Symposium)
The Charley Chase Collection, Vol. 1 (Slapstick Symposium)
The Harold Lloyd Collection, Vol. 1 (Slapstick Symposium)
The Forgotten Films of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle

ASIN: B0002CHIDS
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Amazon.com

The great Stan Laurel was 37 years old when he definitively teamed up with Oliver Hardy in 1927. So what had he done up till then? The Stan Laurel Collection valuably fills in a gap, with 17 comedy shorts Laurel made for producer Hal Roach between 1923 and 1925. Laurel was already a veteran vaudevillian, with many previous stabs at film work, when he embarked on this series for Roach. The comic personality on display will not be instantly familiar to Laurel and Hardy fans. In a frantic piece like Oranges and Lemons, Laurel is much closer to the acrobatic mischief of Chaplin than to the slow-burning simpleton he perfected opposite Hardy. Laurel was a busy gag-writer and worked on story and direction as well, and it says something about his imagination that these shorts range all over the planet for their settings: Frozen Hearts parodies Russian melodrama (and allows Stan a wonderfully daft Russian dance), Roughest Africa spoofs the African travelogue, with Laurel battling lion and elephant. Movie parodies were a Laurel specialty; Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pride is a send-up of a certain Robert Louis Stevenson story, with Laurel's monster an unexpected demonic treat. The final short on disc 2 is Yes, Yes, Nanette, co-directed by Laurel and starring Jimmy Finlayson, a frequent stooge in these shorts. In a supporting role, there's "Babe" Hardy, pointing the way toward greatness. These shorts are fun, but Laurel and Hardy needed each other. --Robert Horton

Description

Before teaming up with Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel was one of the most important Hollywood comics of his time, competing with the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Having been Chaplin's understudy and roommate, Laurel spent most of the 1910s avoiding actual demands to become a Chaplin lookalike. It was only in the 1920s that Stan laurel became established enough to capture the attention of producer Hal Roach and compete on equal terms with his mentor. The rare 16 short films (1923-1925) in this all-new DVD were finally restored to their original versions. All shot between 1923 and 1925, these films are a historic proof of Laurel's slapstick genius and a remarkable showcase of the intense work which allowed Lloyd to stand out in a time of great competition among hundreds of hopeful slapstick stars.

From the parodies of popular films from the 1920s ("Roughest Africa". "The Soilers") to the hilarious social satires ("Frozen Hearts", "Short Kilts") or the familial ones ("Mother's Joy", "Yes, Yes, Nanette") and ending with real jewels of silent comedy ("Oranges and Lemons", "Postage Due"), this British-born comedian charms, thanks to his understanding of storytelling and his irresistible humor. These 16 short films are gathered on DVD for the first time thanks to the help of collectors and film archives from around the world.

Roughest Africa(1923):
During an expedition in Africa, Stan is confronted by wild animals for the camera of a documentary filmmaker.

The Soilers(1923):
Canister (Stan Laurel), a mine owner in Alaska, would give his life to get his confiscated goods/property back.

Mother's Joy(1924):
An old man asks a lawyer to find his missing daughter and grand-son who turns out to be a very extravagant young man.

Postage Due(1924):
Willy Worst (Stan Laurel) turns a local post-office upside-down just by trying to send a letter.

The Sleuth(1925):
Stan is a detective who essentially relies on different costumes to successfully complete his investigations.

Yes, Yes, Nanette(1925):
Nanette comes home to introduce her husband to her family. Nanette's ex-fiance (Oliver Hardy) takes advantage of the situation to make a comeback in her life.

And the following titles:

Oranges and Lemons(1923), Frozen Hearts(1923), Near Dublin(1924), Zeb Vs Paprika(1924), Short Kilts(1924), West of Hot Dog(1924), The Snow Hawk(1925), Navy Blue Days(1925), Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde(1925), Half a Man(1925).

Customer Reviews:

Stan's preLaurel & Hardy days.......2007-03-18

He was no match for his former acting school roomate Charlie Chaplin,but Stan did a pretty good job on his own,prior to teaming up with Oliver Hardy.This DVD set is worth viewing.There are many memorable shorts.James Finlayson appears in many of them.Including one of my favourites,Roughest Africa.Pete the Dog,of Little Rascals fame even appears in Dr.Pyckle And Mr.Pride and a few others.The last film in this set,Yes Yes Nanette,was directed by Stan,but he does not appaer in it.James Finlayson and Oliver Hardy are the stars of this film.

Everything is funny, but Stan........2005-10-28

You'd have to go pretty far to find a more devoted Laurel and Hardy fan than I, but as I watched this great collection I realized that Stan wound up exactly where he belonged, behind the camera. The gags are funny, but they could have been done by any other able bodied comedian of the time. He HAD no character, and that is precisely the problem. I still gave this set 4 stars because the prints are gorgeous, the films are fun, and they are definitely worth preserving (KINO does an amazing job). My only negative comment has to do with Stan himself...who, if he wanted to continue as a performer, really needed Ollie a lot more than I'd realized. As for Ollie, well, he more than likely would have continued as a wonderful comic supporting character actor, just as Eugene Pallete did (another Roach veteran).

Solo Stan.......2005-08-23

Before he became Oliver Hardy's partner in 1927, Stan Laurel had starred in and directed many films on his own. This set has several good films on it. Some of the best are : The Soilers, Stan plays a prospector in Alaska. Oranges and Lemons, Stan plays a fruit picker and causes mayhem. Postage Due, in which Stan causes mayhem by just mailing a letter. Roughest Africa, where Laurel is a professor on an African Safari, and manages to anger some wildlife. Several of the films feature James Finlayson as a nemeis to Stan. Fin would play similar roles in several Laurel and Hardy films. As as been noted, Stan had a hard time finding a character that worked for him during his solo career. But I recommed getting this set to see a comic legend in development. And the prints used are in excellent shape.

A great comic in transition........2005-02-03

1923 to 1925 to Stan Laurel was a period of transition for one of the greatest comedians/gag men of 20th century film.
Starting out with one foot still firmly planted on the vaudeville stages of the United States and Canada Stan Laurels' films of this period made first for film producers Hal Roach,then Joe Rock then back to Roach would see him in the end stay in the film medium for good.
Watching these films reveals a comedian of the first order.He displays his skills with an ease and aplomb that equalled or excelled Chapln,Keaton and Lloyd.And there certainly were very few who could equal his mastery of the gag which he is responsible for throughout most of these films.
Most of these films have been previousy released on video and DVD but these transfers are for the most part quite superior to anythng I've seen before.They are for the most part quite crisp and clear which make them a joy to watch and own.
This Stan Laurel is not the Stan of Laurel and Hardy(which was less than two years away) but in these films are definite signs of the future persona that the public would come to know and love.
And this was unfortunately the crux of the question of why Stan didn't become a "hit" before his future teaming with Oliver Hardy.He didn't have a standout "hook" or persona that grabbed the publics' attention like Keaton or Chaplin had.
This ultmately caused Stan to move from in front of the camera to behind it where he was quite happy to write and direct until fate kindly brought he and screen veteran Oliver Hardy together in front of the camera where the two would go on to make film history as the greatest film comedy team of all time.
The Stan Laurel Collection is essential film history.I recommend this two disc set very highy.

Fun but missing something.......2004-12-03

I've been a Laurel and Hardy fan since July of 1996, when I was sixteen years old, and was delighted to find this collection of Stan's earlier solo work, esp. since he's always been my fave of the two (his character is so endearing and easy to relate to). Still, there just feels like something missing without his partner. There are quite a number of funny moments, but overall they're just not as laughter-inducing as when he and Ollie were together. I agree that part of the reason is because, while brilliantly-written and acted, Stan just hadn't developed into the character he later became. In most of these shorts he plays the well-meaning kind-hearted simpleton we know and love, but that character isn't as developed or concrete as it is in the Laurel and Hardy shorts. I like him because the character he played onscreen is so easy to relate to and like, but that persona just isn't there to relate to in some of the shorts, however well-crafted, and when it is there, it just isn't as constant, well-honed, and perfected as it was later to become. Still, on the whole these are really enjoyable shorts, only I wouldn't recommend them to a new fan.

Average customer rating:

The Symposium
Starring: Joe Salazar , Dann Seki , Michael Wisser , Anne Marie Selby , and J.Martin Romualdez
Director: Michael Wurth
Manufacturer: Scriptwise Partners LLC
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Art House & International | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0002UUJBI
Release Date: 2004-07-01

Ikenobo Symposium 2005 in Las Vegas: Ikebana Demonstrations

Average customer rating:

Lovely and sometimes funny

Ikenobo Symposium 2005 in Las Vegas: Ikebana Demonstrations

Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

( I ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Ikebana: Japanese Flower Arrangement
Floral Design by The Flowergod Volume 1
Fun To Know¿ Flower Arranging
Ikebana: Japanese Flower Arranging for Today's Interior

ASIN: B000DN6LUM
Release Date: 2006-07-13

Product Description

This 2-DVD set contains ikebana demonstrations presented to the public in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Nevada. These videos offer a rare and close-up view of the 45th-generation Headmaster and his staff as exquisite works of living art are created with detailed explanation. In Volume 1, Headmaster Sen'ei Ikenobo demonstrates six arrangements. Professor Shimuta follows him with an additional three arrangements. In Volume 2, the Headmaster and his staff create a large, celebratory free style arrangement. They are followed by a performance of the Reishiki-ike formal flower arranging ceremony. Demonstrations are given in Japanese with English translation. The Reishiki-ike ceremony is narrated in English.

Customer Reviews:

Lovely and sometimes funny.......2007-03-20

I enjoyed this film. It was wonderful to watch Sen'ei Ikenobo and others make arrangements, which is what the film is. The only issue I have with it is that it is not a very specific "How to". Although the arrangers speak a little bit about what style they are doing and why they chose a particular bit of nature, there was no specific discussion of Shin, Soe or Tai lines, nagashi lines, etc. (The guts of Ikenobo Ikebana)

I've studied Ikenobo Ikebana, so this didn't bother me, but if you're new to Ikebana and wanting specifics, this isn't the film for you. However, it is quite an enjoyable film anyway. Sen'ei has a good sense of humor!

Average customer rating:

NSCA Endurance Training Symposium

Manufacturer: Coaches Choice
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

Description

The (12) presentations from the two-day NSCA Endurance Training Symposium are featured on two extended-play DVDs. Over eight hours of authoritative information on the theories and rationale behind developing a training program for endurance athletes, including: Introduction, Optimization of Physiological Adaptations for Endurance Sports, Program Design, Training Tools for Endurance Athletes, Sports Nutrition, The Impact of Resistance Training on Endurance Performance, Injuries and the Endurance Athlete, Altitude Training and Endurance Performance, Power/Force Dynamics of Cycling, Using Metabolic Markers in the Design of Effective Endurance Programs, Nutrition Periodization for Optimal Performance, and Conclusion. Produced in cooperation with the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Average customer rating:

Video 1: Symposium Highlights

Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

( V ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

The Art of Rosemaling: Tradition Meets the Creative Mind A Symposium Video 1: Symposium Highlights Includes: * Welcome by Vesterheim's executive director, Janet Blohm Pultz * Opening Event - a painting demonstration by Sigmund Aarseth, with music by Foot-Notes and poetry by Joseph Langland * Rosemaling Spoken Here, banquet address by Harley Refsal * Excerpts from the closing panel discussion

DVD:

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