This film documents a wide range of silent classics with clips from comedies made between 1895 and 1925. Starting out with the earliest moving images that show people having fun, this documentary went quickly through early French trick films including chases and reverse footage films which gave a good insight to the early comedies. Highlighted performers include Billy Bevan, Charles Chaplin, Sydney Chaplin, Charley Chase, Andy Clyde, Carter DeHaven, Vernon Dent, Oliver Hardy, Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon, Stan Laurel and 'Snub' Pollard. The narration is quick and lively and very educational. Chase scenes are examined in depth including those on foot and those in motor vehicles. The physical humor throughout the film, and the clips from films not often highlighted elsewhere, makes this a must see for anyone looking for information about the early silent film comedies.
2 Reviews
Charlie, Buster, Laurel and Hardy. These are the stars of this comic party.
mark.waltz14 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
The gay nineties through the roaring twenties is the era of some of the greatest motion pictures ever produced, mainly because it was the very beginning and filmmakers wanted to be very inventive. This starts with a look at New York City at the turn off the century, then shows some of San Francisco before the earthquake and right after. A little bit of the magical filmmaking from France shows the special effects during their early years, and they are indeed fascinating.
But the book of the film is attributed to the great comics which includes the men I mentioned above as well as others including Charlie's brother Sydney, the other Charlie (Chase), Mabel Normand, Harry Landon, Andy Clyde and others. Other movie stars of the silent era make appearances through newsreels as this focuses on comedy, not meladrama or horror. So you get lots of farce with comical chases, pies in the face, women being embarrassed and of course comic assaults on the law and other authority figures. A good narration helps, but it's at its desk when it's just focusing on the film clips. Call this "That's Silent Entertainment!"
But the book of the film is attributed to the great comics which includes the men I mentioned above as well as others including Charlie's brother Sydney, the other Charlie (Chase), Mabel Normand, Harry Landon, Andy Clyde and others. Other movie stars of the silent era make appearances through newsreels as this focuses on comedy, not meladrama or horror. So you get lots of farce with comical chases, pies in the face, women being embarrassed and of course comic assaults on the law and other authority figures. A good narration helps, but it's at its desk when it's just focusing on the film clips. Call this "That's Silent Entertainment!"
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