OT: Your favourite silent comedian

[frootloops]

I'm posting this OT thread for a number of reasons. Reason number one is that I have a question:

Q: Does anybody here own this particular collection?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Buster-Keaton-Masters-Cinema/dp/B000I5XN7E

I want to know how good the actual music is that accompanies the films. It would be AMAZING if it fit the kind of music you hear on the documentary, Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow. I have a couple of Keaton movies on DVD but they're horrible PD prints that just have Scott Joplin music playing over them.

Reason number two is that I'm just curious.

[frootloops]

I am very aware of my very stupid mistake everybody!!! I made a double thread!

:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(

Man, is my face red!!!

[Geezil]

Not to fret ... pretty much all benign mistakes are forgiven here at GAC.

That said, and although I truly do hate to nitpick (no, really!), the surname of your first choice in this poll (who gets my vote) should be spelled Chaplin (what with his having been first among equals by any measure, it's only right). Hopefully one of the mods can fix that.

[tristar]

Chaplin, hands down. Here is my list of favourite Chaplin films, in chonological order:

Shoulder Arms (1918) - The last scene when Charlie kicks the Kaiser in the butt always cracks me up.
A Day's Pleasure (1919) - Despite it's short length, Charlie and the family's day out is always funny.
The Kid (1921) - Chaplin's first feature has a ton of heart.
Pay Day (1922) - The bathtub scene and the brick scene always induce belly laughs.
The Pilgrim (1923) - This is the only Chaplin film that made me laugh from start to finish.
The Gold Rush (1925) - THE GOLD RUSH. Need I say more?
The Circus (1928) - It's been a while since I last saw this, but I remember liking it. The house of mirrors was pretty funny.
City Lights (1931) - The final scene will put a lump in your throat that will never leave you.
Modern Times (1936) - Easily my favourite Chaplin film of all time. The gags, the timing, the comedy, and the sentiment make for a great film.
The Great Dictator (1940) - Chaplin's first [and only good] talkie is terrific and almost as good as his silents. The iconic globe scene and the speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcvjoWOwnn4) are my favourite parts.

Ironically, the first Chaplin film I saw was Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914), which is my least favourite Chaplin film of all.

Chaplin's talkies as a whole were terrible.
The only worthwhile one is The Great Dictator which I mentioned earlier. The rest of them were pretentious, bland, and extremely unfunny.

I would have to place Buster Keaton as a close second, and L&H in third tied with Harold Lloyd.

[CueBallCat79]

Chaplin, hands down.

That's scary. I was just about to post those exact same words.

The master. Pure and simple.

[frootloops]

That said, and although I truly do hate to nitpick (no, really!), the surname of your first choice in this poll (who gets my vote) should be spelled Chaplin.So it's official!!! This is the most embarrassing post in the history of GAC! Thanks alot for pointing that out, Geezil!!!

Just messin'. Seriously, though. I think Keaton wins the day every time.

[iwerks321]

I love silent comedy just as much as cartoons.I prefer Harold Lloyd.He is such a human character that you can sympathize with and relate to and his movies are extremely hilarious,especially ''For Heaven's Sake'',the part where the Harold and the drunkards drive away in the runaway double decker bus is hilarious!

[Nelson]

No doubt it's HAROLD LLOYD....

LLoyd was just funnier than Chaplin....

Here's how I would list my favorite silent comedians of all time.
1.Harold Lloyd
2.Buster Keaton
3.Charley Chase
4.Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
5.Al St.John
6.Harry Langdon
7.Lloyd "Ham" Hamilton
8.Charlie Chaplin
9.Andy Clyde
10.Billy Bevan

[nickramer]

Two words: Chralie Chaplin.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

I voted for Buster Keaton. I think he was the most inventive of all the silent comedians. (Not to mention leap years ahead of any comic actor today.) He also brought a melancholy sense of stoicism to his films, too.

The runners up for me would be Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Laurel and Hardy, and Harry Langdon, in that order. Max Linder was also interesting, and one of the main influences on people like Chaplin.

[dandu]

I like Buster Keaton a lot due to his deepness, but I voted for Stan Laurel, I would've voted for Laurel and Hardy, but their sound films are much stronger than their silents.

[cartoonfan4ever]

Charlie Chaplin.

[dandu]

Who really finds Fatty funny? I find his humor juvenile and tasteless to be honest. At least compared to his partner between 1919-1921 Buster Keaton, Buster was a genius he has his clever way of doing action comedies.

[ferpme]

Could not disagree more on the Chaplin talkies. (Oh...my vote goes to Chaplin in a landslide.)
While they're not the silents....EACH is great in it's own way. MONSIEUR VERDOUX is about as black a comedy as you'll see in any era, let alone the 40's....LIMELIGHT....touching....sadly personal....and I think A KING IN NEW YORK is highly UNDER-RATED....very timely now, with the way media and marketing has invaded our lives.
True...I'd still give the nod to CITY LIGHTS/MODERN TIMES/THE CIRCUS, and DICTATOR....but I find lots to love in the talkies as well....

[J. J. Hunsecker]

True...I'd still give the nod to CITY LIGHTS/MODERN TIMES/THE CIRCUS, and DICTATOR....but I find lots to love in the talkies as well....
The Great Dictator is also a talkie.

[ferpme]

Yes...I know the Great Dictator is a talkie. Barely. Chaplin was still devoting much of the movie to narration....and pantomime.....there are extended moments of NON-talking in it as well.....makes you think he still wasn't completely comfortable in that format....a shame, really, as I think he was a very good to great actor even in speaking roles....a bit of an egomaniac.....but great, nonetheless...

[Jack G.]

Is there a decent release of Chaplin's best shorts?

Actually, is there any decent compilations of silent comedy, period?

[ferpme]

Well...for the SHORT shorts....the originals....I'm not sure of the best release....perhaps someone else can help.
But for the 2 reelers and the like (A DAY'S PLEASURE, SUNNYSIDE, THE IDLE CLASS, PAY DAY, A DOG'S LIFE, SHOULDER ARMS, and THE PILGRIM) try the Chaplin Collection (try Amazon or Google). The first-called THE CHAPLIN REVUE-has all the above mentioned silents. It's a release from the the official Chaplin archives. Best available....and they look great. For that matter...it's the way to go for ALL the Chaplin films. Great prints....and tons of special features. There are box sets of all of them....a bit pricey....but you can find individual films on Amazon and especially Ebay. I was able to complete my set doing it this way for much less than I would have spent for any box set.
It's called THE CHAPLIN COLLECTON...a mostly white box with black borders. Highly recommended for all his films....from the silent two reelers through the talkies.....

[tristar]

Is there a decent release of Chaplin's best shorts?

Actually, is there any decent compilations of silent comedy, period?I'm with ferpme. I strongly reccomend The Chaplin Collection (don't make the mistake I did by buying the megasets... you will get Chaplin gold, but you'll also get his mediocre 1947-1957 films. Thankfully WHV/mk2 don't own the rights to A Countess From Hong Kong (1967)).
The films look terrific, no spots, scratches or grains, and the bonuses are amazing.
The Chaplin Revue two disc set includes Shoulder Arms, A Dog's Life, and The Pilgrim with narration by Chaplin himself in 1959 (thankfully not over the films themselves, like he did in 1942 with The Gold Rush.) The second disc contains five other Chaplin shorts, also painstaikingly restored.

On The Chaplin Collection, the music (if not composed by chaplin himself) is very well written and chosen, thankfully not synthesized or stock piano rolls.

As for Keaton, Kino Video has put out almost all his films in one giant megaset called The art of Buster Keaton (which I didn't buy, but I hear it's good) and they've just released a two disc set of his 1926 masterpeice The General (again, which I didn't buy) but from what I've heard, it's a better transfer than the Art of... transfer, the music score is better, and there are more bonus features.

For Harold Lloyd, WHV put out a few sets of his silents and talkies a few years back. You can probably still find it.

As for L&H, there is a 21-disc European set in PAL format. From what I've heard, the films look pretty good but if you live in North America you shouldn't bother. Image Entertainment put out some good DVDs around 10 years back called The Lost Films of Laurel and Hardy. The films looked great, but if you want to buy one, get your wallet out or rent one at an independant DVD rental store.

Whew, long post!:D

[Daffysleftfoot]

Buster Keaton was definitely an innovative genius. But, I chose Charlie Chaplin simply because he paved the way for the others.

[The Coyote Never Wins]

Keaton all the way for me. My first experience with Keaton was when I got the Kino Video VHS of "The Navigator" out of the library, as a curious blind grab. There's a scene in there that just stunned me, of Buster futilely (sp?) attempting to tow the ocean liner with a little tiny rowboat, in a static master shot done from a great distance. It looks like a minnow trying to tow a whale, and it's absolutely hilarious.

After Keaton comes Chaplin, and I'd tie them at first place if I could, if only for "City Lights," "The Gold Rush," and "Modern Times."

As for Lloyd, I don't think he was quite on that level, but he was brilliant in his own way. "The Freshman" is one of my favorite comedies from that era, and I love the ridiculous little dance he does when trying to impress the other students ("Just step right up and call me Speedy!").

I like Laurel and Hardy's silent stuff, but I have to agree with dandu that their sound films are better. Still funny, though.

BTW, if anybody checking this thread out wants some further reading, try Walter Kerr's "The Silent Clowns." I imagine many of the people checking this thread would have read it already, but if you haven't, it's an excellent look at this era of comedy.

[MikeBSG]

I ended up voting for Chaplin, although I have qualifications about each of the "Big Three."

I love Chaplin's features ("The Kid" through "Modern Times.") His short comedies, on the other hand, don't do much for me.

Keaton made some wonderful shorts ("One Week," "The Goat," "The Playhouse" and "The Boat.") but I find that I tend not to like his "official" classic features, like "sherlock Jr." and "The General." Instead, I love "Our Hospitality" and "Steamboat Bill Jr."

With Lloyd, I like the official classics, such as "The Freshman" and "Safety Last," and the lesser known films, such as "Speedy" don't really work for me. However, "Why Worry?" is a gem, and my kids and I loved it when we saw it a few months ago.

[janiepooh34]

I went for Harold Lloyd.

I have not seen very many of these people other than snippets. I can say I have seen MANY Laurel and Hardy which I enjoy, but I have seen Harold Lloyd as well and enjoy his stuff more. I can not vote for someone I have not actually seen in action for more than 10 seconds. These older movies are just not available for me to rent.

[Jack G.]

Thanks ferpme and tristar. :)

[Bugsy-Kun]

I just hope to have better knowledges for the silent films. I remember watching it when i was a kid on Bravo before they dropped it for movies and serials.

My vote goes for Buster Keaton.

[Magpie]

I'd have to say Keaton. While I've seen more of Chaplin's work...and several L&H's, Keaton's works are amazing...as far as timing, and his physical dexterity, etc. what a trooper! I heard that he continued shooting once (w/ a broken neck?!? after a stunt) because there was another hour or two of sunlight.:eek:

[zavkram]

I voted for Buster Keaton. I think he was the most inventive of all the silent comedians. (Not to mention leap years ahead of any comic actor today.) He also brought a melancholy sense of stoicism to his films, too.

I voted for Keaton for the same reasons. The General and Sherlock Jr. are two of my all-time favorite comedy films (silent or otherwise)...

Chaplin and Lloyd are close runners-up for me, as well... and I actually prefer a number of the silent Laurel and Hardy films to some of their talkies.

[Chooch]

No doubt it's HAROLD LLOYD....

LLoyd was just funnier than Chaplin....


You hit the nail on the head there, jack.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/272/sjff03img1193.jpg

[Smilodon]

I can't decide. It's really Chaplin and Keaton both for me. They each made too many films that near perfect. Do I really have to choose between Easy Street and One Week?

[Bugsmer]

I'd have to say Keaton. While I've seen more of Chaplin's work...and several L&H's, Keaton's works are amazing...as far as timing, and his physical dexterity, etc. what a trooper! I heard that he continued shooting once (w/ a broken neck?!? after a stunt) because there was another hour or two of sunlight.:eek:

He didn't know that he had a broken neck. His stunt involved jumping from a height onto some railway tracks, but he fell incorrectly, and ended up with a terrible headache for several hours thereafter. Years later, a doctor took some X-rays of him and asked him when he broke his neck. Keaton figured that that stunt was probably the one that did it.

I went with Harold Lloyd. Chaplin can be hilarious, but he can almost bring you to tears a few scenes later. Lloyd's movies are funny from start to finish, and some of his stunts are spectacular. Keaton was terrific when he worked for himself, but when he sold out to MGM, he began digging a whole in which his acting career quickly descended. Charlie Chase made some funny shorts, and later directed some at Columbia--some notably featuring the Three Stooges. Had Arbuckle lasted through to 1930, we might have seen what comedic mastery he was capable of on film, but the few early shorts I've seen him in are too crude to accurately judge him. In the same vein, I've yet to see Laurel and Hardy on film.

[cpdavison]

I just got an email about a 4 DVD set called BECOMING CHARLEY CHASE (http://www.alldayentertainment.com/dvdpages/chase.html).

FWIW

Craig D.

[Nelson]

Who really finds Fatty funny? I find his humor juvenile and tasteless to be honest. At least compared to his partner between 1919-1921 Buster Keaton, Buster was a genius he has his clever way of doing action comedies.

Keaton was often quoted by saying that Arbuckle was his main influence in comedy and learned so much from Roscoe during the 1910s.The one thing about Chaplin I didn't much care for, was that he used a lot of drama on his films, while Keaton and Lloyd went straight in your face comedy.I do enjoy the solo works of Stan Laurel, but he was just in the long line of comedians, until he was joined forces with Oliver Hardy.

While this is a great topic, for those who do not know this, here's an excellent website devoted to classic slapstick silent comedy and where you can purchase dvds of rare silent comedy.

http://www.looserthanloose.com

I have purchased several of their dvds and all I can say is that they a great collections..Drop by and tell me what you think.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

If people still want to know what DVDs are available for these comedy greats, here is a partial list...

BUSTER KEATON:

The Art of Buster Keaton (http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Hospitality-Navigator-Steamboat-Battling/dp/B00005QW5A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1241902140&sr=8-2) -- contains most of his features and 21 shorts. (These are all sold individually as single DVDs, too.) Buster Keaton Collection (Spite Marriage/The Cameraman) (http://www.amazon.com/Buster-Keaton-Collection-Cameraman-Marriage/dp/B00049QQ78/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1241902140&sr=8-4) -- the 2 silent features Keaton made when he signed with M-G-M, before that studio ruined his career with those awful talkies. The General 2 Disc Collection (http://www.amazon.com/General-Ultimate-2-Disc-Buster-Keaton/dp/B001E18222/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1241902140&sr=8-7) -- by Kino, the company that put out the huge boxset Art of Buster Keaton, but this version is supposed to be mastered in HD. If you have a region free player, DVDBeaver raves about the French collection of Buster Keaton films by the company MK2 -- La Collection Buster Keaton. (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews18/keaton-fr.htm) Here's another review by DVDBeaver on the English and French collections of Buster Keaton's early shorts, by Eureka Masters of Cinema and Arte Video, (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews27/buster_keaton_early_shorts.htm) respectively.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Continuing:

CHARLIE CHAPLIN:

Warner Bros. put out 2 boxsets and most of Chaplin's features on DVD. Here (http://www2.warnerbros.com/charliechaplin/store.html) is their website. Warner's also released them individually on 2-disc sets, (http://www.amazon.com/City-Lights-2-Disc-Special/dp/B00017LVN2/ref=pd_cp_d_1?pf_rd_p=413864101&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00004Y2QL&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0YQDSTKFP8W0GRANZCAV) with more extras and better images.

Image Entertainment also put out a boxset of four of Chaplin's features -- The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times and The Great Dictator. (http://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Chaplin-Lights-Dictator-Modern/dp/B00004Y2QL)

Chaplin's Mutual shorts are available on The Chaplin Mutual Comedies: Restored 90th Anniversary (http://www.amazon.com/Chaplin-Mutual-Comedies-Restored-Anniversary/dp/B000F4TMIW) and Charlie Chaplin Short Comedy Classics - The Complete Restored Essanay & Mutual Collection. (http://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Chaplin-Short-Comedy-Classics/dp/B00009Q4VX/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1241903778&sr=8-3) Both sets are by Image Entertainment.

Image also put out 3 DVDs of Chaplin's earlier comedy shorts, Chaplin's Essanay Comedies, vol. 1, (http://www.amazon.com/Chaplins-Essanay-Comedies-Vol-01/dp/B00000JWWZ) 2 and 3.

This website dedicated to Edna Purviance has a page with a comprehensive listing of Chaplin's major works on DVD. (http://www.ednapurviance.org/chaplininfo/indexchaplin.html) It claims that the early silent features (from First National and UA) released on DVD by Image are closer to the original theater releases than the boxsets by Warners, and that the former contain material that was later edited out by Chaplin himself.

Tillie's Punctured Romance, (http://www.lovefilm.com/film/Tillie's-Punctured-Romance/31143/) directed by Mack Sennett, features Chaplin in a early role.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

HAROLD LLOYD:

The Harold LLoyd Comedy Collection 1-3 (http://www.amazon.com/Harold-Lloyd-Comedy-Collection-Vols/dp/B000B5XORA) is the best collection of Lloyd's features and shorts on DVD by far. (The 3 volumes are sold separately, too.)

Kino Video also has 2 collections of Harold Lloyd's films and shorts, The Harold LLoyd Collection (Slapstick Symposium) Vol. 1 & 2. (http://www.amazon.com/Harold-Lloyd-Collection-Slapstick-Symposium/dp/B000AM4PJ0/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_k2a_2_txt?pf_rd_p=304485601&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-2&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0002CHIEM&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0JB86MQTW52YFA7WM55Y)

HARRY LANGDON:

Lost and Found: The Harry Langdon Collection, (http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Found-Harry-Langdon-Collection/dp/B000WC8CLU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1241905538&sr=1-1) by Facets Studio, contains his early work for Mack Sennett. Harry Langdon...The Forgotten Clown, (http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Langdon-Forgotten-Clown/dp/B00004Z4W3/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1241905538&sr=1-2) by Kino Video, contains 3 short features -- The Strong Man, Tramp Tramp Tramp, and Long Pants. Kino has also released Harry Langdon, Three's a Crowd/The Chaser, (http://www.amazon.com/Threes-Crowd-Chaser-Harry-Langdon/dp/B0016A2FHE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1241905538&sr=1-3) too.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

FATTY ARBUCKLE:

The Forgotten Films of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle (http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Films-Roscoe-Fatty-Arbuckle/dp/B00097DXG2) from Mackinac Media, contianing 4 discs of Fatty's films from the teens.
The Best Arbuckle/Keaton Collection (http://www.amazon.com/Best-Arbuckle-Keaton-Collection/dp/B00006IUIU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1241911063&sr=1-1) from Image Entertainment. Contains almost all the films Arbuckle and Keaton made together between 1917 and 1919.
The Cook and Other Treasures (1918) (http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Other-Treasures-Glen-Cavender/dp/B00007L4MK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1241911391&sr=1-1) also released by Image Entertainment. The film was considered lost until nitrate materials were found in Norway and Denmark. The DVD also has Harold Lloyd's short Number Please! (1920).

[Jack G.]

Thanks J. J. for the lists. :)

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Thanks J. J. for the lists. :)
Por nada!

Also, to add to the list:

If one is looking for a general overview of silent slapstick comedy, there's The Slapstick Encyclopedia (http://www.amazon.com/Slapstick-Encyclopedia/dp/B00005Y6YV) by Image Entertainment. Contains lots of rare films (some of which are incomplete), under different themes, in an historical context. American Slapstick (http://www.amazon.com/American-Slapstick-Charles-Chaplin/dp/B000I2J6ZA/ref=pd_bxgy_d_img_c) is another boxset by Image. I'm not sure of the contents, though. (Nice cover design, though.)

Stan Laurel has 2 DVDs of his lone silent films by Kino Video: The Stan Laurel Collection (Slapstick Symposium) 1 (http://www.amazon.com/Stan-Laurel-Collection-Slapstick-Symposium/dp/B0002CHIDS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1242106575&sr=1-1) & 2. (http://www.amazon.com/Stan-Laurel-Collection-Slapstick-Symposium/dp/B0016A2FHO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1242106575&sr=1-2) Stan's future partner also has his own DVD by Kino -- The Oliver Hardy Collection (Slapstick Symposium). (http://www.amazon.com/Oliver-Hardy-Collection-Slapstick-Symposium/dp/B000AM4PJU/ref=pd_cp_d_1?pf_rd_p=413864101&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0016A2FHO&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1H9Y9J4MZHW6BJ7243MZ)

Image also released several volumes of Hal Roach Studios' silent Laurel and Hardy shorts, starting with The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1. (http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Films-Laurel-Hardy-Collection/dp/B00000FE36/ref=pd_sim_d_8) (I think the series went to 9 volumes. They are out of print, rare and very expensive nowadays.)