Topic: Silent Comedy

[metaldams]

Want to start one more thread before I listen to A&C with Bela then go to bed - the silent comedy thread.  I started a bad movie thread, but Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd are anything but, in fact, I think they were true geniuses.  I get the impression most of you guys are more into sound comedy, which is cool, but we'll use this thread to discuss the silent greats.  Either talk about them, or if you don't know much about 'em, read this thread and learn about them.  I'd be interested in hearing all of your takes on silent comedy.

[Dunrobin]

I have to admit that I've never really watched any of the silent films much.   I have seen a few shorts by Keaton and Lloyd over the years, but more by accident than by design and I couldn't tell you which ones.  Still, I know enough about them and their influence on the Stooges shorts to be interested in reading an intelligent discussion of the silent comedies. 

Go for it, gang!   

[metaldams]

Hmmm, it appears some edgejamacation might be in order here.  I'll see what I can dig up on youtube, and when I get a chance, I'll speak a little on the films and comedians I show.  The silent clowns definitely had an influence on The Three Stooges and even worked with a lot of the same writers and directors.

The best book on the subject is THE SILENT CLOWNS by Walter Kerr.  A must read.

[shemps#1]

I've seen a couple of Keaton, Lloyd, and Chaplin films. I DVR'd a Lloyd flick awhile back, the title escapes me at the moment but it's one where he has a new car and takes a live turkey on the trolley, and I was unable to truly enjoy it because everyone around me was all in a huff about it being on. Keep in mind I hardly ever watch tv anymore, never mind DVR programs. That was the last time I used the DVR.

[locoboymakesgood]

I grew up watching movies from the silent era up until the 30s (the 60s in the Stooges case), so I've seen most of Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton's silents. And of course Chaplin.

Besides the Stooges, Laurel & Hardy was always big in my house. I vividly remember watching the talkies when they were syndicated back in the 80s, but we had a bunch of the silents on tape and I used to watch those just as much.

Even if the plot and overall film is pretty weak (one that comes to mind was a Rudolph Valentine film TCM showed awhile back that they restored with surviving footage and stills.. the name escapes me at the time), I'll still watch it for historical value.

[Jimmie Adams]

Silent Comedy is my very favorite, I don't even have a favorite silent comedian.  I laugh as much at Chaplin as I do Lige Conley (who was directed by Jack White.)

One thing that always clucks my tounge is how many Stooge fans and historian hail Jules White as the greatest film comedy producer/director of all time.  What they don't know was Jules' older brother Jack was once a rival to Sennett and Roach.  Jack started the Educational pictures comedy program which can be argued was as good as Sennett and Roach in the 1920's.  Jack White started out as a director when he was a teenager with a major comedy studio, Fox.  Lloyd Hamilton, Billie Ritchie, Sid Smith, and Jimmie Adams were comedians who were directed by Jack as a punk.  Jules was one of the last comedy directors for the FOX silent comedy short unit (BATTLING KANGAROOS has to be seen to be believed).  The reason Stooge comedies are so good is because they were crafted by past masters of Silent Comedy: Del Lord, Harry Edwards, Charley Chase, Felix Adler, Clyde Bruckman, I could go on and on.

Columbia Pictures started out as a producer of two-reel comedies under the name of C.B.C. Pictures.  Instead of a woman holding a torch as their trademark, it was a woman walking behind a wheelbarrow!  The success of their HALLROOM BOYS series put them on the map.

There is always one degree of separation between the Stooges and silent comedy.

God to see you metaldams.  I'm Sal U. Lloyd from the old Lloyd board.  Do you know what happened to ailing medical man joseph?

[metaldams]

Hey Jimmie/Sal, good to see you!  I figured it was you because your post showed an amazing amount of knowledge concerning silent comedy, and since Walter Kerr is dead, you're the only one left.

Yeah, no doubt silent comedy and The Three Stooges have tons of common links.  Vernon Dent was a regular for Harry Langdon.  Bud Jamison was Chaplin's heavy early on and did all sorts of short films.  Del Lord was Sennett's top producer in the 20's.  Clyde Bruckman worked for Lloyd and Keaton (if any of you guys watch SHERLOCK, JR. in the youtube section, check out the story credits).  The list is endless.  As for Jack "Preston Black" White, I knew he was directing films at an insanely young age, but I admit I haven't seen many of them.  It's funny you mention Jules White getting praise, though.  On this board, maybe, but to the Keaton kult, he's Satan.

As for SDJ, he hasn't posted on the boards in ages, but we still shoot e-mails about music, so he's fine.